Martín Peña Family Tree |
The Saga of Martín Peña
by Juan-Paz Peña
Martín Peña was born in Lyons, France circa 1829. At that time, his name was Martín LaRoche. He was reared and educated in the Lyon, France area. As a young man, he enrolled in 1844 at St. Jodard Seminary, near Lyon, France, to study philosophy. Later, in 1847, he enrolled at the famous Grand Seminaire de St. Irenee, near Lyon, France, to study theology and become a Catholic priest.
From 1850 to 1880, numerous French priests, seminarians, and missionaries, known as the “Apostles from Lyons” came to evangelize the Southwestern USA. So sometime in 1851, Martín and some seminarian classmates sailed aboard the Belle Assise for Galveston, Texas, to continue their studies in the newly established Texas diocese seminary in San Antonio. From Galveston, they traveled on foot, by boat, and oxcart through Mexico to avoid being caught in armed conflicts in Texas.
In 1851, Martín and other seminarians set out to their assigned city, San Antonio, Texas, to begin their apostolate.
In Mexico, Martín became ill and could not continue to San Antonio with his colleagues. While in Mexico recovering from his illness, he decided to abandon his calling as a Catholic priest. He lived in Mexico and eventually met his future wife, Manuela Prieto. He married circa 1859 and his first son, Juan, was born circa 1860.
Sometime before or after his marriage to Manuela Prieto, he changed his French surname of LaRoche, which means rock in French, to Peña, which means rock in Spanish.
Further research will determine the reason for the name change. It could have been for political and/or cultural reasons. Alternatively, maybe because he had left his priestly calling he wanted to start a new life with a new name. Or, perhaps, after the overthrow of the French monarchy in Mexico, it was safer to hide your French ancestry. Whatever the reason, Martín LaRoche changed his name to Martín Peña.
From 1850 to 1880, numerous French priests, seminarians, and missionaries, known as the “Apostles from Lyons” came to evangelize the Southwestern USA. So sometime in 1851, Martín and some seminarian classmates sailed aboard the Belle Assise for Galveston, Texas, to continue their studies in the newly established Texas diocese seminary in San Antonio. From Galveston, they traveled on foot, by boat, and oxcart through Mexico to avoid being caught in armed conflicts in Texas.
In 1851, Martín and other seminarians set out to their assigned city, San Antonio, Texas, to begin their apostolate.
In Mexico, Martín became ill and could not continue to San Antonio with his colleagues. While in Mexico recovering from his illness, he decided to abandon his calling as a Catholic priest. He lived in Mexico and eventually met his future wife, Manuela Prieto. He married circa 1859 and his first son, Juan, was born circa 1860.
Sometime before or after his marriage to Manuela Prieto, he changed his French surname of LaRoche, which means rock in French, to Peña, which means rock in Spanish.
Further research will determine the reason for the name change. It could have been for political and/or cultural reasons. Alternatively, maybe because he had left his priestly calling he wanted to start a new life with a new name. Or, perhaps, after the overthrow of the French monarchy in Mexico, it was safer to hide your French ancestry. Whatever the reason, Martín LaRoche changed his name to Martín Peña.
Martín eventually settled in the city of Santa Rosalia, Camargo, Chihuahua, Mexico. [Santa Rosalia homestead information by family researcher, Imelda Gallego García.] Based on currently available family lore information, Martín and Manuela had four sons and no daughters. The sons were as follows: Juan, Martín Jr., a Catholic priest in Chihuahua, Luis and Demetrio.
Martín was involved in the freighting business in the Santa Rosalia area. In Chihuahua, as a freighter, he was acquainted with other freighters and businessmen, such as Camilo Terrazas, Aniceto Piña, etc., who freighted to Fort Stockton and other Army forts. The current, Fort Stockton iconic Terrazas and Piña families are the descendants of Camilo Terrazas and Aniceto Piña. These and other Chihuahua freighters eventually immigrated to Fort Stockton.
Martín, at age 40, subsequently immigrated in 1869 to Fort Stockton, Texas, with his one-year old son, Luis. Manuela in 1869 was probably pregnant with Demetrio and she might have died during childbirth. Later, his sons, Juan and Demetrio, joined their father and brother in Fort Stockton. Demetrio immigrated in 1880 and Juan in 1882. |
Juan Peña, age 28, married Mauricia Cano-Durán-Lugo, age 17, on May 7, 1888, and had ten children. This marriage united the Peña-Cano-Durán-Lugo (PCDL) families and hence the name for the PCDL Reunions.
Martín Peña was a founder of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Fort Stockton. The founders established the Church in 1875. The Catholic priests who established the church were from Lyons, France, seminaries, and Martín Peña knew them.
Eventually, a decade after his arrival in Fort Stockton, Texas, Martín Peña established a homestead northwest of Fort Stockton near Needle Point Mountain. The Edubijín Gómez family and other families homesteaded adjacent to Needle Point Mountain. However, because of new, 1880’s fencing and tax laws passed by the Texas legislature and/or outright nativism based on their Mexican heritage, these legal homesteaders and others of Mexican heritage in the Fort Stockton and surrounding towns were evicted and/or run off from their homesteads.
Martín Peña was a founder of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Fort Stockton. The founders established the Church in 1875. The Catholic priests who established the church were from Lyons, France, seminaries, and Martín Peña knew them.
Eventually, a decade after his arrival in Fort Stockton, Texas, Martín Peña established a homestead northwest of Fort Stockton near Needle Point Mountain. The Edubijín Gómez family and other families homesteaded adjacent to Needle Point Mountain. However, because of new, 1880’s fencing and tax laws passed by the Texas legislature and/or outright nativism based on their Mexican heritage, these legal homesteaders and others of Mexican heritage in the Fort Stockton and surrounding towns were evicted and/or run off from their homesteads.
Many of the Anglo-American pioneers who homesteaded in Fort Stockton were of Scots-Irish ancestry. Eventually, these Scots-Irish immigrants and their descendants took ownership of Fort Stockton, the Big Bend and surrounding area, the whole state of Texas and then the Southwest.
The Gómez and Peña homesteads were located in what is now known as Gómez Field. Gómez Field has been one of the biggest producers of natural gas and oil in the world since 1917.
Other notable, ethnic-cleansing evictions and/or illegal confiscations were the extensive homesteads of the Torres brothers, Féliz Garza and Féliz Holguín, etc. al. They owned vast farms, ranches, and homesteads in the Fort Stockton, Texas, area. The descendants of the Torres brothers settled a substantial financial lawsuit in the 1980’s against various entities for improper confiscation of their farms, ranches, and homesteads. The Holguín descendants still have an active lawsuit pending.
The Gómez and Peña homesteads were located in what is now known as Gómez Field. Gómez Field has been one of the biggest producers of natural gas and oil in the world since 1917.
Other notable, ethnic-cleansing evictions and/or illegal confiscations were the extensive homesteads of the Torres brothers, Féliz Garza and Féliz Holguín, etc. al. They owned vast farms, ranches, and homesteads in the Fort Stockton, Texas, area. The descendants of the Torres brothers settled a substantial financial lawsuit in the 1980’s against various entities for improper confiscation of their farms, ranches, and homesteads. The Holguín descendants still have an active lawsuit pending.
Research of when or where Martín Peña and other family pioneers were born, lived, worked, reared families, died, buried, etc. is in process. Maybe someday, a curious PCDL descendent will complete the story of the PCDL families by carefully researching and cross-referencing documents, stories, and pieces of stories caringly handed down from one generation to another.
Note: Currently, it is primarily the descendants of these Scots-Irish pioneers, who homesteaded throughout Fort Stockton, the Big Bend area, the state of Texas and the Southwest, who are advocating for the deportation of undocumented aliens, who are predominantly from Mexico. The recently passed Arizona law, which is patently unconstitutional and that will be overturned by the courts, is an example of this deportation hysteria. Obviously, these Scots-Irish descendants are noticing their electoral and financial power being threatened by the influx of undocumented aliens. However, to quote an old cliché, “What goes around comes around.”
Copyrighted © 6/12/2010 by Juan-Paz Peña; all rights reserved