•_. ,? ^y • • Mb. •••• U.., • V PADRE ISLAND ISLAND AND* PADRE NICOLAS BALLI * FIRST CALLED CORPUS CHRISTI ISLAND OR ISLA SANTIAGO, PADRE ISLAND WAS NAMED FOR PADRE JOSE NICOLAS BALLI (177?-1829). HIS FAMILY MIGRATED FROM SPAIN IN 1569 AND BECAME LARGE LANDOWNERS IN THE LOITER RIO GRANDE VALLEY, INFLUENTIAL IN MILITARY AND GOVERNMENTAL AF- FAIRS. ORDAINED ABOUT 1790, PADRE BALLI AP- PLIED TO SPAIN'S KING CHARLES IV IN 1800 FOR 111/2 LEAGUES OF LAND ON THE ISLAND. PADRE BALLI HAD THE LAND SURVEYED AND IN 1804 START- ED THE FIRST SETTLEMENT, RANCHO SANTA CRUZ, ABOUT 26 MILES FROM THE SOUTHERN TIP. HE BE- GAN THE ISLAND'S FIRST MISSION FOR THE SETTLERS AND TO CHRISTIANIZE THE KARANKAWA INDIANS. WITH THE HELP FROM A NEPHEW, JUAN JOSE BALLI, AS "MAYORDOMO" OR "FOREMAN", PADRE BALLI STARTED RANCHING, BRINGING IN LARGE HERDS OF CATTLE, HORSES, AND SHEEP. PADRE BALLI SERVED AS MISSIONARY AND THE COLL- ECTOR OF FINANCES FOR ALL THE CHURCHES IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. WITH FINANCIAL AID FROM HIS MOTHER DONA ROSA MARIA HINOJOSA DE ?ALLI, HE OPENED THE FIRST MISSION IN PRESENT CAMERON COUNTY AND BEGAN A CHURCH AND THE FIRST SCHOOL AT PRESENT MATAMOROS, MEXICO. PADRE'S BALLI ' MINISTRY INFLUENCED THE LIVES OF EARLY SETTLERS IN SOUTH TEXAS. HE WAS BURIED NEAR MATAMOROS.** 413.4. V-4• )1.44.4 144.•• 0•44#404 IS cossoim, 1x4. F-Ocr4e- Ar;=• Sd•aft. Doldr • 4xr4m) trmr """ zkAh re"h" 1)A•0•14 \$A-w fzIore-41-. I %0100°"
