Venustiano Carranza in San Antonio

Venustiano Carranza (1859-1920) was one of the early leaders of the Mexican Revolution and ultimately became president of his country. In 1898, during the presidency of Porfirio Díaz, Carranza represented the State of Coahuila as a federal senator. He became disillusioned with Díaz’ oppressive rule, and in 1910 endorsed Francisco I. Madero, whose Plan de San Luis Potosí advocated insurrection to change the government in power. In 1910, Madero fled to San Antonio, Texas, which became a haven for political exiles and displaced persons following the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution. Expatriates and insurgents left Mexico to escape persecution for their opposition to the Díaz regime. Many exiles moved between the private homes of friends and relatives in San Antonio to elude law enforcement agents and spies. During the upheaval in Mexico, Venustiano Carranza intermittently visited San Antonio and stayed here with his niece, Celia Carranza Cepeda de Treviño; she and her husband, Angel Treviño Sambrano, built a house in 1914 on land purchased from Commodore Cornelius Collins. During these sojourns, Carranza clandestinely met with partisans to discuss the course of the revolution and their plans for the future. Among the individuals who assembled here with Carranza was Leonides González, general manager of La Prensa, an influential Spanish-language published in San Antonio. The house also facilitated cultural and social events for Mexicans exiled in the city. During Madero’s presidency (1911-1913), Carranza served as governor of Coahuila. In 1917, he became president of Mexico and introduced constitutional reform. Venustiano Carranza was assassinated in Tlaxcalatongo, Puebla, on May 21, 1920. (2008)

Venustiano Carranza in San Antonio is a historical marker in San Antonio, Bexar County, dedicated in 2008. It is one of 236 historical markers documented in Bexar County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 503 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.4362, -98.5014 near San Antonio. The nearest cataloged historic site is Ximenes Chapel (historic place), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Rechel-Stumpf House, San Francisco Di Paola Catholic Church, and Italian American Community in San Antonio.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507014794. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.