Silvia and John Webber facts for kids
Silvia Hector Webber (born 1807 – died around 1892) and John Fernando Webber (born around 1786–1795 – died 1882) were a brave mixed-race couple. They were among the first settlers in Austin's Colony in Travis County, Texas. John, who had been a medic during the War of 1812, was the first non-native person to live in Webber's Prairie. He even built a fort there. This area was later named Webberville, Texas.
The Webbers worked hard to gain freedom for Silvia and their children. They had to give up a lot of their land in Webberville to do this. Sadly, their family faced unfair treatment because of their race. Their children were not allowed to go to school with white children. So, the Webbers hired a private teacher to live with them and teach their kids.
When the Republic of Texas was formed in 1836, things became much harder for the family. Their marriage was considered illegal, and Black people lost many rights they had enjoyed under Mexican Texas rule. They faced increasing danger and feared that slave hunters, also called Blackbirders, would capture Silvia and their children and force them into slavery.
Because of these dangers, the family moved to Hidalgo County, Texas by the mid-1850s. They settled along the Rio Grande river. It is believed that they were part of the southern route of the Underground Railroad to Mexico. This secret network helped enslaved people escape to freedom. John smuggled tobacco into Northern Mexico, and during these trips, he also helped formerly enslaved people find freedom. Silvia was especially known for helping people who needed a safe place. John also ran a business using a ferry to carry people and goods across the Rio Grande. During the American Civil War, the Webber family supported the United States Army. Two of their sons were even captured by the Confederate States Army.
Contents
Who Were John and Silvia?
John Ferdinand Webber's Early Life
John Ferdinand Webber was a white man born in Danville, Vermont. He was born sometime between 1786 and 1795. His parents, Hannah Morrill and John Webber, had moved to America from Europe.
John served as a private and a medic in the War of 1812. He was in the Thirty-first United States Infantry. He fought in the battle of Shadage Woods. In 1823, John came to Mexico, settling in San Felipe de Austin. He lived in central Texas for 30 years. Then, in 1853, he moved to Hidalgo County.
Silvia Hector's Early Life
Silvia Hector was born into slavery in Spanish West Florida (which is now eastern Louisiana) in 1807. She was owned by Silas McDaniel. When she was twelve years old, she was sold to Morgan Cryer, Sr. for $550. This happened on March 10, 1819.
Silvia likely came to Texas in 1826 when she was 19. She traveled with John Cryer, who was one of Morgan Cryer, Sr.'s children. John Cryer settled in Mexican Texas. In 1826, John Cryer's family record in Austin's Colony listed five enslaved people. Cryer asked for land from the Mexican government as part of Austin's Colony.
Family Life and Freedom
Marriage and Children
John Webber was one of the first settlers in Mexican Texas (1821–1836). This colony was started by Stephen F. Austin. John lived there starting in 1826. He was a neighbor and business partner of John Cryer. They worked together smuggling tobacco into Northern Mexico.
John met Silvia between 1826 and 1829. Their first child, Alcy, was born in October 1829. Their sons Henry and John Webber were born by 1834. John Webber married Silvia Hector before 1832. Their marriage was performed by Father Michael Muldoon.
By 1834, Silvia had given birth to three children with John Webber. She was still enslaved at this time. Silvia and John worked together to gain freedom for their three children and for Silvia herself. They achieved this by June 11, 1834.
Silvia's freedom papers show that her enslaver, John Cryer, tried to make a harsh deal. He did not ask for money or land. Instead, he wanted two young enslaved children as payment. These were a 2-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl. However, the Webbers refused to make this payment. By 1850, the Webbers chose to give up a large part of their Webberville property. This was to pay the debt they owed Cryer for Silvia and her children's freedom.
The Webbers had a total of 13 children. Eleven of them lived past infancy. Because their children were not allowed to attend local schools due to racial prejudice, the Webbers hired a teacher. Robert G. McAdoo, a school teacher from North Carolina, lived with them and taught their children.
Life as Pioneers
Webber's Prairie Settlement
John owned 2,214 acres of land. This area became known as Webber's Prairie. He received this land on June 22, 1832. It is located near the border of Bastrop and Travis Counties, along the Colorado River. Around 1832, John built Webber's Fort and a stockade on a hill. He was the first non-native person to live on Webber's Prairie in Travis County, Texas. The town was named Webberville after him. It is now on the edge of modern-day Austin.
Starting in the 1820s, John traveled to Mexico to sell tobacco. He worked with partners like John Cryer, Clay Coppedge, and Noah Smithwick. They traveled together to San Fernando, Mexico. John called himself Dr. John F. Webber. This was a cover for their main goal: to secretly sell tobacco.
An Interracial Couple's Challenges
Silvia was the first free Black woman to settle in Webberville. She was also one of the first free Black people in Travis County. At first, their neighbors accepted them as an interracial couple. Although Silvia was not seen as "equal," people in Webberville respected her kindness. Silvia was known as "Puss" and was remembered for being kind, welcoming, and smart. Women appreciated her helpfulness. She took in and comforted an orphaned child. She also opened her home to a man with a disability for many years. When white women visited her home, Silvia served them food but did not eat with them. If they offered to return the favor, she would eat alone in their kitchen.
In 1836, the Republic of Texas was formed after the Texas Revolution. Its new rules took away the rights and freedoms that Black people had under Mexican law. It also made interracial marriage illegal. As more people from the Deep South moved into the area in the 1840s, Silvia and her children faced "cruel prejudice and unfair treatment." The new settlers in Webberville wanted to "get rid of the founder and his mixed-race family." By the early 1850s, the Webbers' lives in Webberville were threatened. They decided to leave and move to Mexico.
The Webbers were also afraid that Blackbirders, who were slave stealers and slave catchers, would kidnap their family members and sell them into slavery.
Life Along the Rio Grande
In 1853, John, Silvia, and their children left Webberville. They moved to Hidalgo County. When they arrived, Mexican American families welcomed them. They settled in what is now southern Texas, near the border with Mexico, along the Rio Grande. They had a large 8,856-acre ranch. This ranch was six miles east of Hidalgo. They also built a home south of the town of Donna. It was on the banks of the Rio Grande, across the river from Reynosa, Mexico.
They started a ferry business from their land on Webber's Ranch. They used the ferry to transport goods for their trading business across the river. John's cousins—Peter, John, and Andrew Webber—went on trading trips with him. To fit in better while trading in Mexico, John changed his name to Juan Fernando Webber. He also bought land from the La Blanca land grant.
Helping Others on the Underground Railroad
Silvia and John were against slavery and supported the Union. They offered a safe place for people seeking freedom on their way to Mexico. Silvia was known for being very kind to anyone who needed help. She and her family fed, sheltered, and protected runaway enslaved people on the Underground Railroad to Mexico. They used their ferry to help these freedom seekers cross the Rio Grande. Their neighbors, Matilda and Nathaniel Jackson, also helped people escaping slavery.
During the Civil War
Unlike most of their neighbors, the Webbers supported the Union Army during the American Civil War. The Confederate States Army took control of the Rio Grande Valley. The Webbers were treated badly because they were against the Confederacy. They were even forced off their land.
Confederate troops captured two of John's sons. One of the Webber men escaped. He went to Fort Brown to tell the Union Army soldiers that the Confederate leader, Colonel John Salmon Ford, had 60 soldiers. The Webber family fled to Mexico. They did not return until May 1865, when the war ended. Or perhaps they returned in 1882, before John's death.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1872, John received a pension from the United States government. He died on July 19, 1882, at his home. He was buried in the Webber Cemetery in Hidalgo County, near Donna, Texas. Silvia died around 1891 or 1892.
Webber Family Legacy
- The Webbers helped start the towns of Webberville in Bastrop County and Donna in Hidalgo County, Texas.
- There is a memorial for John Ferdinand Webber. It is at the Webber family cemetery near Donna, Texas. This cemetery is off of US 281, near the Donna Pumping Station, in Hidalgo County. 26°4′18.77″N 98°6′10.56″W / 26.0718806°N 98.1029333°W
