Memories of John Pantaleon Lerma in the Big Bend region of Texas

John P. Lerma’s story is a reminder that history is filled with countless narratives, many of them lost to time. 

Yet, even with the fragments we have, we can use our imagination to paint a picture of a life lived in the remote beauty of Big Bend Texas rugged mountains, canyons and expansive desert wilderness vistas and quiet canyons. 

John Pantaleon Lerma’s childhood was a blend of hard work on his family’s land and vibrant cultural celebrations. His memories and experiences offers a glimpse into the rich history and unique culture of this rugged and beautiful area. His life and oral narration provide a historical account into the rich cultural tapestry of the Texas borderlands.

Historical records place John Pantaleon Lerma’s birth in Redford, Presidio County, Texas. His birth is recorded at the settlement of Polvo now known as Redford, Texas.  

John Pantaleon Lerma

John Lerma's story showcases the connection between the Lerma and Lyles families and provide a snapshot into their lives. A descendant, Robert Lee Matta Lerma shares the family’s beginnings in Far West Texas and Texas’ Big Bend. The story is an intriguing window into the historical landscape of Texas and aspects of family ties.

John P. Lerma (July 27, 1892 - April 3, 1985) was born in Redford, Presidio County, Texas. He was the first of eight children to Simon Lerma and Victoria Peña. John’s life had been steeped in the rich traditions of his Mexican-American heritage. He had four brothers Joe, Max, Sam, Frank and three sisters Manuela Lyles, Louisa Tercero, and Minnie Hinkle. (sources: ancestry.com and familysearch.org)

John’s father Simón Lerma de León was an early settler in the area that became Redford, Presidio County Texas. He was born in Cadereyta Jiménez, near the city of Monterrey in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico and lived from 1843 to 1927. Mexico, Select Baptisms, 1560-1950, ancestry.com

• Simón Lerma was a part of a prominent family in Texas history who played a key role in the early settlement and development of Redford and the surrounding area leaving his mark on local history 

• Historical records place Simón Lerma de Leon in:

  • • Cadereyta Jiménez, Nuevo León, Mexico (born and baptized)

    • Hacienda de San Jose (residence 1827)

    • Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico (church marriage)

    • Brackettville, Kinney County, Texas (1870 census and land application)

    • Terlingua and Boquillas, Brewster County, Texas (census, tax records)

    • Lyles homestead farm, Reeves County, Texas (1904-1917, oral narration)

    • Limpia (McCutcheon cattle ranch) Jeff Davis County, Texas (1913-1916, oral narration)

    • Redford and Marfa, Presidio County, Texas (1917-1927 census records)

• The Lermas John and Pauline his beloved wife of 63 years resided in Limpia, Redford, Balmorhea (Lyles’ farm homestead), Marfa, Texas, West Los Angeles, and Mesa, Arizona (sources: ancestry.com and familysearch.org)

The Lerma family can be traced back to:

• La Hacienda de Los Lermas founded 410 years ago as one of the most important settlements in the entire New Kingdom of León (New Spain). Hacienda Los Lermas: a historic gem in Guadalupe, Nuevo León us located in the municipality of Guadalupe, within the Monterrey metropolitan area. Founded around 1598, just two years after the founding of Monterrey by Diego de Montemayor, this hacienda has withstood centuries of history, from tribal attacks to fires and major floods.

• The property, divided by the La Silla River into two historic zones—Los Lermas to the north and San Sebastián to the south—was also a settlement for indigenous groups such as the Pamoranos and the Pelones. Although it is now in a state of abandonment, with trees and grasslands taking over its structures, it remains a living testament to the evolution of northeastern Mexico. (source: Waldo Fernández González  June 6)

• The 1799 and 1827 census records at Hacienda de Santa Ana, and Hacienda de San Jose, Cadereyta Jiménez, Nuevo León, Mexico listing the Lerma and De Leon family household

  • • Census listing: Eugenio Lerma (husband and head of household), and Maria del Rosario Bosque (wife), children Maria Antonia, Maria Teodocia, Anna Maria living at Hacienda de San Jose family house number 1013. Ysidro De Leon (husband and head of household), and wife Maria Petra Morales with daughters Maria Josefa and Maria Juliana, household number 1014.

    • Hacienda de San Jose. 64 households, named population, 247; 98 infants, with total population 345. Average family size 5.4 Source: 1827 Census, Genealogical Studies of Cadereyta Jimenez, Volume 3, Michael A. Carrillo. 1799 Census of Villa de San Juan Bautista de Cadereyta del Nuevo Reyno de Leon, Los Bexarenos Genealogical Society, 2002

    • 32 communities (haciendas and ranchos) of Cadereyta Jiménez in 1827. Statistic totals: 1,411 households, named population 5,032; infants 1,459; with total population of 6,491, average of 50% males named. 

    • The names of haciendas and ranchos ranked by size. Cadereyta Jiménez, Hacienda De Santa Efigenia, H Del Castillo, H De San Jose (The Lermas), H De Concepcion, H De Dolores, R De San Roque, H De San Bartolome, R de Capadero y Salillasne, H De Los Guerras, H De Los Rodriguez, H En La Purisima, San Mateo, H De Santa Ana, R De San Nicolas De Atongo.

• Lerma is a charming village in Spain. It is located in the province of Burgos, which is part of the Castile and León region. The Lerma family originated from the town of Lerma, the province of Burgos, Spain dating back to the tenth century to which is known for its remarkable Palace built by the Cardinal of Lerma. The palace in Lerma, Burgos, built by Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma, is the Ducal Palace of Lerma, a 17th-century masterpiece designed by Francisco de Mora. Began in 1601 and was completed by 1617, is now a high-end hotel.  A tour through Spain and Portugal, Rhys

Christening

John Lerma was baptized Pantaleon on November 5, 1892, according to church entries of baptisms of Polvo, Texas  included in parish records of St. Joseph Catholic church, Fort Davis, Texas. His Godparents were Marcelo and Segundina Acosta. (FHL25071 familysearch.org, database with images)

The Catholic church entry record states that Rev. Albert Wagner, a Carmelite priest performed the rite of baptism, named Pantaleón the son of Simón Lerma and Victoria Peña. [Baptismal register book #3, St. Joseph Parish, Fort Davis, Jeff Davis Co., TX (LDS/FHL film #0025071, Salt Lake City, Utah); Page: 69] (ancestry.org, database with images)

Birthplace of John Lerma: Redford, Presidio Co. Texas

Redford is situated on a terrace above the Rio Grande River, at the confluence of the Rio Grande and a small stream, Arroyo de la Iglesia (Church Creek).

Here’s what makes Redford, a tiny hamlet nestled near Big Bend Ranch State Park special:

Scenic Beauty

• Redford boasts stunning views of the Chihuahuan Desert landscape, with red rock formations and the Rio Grande flowing alongside the town

Remote Tranquility

• Redford offers a peaceful escape, perfect for those seeking solitude amidst nature

Early Settlement of Redford

• The old settlement of Redford was founded in1872 when it was known as Polvo

  • Secundino Lujan, one of the original settlers and colony organizers of Polvo received a 160-acre land grant from the State of Texas in the 1870s. The land grant was an incentive for him to settle there, a reward for his leadership, and a way to encourage further development of Polvo Ragsdale, Kenneth Baxter. 1998. Big Bend Country

  • The early settlers banded together to colonize Polvo and constructed a six-mile canal and gravity ditch irrigation system Tejano West Texas By Arnoldo De León

• Enrique Madrid  Jr.  the son of Enrique Madrid Sr. and Lucia Rede Madrid, a historian and archaeologist of Redford has monitored canal construction activities near Polvo, a State Archeological Landmark

• In the 1890s the area along the Rio Grande River separating Texas and Mexico in Presidio County was called the “Bloody Peninsula.” The name came from the bloodshed that was caused by the outlaw Antonio Carrasco and marauding bandits from Mexico Deputy Sheriff Simon L. de Leon

• Between 1885 and 1902 public schools were built at Marfa, Polvo, Presidio, Shafter, Ruidosa, and Candelaria TSHA Presidio County

• A detachment of Seminole-Negro Indian scouts was ordered to occupy a Camp post at Polvo in 1892  The Old Army in Texas, Smith, Thomas T, 2021

• Camp Polvo U.S. calvary border outpost was established to prevent raiding and the supply of arms to Pancho Villa from 1916 to 1920 Revolution on the Rio Grande, Glenn Justice, Texas Western Press, 1992 Legends of American

On the banks of the Rio Grande

• Was once a major trading center. Remnants of its past include the ruins of an adobe cavalry fort, customs station, and the old Church of San Jose del Polvo

• Redford’s first post office opened in 1911. By 1914, the town had four general stores, and in 1934 it had sixty residents and three businesses

• Redford had a school, a church, a number of houses, and a population of 107 in 1970

Redford's Private Lending Library

• Lucia Rede Madrid (1913-2006), born in Redford and a descendant of the original settlers and a retired schoolteacher established the Redford private lending library in 1979. She started the library with just 25 books. By 1992, the collection included over 15,000 volumes. Lucia attended Marfa Blackwell school then known as the Mexican Ward School in the 1920-30s.

• The historic site of Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas, a segregated school for Mexican-American has been named as America’s newest national park on July 17, 2024

• The school, named in 1940 for longtime teacher and principal Jesse Blackwell, served hundreds of Mexican-American children according to Big Bend Sentinnel newspaper articles

• Learn more about the Blackwell School Alliance, a local non-profit founded by Blackwell School alumni theblackwellschool.org  Texas State Historical AssociationThe Recreation Potential of Chorro Canyon, Presidio County, Texas by Michael H McKannn  Educator Madrid earned Honors

• Lucia Madrid a graduate of Blackwell School is a distant relative of Gilbert, Masie Palumbo, and Cookie (Pauline Guitterez) Lerma

  • • She was honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Award by President George W. Bush in 1990, and the Ronald Reagan Award for Volunteer Excellence in 1989

150 Year Anniversary of Redford

• Desendants of El Polvo commemorated the 150 year anniversary in Redford March 2023. The Texas Standard. Big Bend Sentinel, March 8, 2023, ‘Full circle’: Descendants of the first settlers of El Polvo return to their roots

• Redford, a small farming community on the Rio Grande in southern Presidio County had a post office, a school, a church, and about 110 inhabitants in 1947. The population of Redford was 23 in 2020, and 43 in 2021 (datausa.io/profile/geo/redford-tx#)

Oldest continuously cultivated area in the U.S.

• The surrounding area of Redford and Presidio is the oldest continuously cultivated area in the United States since 1500 B.C. The area Indians lived in small, close-together settlements City of Presidio, presidiotx.us

• The first Spaniards probably reached Redford and La Junta de los Rios in December 1535 when Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca crossed on his trek across Texas. They found the Indians living in pueblos and raising large crops of corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, and melons TSHA Presidio County

• Spanish missions were established on both sides of the Rio Grande near Redford and Presidio in the 1680s and military forts were built in the 1700sLet's Cross Before Dark, Windsor, Bi

• The Jumano Indians, in the same area, served as middlemen between the Spanish and other tribes.

  • • The Jumanos were characterized as striped people because of a distinctive pattern of facial marking in horizontal lines or bars TSHA

Early Pioneer Ranchers

• The first pioneer rancher was of Spanish descent and had previously settled in the Presidio - Redford area of Texas The Recreation Potential of Chorro Canyon, Presidio County, Texas by Michael H McKannn

• El Fortin del Cibolo was the headquarters of the vast ranching empire of Milton Faver (Don Melitón)

• Pioneers Burges, Spencer, Leaton, and Faver built private forts and ranches in the area

Polvo property owners

• Simon Lerma purchased 273 acres of property in Redford. One-hundred sixty acres, survey 8, Jose Bustillos title to Lerma conveyed in 1893; eighty acres, survey 26, G. Dominguez, title conveyed to Lerma in 1887; thirty-three acres, survey 13, M. Dominguez, conveyed to Lerma in 1887 (sources: Texas Generaal Land Office, Austin https://www.glo.texas.gov/index.html; , Texas) Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910 ancestry.com database with images; 

• The original land grant owners, twenty-two families include Acosta, Bustillos, Bustamante, Carrasco, Hinijos, Dominguez, Alvarado, Lujan, Marquez, Jaquez, Sanchez, Peña, Quintello (source: Emma Warne, Facebook Familias de Terlingua, retrieved May 11, 2024)

  • • Pascacio Acosta, survey 9, abstract 35 and Toribio Acosta, survey 10, abstract 37, to Rosendo Evaro

Polvo Irrigation Co.

• The Polvo Irrigation and Manufacturing Company, Presidio, Texas, was organized by Samuel J. Hensley, Charles Henderson, and Simon Lerma de Leon capital stock $36,000 (source: Engineering News and American Contract Journal, Volume 20, McGraw-Hill Pub. 1888)

• The Polvo Irrigation Co. shareholders meeting (minutes). The Articles of Incorporation listed Ascencion Acosta, C.L Telles, (Acosta, for the Estate of father Jorge Acosta, deceased) C.H. Madrid, Jose Lujan, Anastacio Resa, Teofilo Carrasco (treasurer), Francisco Lebar, Modesto Carrasco, Ga. Carrasco, Teodora Zuniga, Pantaleon Lerma (secretary), Rumaldo Peña, Balentin Carrasco, and Rosendo Carrasco in 1926  (source: Rosendo Evaro, Letter to Robert Lee Matta, August 11, 2011 corporation minutes)

  • • • Pantaleon Lerma, was listed the secretary of the Polvo Irrigation Company in 1926  (source: Rosendo Evaro, Letter to Robert Lee Matta, August 11, 2011 corporation minutes)

• Polvo Irrigation Company, 1909 and 1910, authorize capitalization of $3000, Incorporators: Francis J. Alvarado, Mateo Carrasco, and Zeferino Madrid "The Tradesman," Volume 62 edited by John E. MacGowan page 253, Texas Department of Agriculture Bulletin Issue 13, page 297

Folklore, Tales and Legends

• A strongbox of gold dust is supposedly hidden in a cave near Redford

• Tales of treasure like the Terlingua Bootlegger’s Hoard, a chest of cash is supposedly buried inside a quicksilver mining shaft

• A narrative from Redford historian Enrique Madrid revolves around a stash of sotol liquor hidden inside Pantaleon’s cave (La Cueva de Pantaleon) eluding authorities during the Prohibition era (1920-1933) in Presidio County, Texas (conversation with Enrique Madrid, November 29, 2010) 

• The legend suggests that John Lerma might have been involved in bootlegging activities (alcohol de contrabando) in Redford

• Simon Lerma was elected Constable for Precinct 3 in Presidio County on November 4, 1890, later assumed a position as Deputy Sheriff Texas Lawmen, 1835-1899: The Good and the Bad, Caldwell, Clifford

• The El Paso International Daily Times, Sunday, August 1, 1891 reported and provided coverage of an attempt to assassinate Simon Lerma de Leon (John Pantaleon's father), a U.S. Deputy Marshall, by an unseen marked man lying in wait in a corn field. A shot stuck him in the right breast coming out under the arm pit entered and passed through his arm. El Paso International Daily Times. (El Paso, Tex.), Vol. ELEVENTH YEAR, No. 181, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 1, 1891, newspaper, August 1, 1891; El Paso, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth540954/m1/2/: accessed May 13, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium. 

  • • Several attempts were made to murder Simón by the planning of a party of thieves reported the El Paso newspaper

• After the wounding of Pantaleon’s father, J.P. Ryan, commander of the Negro-Seminole Indian scouts headquartered in the town of Polvo was notified. The military hospital at Presidio, Texas, dressed the wounds and Simon recovered El Paso International Daily Times. (El Paso, Tex.) Saturday, August 1, 1891 Page: 2 of 8

• Deputy Simon L. de Leon was shot by Nermin Lujan in Polvo (present day Redford). Lujan fled to Mexico and was arrested at Presidio del Norte, Mexico. The newspaper reported that Lujan was given a preliminary trial and was remitted to Chihuahua City for final trial. El Paso International Daily Times. (El Paso, Tex.) Sunday, August 16, 1891, newspaper, August 16, 1891; El Paso, Texas, accessed by Robert Lee Matta May 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, Abilene Library Consortium

The Portal of Texas History

• View the Simon Lerma de Leon Collection consisting of photographs and documents relating to Simon Lerma de Leon an early colonist of Far West Texas Private Collection of Robert Matta Family, Rescuing Texas History, 2013, The Portal of Texas History

• The portal showcases the connection between the Lerma and Lyles families and offers a glimpse into their lives by providing rare, historical, and primary source materials from or about Texas. Go to texashistory.unt.edu and use the search prompt, type Simon Lerma 

John Lerma audio recordings

• In YouTube videos, John P. Lerma reminisces about his early years with Pauline Lyles. The video sheds light on family structures in the Big Bend area, which were different from today

• In the YouTube audio recordings John Lerma expressed his intention to marry Pauline Lyles. He made an offer of marriage

• The couple’s engagement lasted for six months. The Lerma and Lyles family made preparations for the ceremony and reception on March 12, 1913 at the Lyles' family homestead of “La Loma”

Simon and John Lerma: Familias de Terlingua, Texas

• • Information about Simón Lerma and Victoria Resa Peña comes from the website Familias de Terlingua, which documents the families of Terlingua and the Big Bend area in Far West Texas

  • Learn more at familiasdeterlingua.com

El Polvo, Texas

Polvo: A sense of place

John Lerma and his younger sister Manuela “Nellie” lived in Polvo with their parents from about 1892 to 1896. The old settlement of El Polvo was incorporated by the town of Redford, Texas. Afterwards the family moved to Boquillas and Terlingua, Texas. Texas, 1900 United States. Census Office. 12th census, 1900

Polvo is the site of an ancient pueblo people referred to Tapacolmes and a Spanish mission from the early 18th century. redfordtx.com/history

• Polvo is thought to be the location of an early Spanish mission San Pedro de Tapacolmes Indians in 1715 Texas Beyond History, La Junta de Los Rios

Forgotten Places: El Polvo for The Dust

Polvo was founded about 1872, is one of the oldest settlements in the United States. Los Vientos de La Cuaresma, The Winds of Lent, blows dust from the end of February through March. The area became known as El Polvo for The Dust. TSHA Redford, Texas

The Lermas, Polvo, and the Big Bend

This is big country, sparsely populated

Yet people have lived here for about 11,000 years. Polvo is an ancient farming community on the Rio Grande River on Highway 170 in the Big Bend. The region had been inhabited for thousands of years. 

Those who have seen the Big Bend country know it as the most remote place, majestically beautiful section of the Texas borderlands ...The utter solitude, broken by the sound of birds and insects only, reconstructs the mood of limitless possibility and vague foreboding that faced everyone who pushed the frontier westward. From the April 1977 issue of Texas Monthly 

Polvo site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 1957 and was designated as a State Archeological Landmark on November 7, 1983. Beyond Texas History.com.  

• Learn more about The Texas State Historical Association at tshaonline.org (Cloud et al, 1994 :xi, 1). From: The Journal of Big Bend Studies Vol. 15, 2003. The Lost Mission of El Polvo: Searching for the History of a State Archeological Landmark, By Enrique R. Madrid

George B. Lyles Sr. (1828-1878) descendants are found in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon, Montana, Michigan, Georgia, as well as Spain and Chile.

• • • George B. Lyles, was a pioneer in building irrigation systems in Toyahvale, Texas in 1871. Along with his son Robert E. Lyles played a key role in bringing water from the San Solomon Springs (Balmorhea State Park) to irrigate the land in the Toyah Valley, Reeves County, Texas. They helped to establish and grow farms in the Balmorhea area of Reeves County, Texas

    • George B. Lyles Senior made significant investments in West Texas, and his legacy lives on. The Lyles Farm Family Cemetery in Balmorhea (Robert E. Lyles Cemetery or “La Loma” Cemetery ) serves as a reminder of his contributions

    • George B. Lyles and his son Robert E. Lyles are remembered for homesteading and developing acreage near Balmorhea State Park, in Toyahvale, Texas which later became known as the “La Loma” farming community

    • George B Lyles married Basilia “Bessie” McKnight Ruelas, and together they had nine surviving children

    • Alfonso, Carmen, Robert, Amanda, Caroline, Isable (Elizabeth) John, George Jr, and Enrique

    • Robert E Lyles, known as Bob, farmed the land and served his community. He held various county positions and contributed to establishing the public school system in the Balmorhea area

    • Robert E. Lyles was the son of George B. Lyles and Basilia McKnight Ruelas. 

    • Robert E Lyles, known as Bob, farmed the land and served his community. He held various county positions and contributed to establishing the public school system in the Balmorhea area

    • He passed away in 1920 and is buried in “La Loma Cemetery” with other family members

    • The cemetery holds historical significance for the Lyles family and the local community. It has been designated as a Texas Historical Cemetery (RV-C014) by the Texas Historical Commission

    • In the 1880s and 1890s, small farming communities like Pera, Calera, Indio, Alamo, Ojo, and Victoria appeared in baptism church records as places of birth in “La Loma,” Reeves County, Texas

    • “La Loma” refers to the Lyles Family Homestead, located along State Highway 17 at County Road 325, near Balmorhea State Park where you can dive into crystal-clear water of the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool. Swim, scuba dive, or just relax under the trees at this historic park in arid West Texas

Basilia “Bessie” McKnight Ruelas

Basilia McKnight Ruelas was a remarkable individual with a rich background. Here are some key details about her life:

• • • In the 1841 Mexican census, Basilia McKnight Ruelas is listed as a 12-year-old living in Barranco Colorado, Chihuahua, Mexico the hacienda of her father Robert McKnight. This census entry provides valuable information about her family origins in Northern Chihuahua

    • More information can be found on the Texas State Historical Association at tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/reeves-county