The La Chua ranch was the largest cattle ranch in
Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida ( es, La Florida) was the first major European land claim and attempted settlement in North America during the European Age of Discovery. ''La Florida'' formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, ...
in the 17th century.
Cattle ranching became an important part of the economy of Spanish Florida over the course of the 17th century. The La Chua ranch was founded in the middle of the 17th century, and by the end of that century accounted for one-third of the cattle in the colony. Raids by the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
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of the
Province of Carolina
Province of Carolina was a province of England (1663–1707) and Great Britain (1707–1712) that existed in North America and the Caribbean from 1663 until partitioned into North and South on January 24, 1712. It is part of present-day Alaba ...
and their
native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and entert ...
allies led to the abandonment of the La Chua ranch early in the 18th century.
Menéndez Márquez family
Francisco Menéndez Márquez
Francisco Menéndez Márquez y Posada (died 1649) was a royal treasurer (''teosoro real'') and interim co-governor of Spanish Florida, and the founder of a cattle ranching enterprise that became the largest in Florida.
Treasurer and acting gover ...
was a member of a prominent ''
criollo
Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to:
People
* Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish race-based colonial caste system (the European descendants)
Animals
* Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South Ameri ...
'' family in Spanish Florida. He and his descendants became foremost among the ''criollos'' engaged in cattle ranching in Spanish Florida. Francisco's great-uncle (or, possibly, his grandfather) was
Pedro Menéndez Márquez
Pedro Menéndez Márquez (c.1537 – 1600) was a Spanish military officer, conquistador, and governor of Spanish Florida. He was a nephew of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, who had been appointed ''adelantado'' (an elite military and administrative p ...
, nephew of
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the founder of Spanish Florida. Pedro Menéndez Márquez was the third royal governor of Spanish Florida. Francisco's father,
Juan Menéndez Márquez
Juan Menéndez Márquez y Valdés (1531–1627) was royal treasurer and interim governor of Spanish Florida, and governor of Popayán Province (in present-day Colombia). He was the father of Francisco Menéndez Márquez, who succeeded him as g ...
(Pedro's nephew, or, possibly, illegitimate son), married Pedro's niece, María Menéndez y Posada. María's father, Pedro de Posada, had been appointed ''
tesorero real'' (royal treasurer) of Florida, but died in 1592 before he could assume the duties of the position. Juan, as the betrothed of Posada's daughter, inherited the position and served as royal treasurer from 1593 until his death in 1627. Juan's son, Francisco Menéndez Márquez, succeeded his father as royal treasurer-steward of Spanish Florida, serving from 1628 until 1637, and again from 1639 until his death in 1649. When governor
Benito Ruíz de Salazar Vallecilla was suspended from office in 1646, Francisco Menéndez Márquez and acting accountant
Pedro Benedit Horruytiner
Pedro Benedit Horruytiner y Catalán (1613 – November 20, 1684) was a Spanish soldier who served as interim co-governor of Spanish Florida (''La Florida'') between 1646 and 1648, and as governor between 1651 and 1654. When governor Benito Ruí ...
acted as co-governors until Salazar Vallecilla was returned to office in 1648.
Francisco started cattle ranching in
Potano Province with the approval of Timucua chief Lúcas Menéndez, chief of the
Timucua Province
Beginning in the second half of the 16th century, the Kingdom of Spain established a number of Christian missions, missions throughout Spanish Florida, ''La Florida'' in order to convert the Native Americans in the United States, Native America ...
, which had expanded to include Potano Province. That ranch was probably founded in 1646 or 1647, while Francisco was acting as co-governor of Florida. The location of that first ranch is not known. By 1649 the ranch was worth 8,000
peso
The peso is the monetary unit of several countries in the Americas, and the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries the peso uses the Dollar sign, same sign, "$", as many currencies na ...
s and earning 700 pesos a year. A few years after Francisco's death, the royal treasury in St. Augustine was audited, and it was found that between 16,000 and 20,000 pesos were missing (Francisco's salary as treasurer had been 1,470 pesos a year). Bushnell calculates that 6,000 pesos would have purchased about 200 head of cattle, five horses, and two slaves to serve as ranch hands. This sum accounts for much of the 16,000 to 20,000 pesos that Francisco had "borrowed" from the royal treasury. Francisco had used the King's money to finance his ranch. Francisco's family repaid about three-quarters of the missing funds, and was allowed to repay the balance over six years.
Location
The La Chua ranch was located on and about what is now known as
Paynes Prairie
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is a Florida State Park, encompassing a savanna in Alachua County, Florida lying between Micanopy and Gainesville. It is also a U.S. National Natural Landmark. It is crossed by both I-75 and U.S. 441 (which ha ...
, southeast of present-day
Gainesville. The hacienda headquarters has been identified with an archaeological site on the northern rim of Payne's Prairie, overlooking the Alachua Sink (a sinkhole that drains Paynes Prairie). The earliest possible date for the founding of the La Chua ranch is in the late 1640s, but the first mention of its existence was in 1675, and the name did appear in the records until 1682.
Prosperity
Cattle ranching boomed in Spanish Florida in the latter part of the 17th century. Francisco's son,
Tomás Menéndez Márquez
Tomás Menéndez Márquez y Pedroso (1643–1706) was an official in the government of Spanish Florida, and owner, with his brothers, of the largest ranch in Spanish Florida. He was captured by pirates in 1682 and held for ransom, but was rescued ...
, and Tomás's son, Francisco II, founded or bought most of the ranches located between the St. Johns River and the Potano missions (in what is now western
Alachua County). Tomás also formed alliances with other cattle ranchers. Several of his children married into other ranching families. As did other ranches, the Menéndez Márquez ranches sent cattle to St. Augustine. Cattle were sometimes driven to Apalachee Province, as well. A port called San Martin was established in the early 1670s on the Suwannee River, 4
leagues from the mouth of the river and 14 leagues from La Chua. Tomás shipped hides, dried meat and tallow to
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. from that port. Tomás owned a ship which was engaged in the trade between San Martin, Havana, and
San Marcos
San Marcos is the Spanish name of Saint Mark. It may also refer to:
Towns and cities Argentina
* San Marcos, Salta
Colombia
* San Marcos, Antioquia
* San Marcos, Sucre
Costa Rica
* San Marcos, Costa Rica (aka San Marcos de Tarrazú)
...
in Apalachee Province.
Ranches and farms in Spanish Florida were taxed at two-and-one-half percent of their produce ("fruits of the land"), which for a cattle ranch meant that two-and-one-half percent of the calves born each year were sent to St. Augustine. Late in the 17th century, there were 34 permanent cattle ranches in Spanish Florida. In 1698 and 1699, those 34 ranches paid a tax in kind of 222 head of cattle. The largest ranch, La Chua, paid a tax of 77 head of cattle, 35% of all calves paid in tax that year. A paid tax of 222 head of cattle implies that 8,880 calves were born in those two years, including 3,080 calves born on the La Chua ranch alone. In 1763,
British
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colonial official
James Robertson noted that, before the destruction of the Spanish missions in Florida at the beginning of the 18th century, cattle abounded in Florida, and one Spaniard (presumably, Tomás Menéndez Márquez) owned 7,000 head.
Attacks
The La Chua ranch was attacked during the Timucua Rebellion of 1656. Juan Menéndez Márquez, the oldest son of Francisco, was managing the ranch at the time. One of the leaders of the rebellion was Lúcas Menéndez, chief of
San Martín de Timucua
The Fig Springs mission site ( 8CO1) is an archaeological site in Ichetucknee Springs State Park, in Columbia County, Florida. It has been identified as the site of a Spanish mission to the Timucua people of the region, dating to the first half ...
and paramount chief of the Timucua Province, and probable
godson
In infant baptism and denominations of Christianity, a godparent (also known as a sponsor, or '' gossiprede'') is someone who bears witness to a child's christening and later is willing to help in their catechesis, as well as their lifelon ...
of Francisco. Lúcas sent a letter to Juan in St. Augustine, warning him to not visit the ranch. Juan could not read the
Timucua language
Timucua is a language isolate formerly spoken in northern and central Florida and southern Georgia by the Timucua peoples. Timucua was the primary language used in the area at the time of Spanish colonization in Florida. Differences among the ...
, however, and went to the ranch unaware of the danger. Lúcas Menéndez ordered his people to kill all Spaniards, except for
missionaries
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
. Couriers carrying this order found two workers from the La Chua ranch, a Spaniard and a Tabasco Mexican, on the road and killed them. Lúcas led a raiding party to the La Chua hacienda. At the hacienda the Timucuas killed a Spanish soldier who had traveled with Juan from St. Augustine and two African slaves that belonged to the ranch. The Timucuas also killed all the cattle they could find, and burned the hacienda. Lúcas protected Juan, apparently because Juan's father Francisco had been generous to him, and sent Juan to St. Augustine with an escort.
The prosperity of the ranches attracted unwanted attention. French pirates based on
Anclote Key
Anclote Key is an island off the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida, the largest island in the Anclote Keys, located at near Tarpon Springs. Its name originates from the Spanish term for "anchor." The island is accessible only by boat and is ...
raided up the Suwannee River in 1682. They reached the La Chua hacienda at 2:00 AM and captured Tomás, his son-in-law Juan de Hita, and four servants. The pirates demanded 150 head of cattle and money for a ransom, and began withdrawing to Anclote Key. Three Timucua chiefs ambushed the pirates and freed Tomás and Juan de Hita before any ransom was paid. In 1684 pirates again attacked La Chua, by way of the Amajuro River (probably the
Withlacoochee River).
Decline
Ranching became less profitable with time. A beef steer was worth 21 pesos in 1651, but only six pesos in 1689. The value of a horse fell from 100 pesos in 1651 to 25 pesos in 1682. A pair of draft
oxen was worth 80 pesos in 1651, but only 25 pesos in 1682. Starting in the 1680s the English of the
Province of Carolina
Province of Carolina was a province of England (1663–1707) and Great Britain (1707–1712) that existed in North America and the Caribbean from 1663 until partitioned into North and South on January 24, 1712. It is part of present-day Alaba ...
and their native allies began raiding in Florida. Run-away slaves and non-mission
Indians stole cattle for food. By the first years of the 18th century, the depredations of the pirates,
rustlers, and the English and their native allies had severely affected ranching in Spanish Florida. Control of the Apalachee and
Guale
Guale was a historic Native American chiefdom of Mississippian culture peoples located along the coast of present-day Georgia and the Sea Islands. Spanish Florida established its Roman Catholic missionary system in the chiefdom in the late 16t ...
provinces was lost due to English-backed raids. A
blockhouse
A blockhouse is a small fortification, usually consisting of one or more rooms with loopholes, allowing its defenders to fire in various directions. It is usually an isolated fort in the form of a single building, serving as a defensive stro ...
was constructed at La Chua and soldiers were stationed there to help work the ranch and protect it from raiders. The pressure of further raids forced the defenders to burn the blockhouse in 1706 and retreat to St. Augustine. The La Chua ranch was abandoned.
Notes
References
Sources
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*{{cite book, last=Worth, first=John E., title=The Timucuan Chiefdoms of Spanish Florida, Volume 2: Resistance and Destruction, year=1998b, publisher=University Press of Florida, location=Gainesville, Florida, isbn=0-8130-1575-8, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MRYBQtnEqQkC&pg=PA132
Spanish Florida
Ranches