Juan Bautista Elguézabal

Juan Bautista Elguézabal (1743–1805) was the temporary head of the Spanish province of Texas in 1797, and the Governor of Texas from 1800 to 1805. He also temporarily ruled the province of Louisiana in 1803. Elguézabal favored the increase of the population of Texas through the immigration from Louisiana, as well as the foundation of the first schools of primary education in the province, which were established, at least, in La Bahía (modern-day Goliad) and Nacogdoches.

Biography

Early years Elguézabal was born in 1741, though the place of his birth is unknown. However, it is not to be assumed that slavery was completely banned from the province; for example, certain French and Spanish slaveholders who moved to Texas were permitted to retain their slaves.

Elguézabal promoted a more liberal policy than the province had held up to that time, improving the living conditions of its inhabitants (previously, the province had a high poverty rate that affected most of its population).

In August 1800, Elguézabal received orders from Pedro de Nava, the Commander-in-chief of the Provincias Internas, to take the horse-trader and freebooter Philip Nolan to prison in secret, because he suspected Nolan was a spy sent by the US government, if they discovered he was one. Commandant José Vidal (in his charge as Commandant of Concordia, near Natchez), further indicated to Elguézabal that Nolan was leading a group of thirty or forty men. However, Vidal failed to convince the Supreme Court of Mississippi to deny Nolan a passport to Texas.

First schools in Texas and the end of his term Between 1803 and 1804, Salcedo wrote another letter to Elguézabal asking to build primary education schools and send teachers to instruct the "people of the frontier" in basic literacy (reading and writing). Elguézabal ordered the construction of several schools (the first of Texas's schools were established during the Elguézabal's administration) and sent teachers to the province. The teachers monthly obtained one-fourth of a peso for every boy who was enrolled in school (as girls were not permitted to enroll). A school was established in the presidio of La Bahia del Espiritu Santo by 1804. No schools were built in Nacogdoches until 1805, as the inhabitants of the city were very dispersed and the most young boys were employed as ranch hands. In addition, the teachers obtained a house that had a room that could also be used for teaching. It was during this time that Jose Francisco Ruiz became in first schoolmaster in San Antonio, although he had to teach at home.

In the absence of Irigoyen, Elguézabal remained in the position of governor of Texas past his initial end-term date in 1800. He died on October 5, 1805, in the city of San Antonio, when he still governed Texas.

Personal life Juan Bautista Elguézabal married to Maria Gertrudis Ximenez and they had four children, one of whom was Juan José Elguézabal, the governor of Mexican Texas from 1834 to 1835.

Basic Genealogy Juan Bautista Ramon Elguézabal was born in September of 1743 in Biscay, Spain Legitimate son of Augustin Elguézabal (1714-???) and Juana Vitorica (1716-???)