Esparza, Richard (Aguascalientes, El Sagrario, AGS; Hacienda El Carro, Villa Gonzalez Ortega, ZAC)

Locations of Research Interest
Aguascalientes, El Sagrario, Aguascalientes; Hacienda El Carro, Villa Gonzalez Ortega, Zacatecas

Surnames Researching
Alonzo, Esparza, Saldana
Hello Everyone,

I am Richard R. Esparza and I live in Escondido, CA. My family comes from
the Hacienda El Carro in the State of Zacatecas. The town of Villa Gonzalez
Ortega was founded on a portion of the Hacienda by my great grandfather,
Francisco Esparza Esparza. I have travelled there twice, 2002 and 2007 and
I have met many family members. My grandfather moved our family to San
Antonio, TX in 1910 and while he returned in the 1920’s, nobody kept in
touch with our family in Mexico until I was able to contact them in 2000.
My grandfather is buried with his father and ½ brothers and sisters in Villa
Gonzalez Ortega.

I have had much success tracing the family of my paternal great, great
grandmother, Maria Benita Esparza Pedrosa, she was baptized 08 Jan 1827 in
El Sagrario, Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico. I have traced her
family back five generations to Juan Ruiz de Esparza 17 Nov 1652. However I
have been unsuccessful in finding a birth record for her son, Francisco
Esparza Esparza (who died 1916) or any record for his father Leandro
Esparza, who we know worked as a mayordomo on Hacienda El Carro? So my main
interest is in tracking down Leandro Esparza’s genealogy.

I am also interested in learning more about the family of my paternal great
grandmother, Maria Nestora Alonzo. She was very young when my grandfather,
Gustavo Esparza Alonzo (25 Mar 1875) was born and she and Francisco Esparza
Esparza were not married. I have my grandfather’s birth record from El
Carro (Villa Gonzalez Ortega.) I do not have a birth record for Nestora,
but I know that she came from Ojo Caliente and that her parents were Antonio
Alonzo and Diaminiana Lopez. I do have a birth record for her younger
brother, Aurelio Alonzo Lopez, 19 Nov 1870, baptized at Purisima Concepcion
de Los Angeles, Noria de Angeles, Zacatecas, Mexico. (I believe that this
was also part of El Carro.) Aurelio and Nestora both went to San Antonio,
TX and are buried there in San Fernando cemetery #1. He ran a restaurant at
the same address for over 20 years in San Antonio, TX.

Maria Nestora Alonzo married Hermenejildo Mendez, 30 Sep 1878, El Carro.
They moved to San Antonio, TX and I am also trying to track down their
family members in San Antonio, TX. I just learned of this marriage in July
2010.

I am also interested in learning more about the history of the hacienda
system and Mexican history in general. I have recently been studying
Mexican history. I retired in 2002 after a 30 year career as a museum
director. I do not speak Spanish (I have spent much of my life trying to
learn.) However, I am able to translate documents and I have people who
will help me, my oldest daughter is fluent! I am pleased to be a member of
this group.

Sincerely,

Richard R. Esparza