Rosa María Hinojosa de Ballí facts for kids

Rosa María Hinojosa de Ballí (born in 1752, died in 1803) was an important rancher in what is now Texas. She is often called the first "cattle queen" of Texas because of her large land holdings and successful ranching.

Rosa María was born in Mexico, in a region now known as Tamaulipas. Her parents, Juan José de Hinojosa and María Antonia Inés Ballí de Benavides, were from important Spanish families. They were among the first settlers in the area, which gave them special rights to large areas of land and important jobs in the government.

In 1767, her family moved to Reynosa. Her father became the alcade there, which means he was like the mayor or a main local official. Rosa María later married José María Ballí, who was a captain in the local army.

Building a Ranching Empire

When her husband died in 1790, Rosa María inherited about 55,000 acres of land. This land had a lot of debt, meaning money was owed on it. But Rosa María was very skilled at managing her property. In just thirteen years, she managed to double the size of her land. She also made many improvements to the ranches.

Rosa María was also very generous. She gave money and resources to churches, including helping to build the first chapel in Matamoros.

By the time she died in 1803, Rosa María Hinojosa de Ballí owned more than one million acres of land. This huge amount of land is now part of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

Her Family's Legacy

Rosa María's son, Padre Ballí, also became very famous. He was given a large piece of land that is now known as Padre Island. The island was named after him. Rosa María had first applied for a part of the island with her son. But when they had to reapply in 1800, she decided to let her son have the land in his name only.

See also

In Spanish: Rosa María Hinojosa de Ballí para niños