Estéfana Goseascochea Cemetery

María Estéfana Goseascochea de Cavazos y de Cortina established this burial ground on her property by the mid-1800s. Doña Estéfana, as she was known, was a large landowner and matriarch of noted pioneer families in south Texas. Born in Ciudad Camargo, Nuevo Santander, Mexico in 1792 to an affluent family, she married José María Fransisco Cavazos in 1815. The couple had three children before José died. In 1823, Estéfana remarried; with attorney and alcalde Trinidad Cortinas she would have three more children. Cortinas died during the Mexican-American war (1846-48). In 1848, Doña Estéfana moved her family from Camargo, Mexico to her allotted portion of the Espíritu Santo grant, located here. She established a ranching community that she named Rancho el Carmen (El Carmen Ranch), building a house and chapel. While here, Doña Estéfana lost a portion of her land to robber barons, despite a court ruling in her favor. One of Estéfana’s sons, Juan N. Cortina, was a noted general and notorious figure who championed her cause in south Texas. Doña Estéfana died on Nov. 10, 1867, and was buried at the cemetery on Rancho el Carmen. Due to damage from weather and vandalism, and obstruction from the building of a levee, the burial ground has diminished. However, it remains a monument to the residents of this area and to Doña Estéfana, who was praised after her death by the Brownsville Daily Ranchero, which stated, “many are living who owe their lives to the noble exertions of Doña Estéfana. Her sympathies were ever aroused in behalf of those whose lives were endangered, her philanthropy knew no bounds.” Historic Texas cemetery – 2007

Estéfana Goseascochea Cemetery is a historical marker in Brownsville, Cameron County, dedicated in 2008. It is one of 116 historical markers documented in Cameron County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 194 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 25.9621, -97.5784 near Brownsville. The nearest cataloged historic site is Estefana Goseaschochea Cemetery (cemetery), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include El Carmen Cemetery, San Pedro Cemetery, and Villa Nueva Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507015454. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.