| Descendants of the Founding Families of Laredo Laredo , Texas -- The Webb County Heritage Foundation is seeking descendants of this community’s founding families to complete a database that will be used for the organization’s Founders Day activities in May. The year 2005 marks the 250 th anniversary of Laredo ’s founding by Don Tomás Sánchez who, along with three other families, arrived in this area on May 15, 1755 . These families were soon followed by additional settlers from nearby Dolores and Revilla (old Guerrero). Descendants of these early families are asked to contact the Webb County Heritage Foundation at (956) 727-0977 or email heritage@webbheritage.org and list your name, complete mailing address, email address (if possible), and which original family you descend from. The Foundation would like to issue invitations for the May festivities to as many descendants as possible. A Founders’ Day Luncheon honoring these descendants will take place on Saturday, May 14 at the Texas A&M International University ’s Student Center Ballroom. A database already containing tens of thousands of descendants’ names from past generations has been compiled by local genealogist John R. Campbell who is assisting the Heritage Foundation with a display of names that will be featured at the Founders’ Day Banquet on May 14. Campbell, who has been researching family trees of the original settlers for several years, is requesting that descendants with the following surnames please come forward and be counted: Aguilar, Aguirre, Arispe, Ayala, Barrera, Benavides, Botello, Bruni, Caballero, Camacho, Canales, Cantu, Cardenas, Cavazos, Chapa, Cuellar, De la Garza, De Leon, Diaz, Dovalina, Elizondo, Escamilla, Farias, Fernandez, Flores, Fuentes, Garcia, Garza, Gonzalez, Guerra, Gutierrez, Herrera, Hinojosa, Juarez, Leyendecker, Lopez, Lozano, Martin, Martinez, Mendiola, Ochoa, Ortiz, Puig, Paredes, Peña, Perez, Ramirez, Ramon, Ramos, Rodriguez, Saenz, Salinas, Sanchez, Santos, Serna, Tijerina, Treviño, Uribe, Vela, Vidaurri, Villarreal. “As is obvious from the list of surnames, most Laredo families are descended from the original settlers and we’re happy to extend the invitation to join the celebration of our community’s 250 th birthday to these and all Laredoans and visitors,” said Margarita Araiza, Executive Director of the Webb County Heritage Foundation. “This is a great occasion to teach our community’s history, foster an appreciation of our ancestors’ courage and determination, and wish Laredo a Happy Birthday.” -30- |