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Courtesy Jose Borjon,

Save America’s Treasures Funds will be Used to Preserve Unique Texas Treasure

 San Ygnacio, TX –  Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced that the River Pierce Foundation received a $269,130 grant from the Department of Interior, National Park Service (NPS) through the Save America’s Treasures (SAT) grant program, for the preservation/rehabilitation of the Treviño-Uribe Rancho in San Ygnacio, Texas.

 Sixty of these grants totaling $14.3 million were are awarded to organizations and agencies that conserve significant U.S. cultural and historic treasures, which illustrate, interpret and are associated with the great events, ideas, and individuals that contribute to our nation’s history and culture. The only other grant in Texas was given to the University of Texas at El Paso.

 “At a time when the Hispanic population is growing rapidly in the United States, we must work to preserve our historic treasures so that our future generations can learn about our nation’s diverse cultural history,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar. “The Saving America’s Treasures Grant will allow for the preservation and rehabilitation of the Treviño-Uribe Rancho and will undoubtedly help save the aesthetic and structural beauty of this National Historic Landmark. I congratulate the River Pierce Foundation for their hard work ensuring that the legacy of South Texas history is preserved.”

 The Treviño-Uribe Rancho represents the last standing collection in the United States of the built vernacular architecture associated with Colonial Mexican ranching settlements. Although settlements like this were common along both sides of the Rio Grande as recently as 60 years ago, many of them were destroyed with the erection of the Falcon Dam in 1953.  Today this site is distinguished by hand-made architectural features which detail the history and travails of the settlers, from the gun-ports and turrets designed to provide protection from indigenous raids, to a sundial which is listed in the directory of the North American Sundial Society and was one of the first examples of public art in this region. 

 “The most significant aspect of this site is how a group of settlers came to interact with a natural environment which has not changed perhaps for thousands of years.  By studying the social conditions of this community in the 19^th century, one could look for an important cultural exchange between Mexican ranching traditions and the indigenous technology,” says Christopher Rincón, Executive Director of The River Pierce Foundation.