Tejano History
Leal, Joaquin
Tejanos |
LEAL, JOAQUÍN (1746–1813). Joaquín Leal, rancher, was born in 1746 in the Villa de San Fernando (San Antonio) to Bernardo Leal and Lenore Delgado, Canary Islanders among the villa's original founders. His grandfather, Juan Leal Goraz, had, by royal decree, led the colony and was the first alcalde mayor of San Fernando. After the founding of San Fernando, the land grants given to each of the colonists at his arrival became farms and cattle ranches extending for miles in all directions. By virtue of their land titles, landowners took a place of social prominence. Leal's sizable ranch, known as Santa Rita de las Islitas, provided him with thousands of acres of productive ranchland.
Full article on the Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas Online