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Home Texas Cameron County Port Isabel Padre J. Nicolas Balli
     

Padre J. Nicolas Balli

  Texas Historical Markers
Port Isabel, TX, USA

Latitude & Longitude: 26° 5' 7.008", -97° 10' 5.0304"
 
    Texas State
Historical Marker
    Padre Island, off the South Texas coast, is named for Padre Jose Nicolas Balli (177?-1829), whose family migrated from Spain in 1569 and became large landowners in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. In 1800 Balli applied to King Charles IV of Spain for 11 1/2 leagues of land on the island, and in 1804 started its first settlement, Rancho Santa Cruz. Padre Balli served as collector of finances for all the churches in the Rio Grande Valley and founded the first mission in present Cameron County. Padre Balli's ministry was a great influence on the lives of early South Texas settlers.

This page last updated: 8/30/2009 15:01:42

Padre J. Nicolas Balli Historical Marker Location Map, Port Isabel, Texas