- Salt War
The dispute was over a vast deposit of salt lying under shallow lakes about ninety miles northeast of San Elizario, on Texas Highway 62. The water has since evaporated, but the salt still exists.- These lakes were a common property of the valley towns, of San Elizario, Socorro, and Ysleta, as given to them by the Spanish Crown, which took possession of the area in 1598. Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821 and ruled for fifteen years. In 1836 Texas won its independence from Mexico and the Republic Of Texas claimed this area, plus land in New Mexico and Colorado. Texas was admitted to the union in 1845.
- In the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the United Stated promised to honor all the Spanish land grants, but since no particular individual owned the Salt Lakes, nobody filed claim to them. The local people as well as people from Mexico continued to take free salt, as they had in the past.
- A resident from San Antonio, Sam Maverick filed claim to a section of the Salt Lakes, but there was still plenty of salt outside his claim. A group of politicians from Franklin (now known as El Paso) decided to file claim for the lakes and charge people for taking salt from them. These early Anglo Mexican settlers names were Fountain, Gaylord, French, Williams and Clarke. They had disagreements among themselves and killed each other-Williams wounded Fountain, then he killed Clarke and then Fountain killed Williams.
In the meantime, another “greedy” lawyer named Charles Howard had arrived from Missouri. He soon became friends with Luis Cardis, an Italian, who was well known and liked by the Spanish and Mexican people. Together, and with the help of the local priest, Father Borrajo, they got Cardis elected to the State Legislature. Their friendship did not last and he and Cardis were now bitter enemies.- Howard filed claim to the Salt Lakes, hired some men to haul salt and was prepared to sell it at a nice profit. The Spanish and also the Mexican people from both sides of the Rio Grande River did not like this and they decided to take the salt as before. Howard tried to have them arrested; they wanted Howard arrested and since the local judge would not do it, they took Howard prisoner. They released him under the condition that he would leave the country. Several men signed the bond for his release - Charles Ellis, Tomas Garcia, Jesus Cobos and John Atkinson. Howard went as far as Mesilla, New Mexico but soon returned to El Paso and killed Cardis. This infuriated the people and they wanted the men who signed the bond to pay up. Several weeks later they formed a caravan to go to the lakes and load up with salt.
- Then Howard made a huge mistake. He rode to San Elizario and stopped at Charley Ellis’ store. Charley had lived in San Elizario for several years and was married to a local woman named Teodora Alarcon. He spoke Spanish; he thought he knew the people well and that they liked him. But he was an Anglo-American. One night when Ellis went for a walk and tried to mingle with the crowd, they thought he was spying and they tried to apprehend him but Charlie ran and hid in the wine cellar. The next day a man named Jesus Parra, who was related by marriage to Ellis, hired the towns’ cripple to take Charlie some lunch. This cripple, named Sambrano, had always been ignored by the townspeople. So he decided to gain a little notoriety by giving away Ellis’ hiding place. Ellis was pulled out, tied to a horse by the saddle and dragged out of town where he was killed.
- Howard went to take refuge with a group of Texas Rangers who were in town. The Mexicans surrounded the Ranger’s quarters and the shooting began the next day. The shooting continued for several days. They wanted Howard and Howard finally came out. All the others came out and they were taken prisoners. In the end, Howard, Atkinson (one of the men who had signed Howard’s bond) and McBride, Howard’s agent, were executed. The Rangers were allowed to mount their horses and ride away, minus their guns. The Mexicans invaded Doña Teodora Alarcon Ellis’ store and hauled several wagonloads of merchandise across the river.
- Although a reward was offered for the leaders of the Mexican “Army”, no one claimed it.
- A group of Texas Rangers on their way to San Elizario to “Keep the Peace” stopped at Ysleta and hanged a man who they were told took part in the San Elizario revolt. They hanged him on the spot. The proceeded to Socorro, and hanged another. By the time they reached San Elizario, the leaders of the revolt had crossed the river into Mexico.