Eulalia Elias

Dona Maria Eulalia Elias Gonzalez Romo de Vivar (February 12, 1788 – August 6, 1865) was an American rancher who established the first major cattle ranch in Arizona. Whe was inducted into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame.[1]

Biography

The Elías-González family, of which Eulalia Elias was a part of was descended from Captain Francisco Elias Gonzalez de Zaya. The family was very powerful, contributing among others, a president of Mexico, two governors of Sonora, a governor of Chihuahua and several priests of the church in Mexico.[2]

Eulalia Elias was born on February 12, 1788 in Arizpe. She was born into the Elías-González family, which had 30 large land grants and thousands of acres.[3] On July 1, 1827, she applied to purchase land along the Babocomari Creek. With her brother Don Ignacio Elías González, later that year, a grant for about 54 miles along the creek was granted.[4] Called San Juan de Babocómari (later renamed to San Ignacio de Babocómari) the family began to bring in large amounts of livestock, and purchase more land, eventually reaching 130,000 acres of land around Sierra Vista. The deed to the additional land was granted on December 25, 1832, and immediately construction was begun on a 15 foot walled fort. The land grew into the first major cattle ranch in Arizona, holding 40,000 head of cattle and horses in 1840. The ranch prospered until the death of two of Elias's brothers in Apache Indian raids. By 1849, the family abandoned the ranch due to Indian raids, and moved back to Arizpe.[5] Eulalia Elias played a large role in managing much of the financial and land prospects of her family.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Times, Albert Vetere Lannon, Special to Desert. "Pioneering women blazed a trail in Arizona". Tucson Local Media. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
  2. ↑ "Eulalia Elias (1788-1865) - Arizona Women's Hall of Fame". Arizona Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
  3. ↑ "Eulalia Elias Was Irascible, Untamed Rancher". HighBeam. 2015-09-05.
  4. ↑ Officer, James E. (2015-11-15). Hispanic Arizona, 1536–1856. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 9780816533497.
  5. ↑ Lundin, Martha. "Arizona's first women of influence set high standards". Inside Tucson Business. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
  6. ↑ Star, Jan Cleere For the Arizona Daily. "Western Women: Eulalia Elías was irascible, untamed rancher". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
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