Enlarging Pictures on the Blog

Ok, time out from genealogy for a little housekeeping. I've stated before that I have been working on getting the pictures on the blog to show up bigger and easier to read. Unfortunately, nothing I've tried has worked, so this has been really frustrating for me.
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Imagine my surprise when my hubby was reading my latest post and had a HUGE image of the census on his screen! When I asked how he got that, he looked mildly confused and said "I just clicked on the image." D'oh! Ok, I hadn't tried that.
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So for all those of you (if any) who, like me, hadn't figured this out: Click on the image to get a larger view of it. It makes things like the census much easier to read. To get back to the blog, just hit your browsers "Back" button.
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And thank you to my hubby for the tip (and not pointing out that I was being a ditz).

Don Sixto Barrios (Part II)

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As per the previous post, this is the bottom portion of Don Sixto Barrios' page in the Miguel Angel Garcia's Diccionario. The Spanish transcription:

Senor Redactor de "El Faro Salvadoreno",

Ruego a Ud. se sirva dar lugar en las columnas de su periodico a las siguientias lineas que dirijo.

Al Br. senor don Abel Barrios, a consecuencia de la tragica muerte de su caro padre el senor don Sixto Barrios.

En sentimiento es el unico elemento
moral capaz de aniquilar al hombre.

El justo y acerbo dolor que un fatal acontecimiento engendra hoy en mi espiritu, hace que por primera vez haga escuchar al publico la debil voz que en medio del dolor alcamzo a pronunciar; omitir esta expresion que un sentimiento de mi alma me impele a dirigir, seria violentar [unreadable] justa y sensible inclinacion de mi consternado corazon.

Un suceso cuyas circuntancias an ignoro, privo la noche del 10 del que numeramos, a la patria de un honrado e interesante ciudadano; a la agricultura salvadorena de un valioso y excelente productor, que colocado por sus propios esfuerzos al nivel de los grandes empresarios del pais, era ya una columna que sostenia el comercio de la Republica; a una esposa de tierno y carinosa esposa; a un hijo de un padre que no era para el, sino un conjunto de halagos amorosos; desaparecio en fin la fatal noche en que el que fue don Sixto Barrios exhalo su ultimo suspiro, un amigo de un amigo de un sin numero de personas que hoy se miran precisadas a apurar la amarga copa del dolor.

Y tu querido Abel amigo mio, que consuelo pudieras recibir del que os ayuda tambien a padecer? nimguno.... Pues yo cual tu, tambien lo necesito; pero recuerda amigo, que "en el hombre hay algo mas que barro" y que ese algo no esta sujeto al poder de la materia; y al permitirme que yo pueda apreciar, cuanto tenia de grande, de noble y generosa el alma de vuestro querido padre podre decir con certeza; que ella goza de mejor vida en la mansion que a los justos da el Senor.

Sea esta una debil prueba el sufimiento con que os ayuda a llorar vuesto inolvidable amigo.

(1) El Faro Salvadoreno No. 248 de 23 de agosto de 1869.

The English Transcription:

Mr. Editor of "El Faro Salvadoreno" [the Salvadorean Light, a newspaper],

I request that you use this in your opinion columns of your newspaper.


To Mr. Abel Barrios, as a result of the tragic death of his beloved father, Mr. Sixto Barrios,

Sentiment is the only moral element
capable of annihilating a man

The fatal event generates a just and scathing pain in my spirit today, causing me for the first time to make the public listen to my weak voice the pain causes; to ignore this expression of my soul would cause me to do serious violence to this just and sensible incliniation of my heart's consternation.

An event on the 10th, whose circumstances I won't go into, deprived our Country [El Salvador] of an honest and interesting citizen; [deprived] the Salvadorean agricultural community of a valuable and excellent producer, who through his efforts was one of the great industrialists of the country, and a column which supported the commerce of the Republic; [deprived] a wife of a tender and loving husband; [deprived] a son of a father who was unequalled except for a set of loving flatteries; vanished for good that fatal night when Don Sixto Barrios breathed his last, a friend of friends without number, [friends] who today drink from the bitter glass of pain.



And you, my dear friend Abel, are you consoled by that which would also make you suffer [referring, I believe, to kind words about his father]? No... I, as your friend, also need it [to be consoled]. I urge you to remember that "man is but made of clay" and that we are all subject to this matter, and when time permits me to appreciate, to say with certainty, that the great, generous and noble soul of your father enjoys a better life in the house of one who gives justice to him.



May this weak attempt be sufficient in helping alleviate your sorrows, my friend.



(1) Published in El Faro Salvadorena, #248 on Aug. 23rd, 1869

Don Sixto Barrios (Part III)

While the page from Miguel Angel Garcia's Diccionario does not provide a direct link to Don Sixto Barrios to Dr. Sixto Barrios (my great-grandfather), there are indirect clues.
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First, Don Sixto was murdered at his hacienda, Managua, the Sesori district of San Miguel, El Salvador in 1869. Dr. Sixto Barrios was born three years later on the same estate.
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Second, the flowery eulogy to Don Sixto was written to his son, Abel, who also lived at the above-mentioned hacienda. Abel Barrios was named as the father of Dr. Sixto Barrios in his write-up.
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Given that there was probably not two Abel Barrios of similar age living at the hacienda at the time, and that Dr. Sixto Barrios was probably named for Don Sixto, I am currently working on the assumption that Don Sixto was Dr. Sixto Barrios' grandfather. I will continue to try to prove this connection, and will post any findings when I get them.
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Also, to stop any confusion between the two Sixto Barrios, I will list their birth year next to their name. Hence, Don Sixto Barrios (1822) is grandfather to Dr. Sixto Barrios (1872).

Don Sixto Barrios (Part I)

Another Sixto Barrios (not my grandfather) is also included in Miguel Angel Garcia's Diccionario Historico-Enciclopedico de la Republica de El Salvador, Volume 7, page 23. I've divided up his page to prevent the blog entries from being overly long, and this is the top portion of his entry. After posting and translating his page, I'll post an entry discussing his relationship to our family.

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Transcription in Spanish:

BARRIOS DON SIXTO

Nacio en ano 1822 en la Hacienda de San Jorge en jurisdiccion de Sesori en el departmento de San Miguel. Fueron sus padres don Mariano Barrios y dona Gertrudis Espinosa, hondurena. El ano de 1846 contrajo matrimonio en la cuidad de Jucuapa de dona Encarnacion Araujo. A fuerza de trabajo honrado llego a formar una fortuna y prodigo el bien siempre que pudo. Para la introduccion del agua del Jucuapa contribuyo con fuertas sumas de dinero y el dia de la inauguracion en marzo de 1868 despues del discurso pronunciado por el ilustre doctor don Miguel Brioso, el senor Barrios obsequio a la sociedad de Jucuapa un esplendido banquete. Murio asesinado en su hacienda Managuare el dia 10 de agosto de 1869.

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Transcription in English

MR. SIXTO BARRIOS

Born in 1882 in the Hacienda de San Jorge, Sesori jurisdiction of San Miguel County [of El Salvador]. His parents were Mariano Barrios and Gertrudis Espinosa, a Honduran lady. In 1846, he married Encarnacion Araujo in the city of Jucuapa. By force of honest work, he amassed a fortune and lavished good whenever he could. For the introduction of the water [system] to Jucuapa, he contributed much of the money, and the day of the inauguration [of the water system] in March of 1868, he was subject to much flattery in the speech by the illustrious doctor Don Miguel Brioso, and was honored by a splendid banquet by the society of Jucuapa. He was assassinated on his property of Managuare on 10 of August of 1869.

Happy Birthday Mom!

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A shout out to my mother, Rosa Miriam Villalba, on her 74th birthday. The above photo was taken when she was 16.

Barrios Doctor Sixto

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The above is a page from the Diccionario Historic=Enciclopedico de la Republica de El Salvador, by Miguel Angel Garcia, 1946 about my great-grandfather, Sixto Barrios. I'll type the Spanish transcription first, then my best English translation:

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BARRIOS DOCTOR SIXTO

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Nacio el ano de 1872 en la Hacienda de Managuare jurisdiccion de Sesori en el departamento de San Miguel. Tuvo por padres don Abel Barrios y dona Teresa Alvarenga. Hizo sus estudios primarios y secundarios en el Liceo Salvadoreno e Instituto Nacional. Obtuvo el titulo de doctor en Jurisprudencia y Ciencias Sociales en la Universidad Nacional el ano de 1899. Ha ocupado varios e importantes puestos publicos en la administracion de Justicia, come Juez de la. Instancia de San Salvador, Santa Ana y Santa Tecla, Magistrado de la Camara de Occidente y de la Suprema Corte de justicia, Registrador de la Propiedad Raiz. Secretario de la Universidad Nacional y Profesor de varias asignaturas de Derecho. El ano de 1921 electo Diputado a la Constituyente Federal que se reunio en Tegucigalpa.

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DR. SIXTO BARRIOS

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He was born in the year 1872 on the Managuare Ranch, Sesori, San Miguel. His parents were Don Abel Barrios and Dona Teresa Alvarenga. He had his primary and secondary education in the Liceo Salvadoreno and Instituto Nacional. He obtained his doctorate in Jurisprudence and Social Science from the Universidad Nacional in the year 1899. He has occupied several important public positions in the administration of Justice, like Judge of the Courts of San Salvador, Santa Ana and Santa Tecla, Magistrate of the Chamber of the West and of the Supreme Court of Justice, Registrar of Properties. He was also Secretary of the National University and a professor of various subjects of Law. In 1921, he was elected a Deputy of the Federal Constituency that gathered in Tegucigalpa.

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Source: Diccionario historico-enciclopedico de la Republic de El Salvador, Vol. 7

Garcia, Miguel Angel, 1862 or 3-1955

San Salvador, tipografia "La Luz", 1927-

F1483.G21 v7, Green Library, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

Signature Surprise

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Sometimes when you are looking for one thing, you get a nice surprise and find something else....

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I was looking through the Jucuapa, Usulutan records for information about my great-grandparents when the signature above started popping up! The signature is my grandfather's Jorge (George) Villalba!

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Evidentially, he was involved in the Jucuapa City government during the early 1950's. Family lore has him being mayor during the huge 1951 earthquake that destroyed a lot of the city. In Jucuapa, when a death was reported, there was an informal inquiry into it, just to make sure there was no foul play. Once the report was written up, members of the committee had to sign to say they went through the records and it was written up correctly. From 1951 through 1954, the above signature is one of several that appear after the report for each record.

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Side note that has nothing to do with my family history:

The reports often list how many legitimate and illegitimate children a person left behind. While going through this microfilm, it has become an... um... interest of mine to look to see the total number. There are a lot of people with 13 (or less, but 13 seems to be a magic number). However, the record holders are 21 (!) and 32 (!!)

Laredo Border Crossing 1943

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Above is the documentation from a 1943 Laredo border crossing of Sixto Barrios & his granddaughters, Yolanda and Miriam, as he escorted the girls to their mother in San Francisco. It comes courtesy of Ancestry.com's new on-line collection of Mexico/US border crossings.

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My best transcription:

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TOP IMAGE (front of record):

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Top Line: MANIFEST Port of Laredo May 28, 1943

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Family Name: Barrios

Given Name: Sixto

Accompanied by: grand daughters
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Yolanda and Miriam Villalba, both admitted Immigrant ?(c)

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? No: None

Place and Date of birth: 1-2-1874

?: Act of 1924

(next blocks empty)

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Place of birth: San Salvador, El Salvador

Age: 69 yrs

Sex: M

Married (letter M circled)

Occupation: Lawyer

?: Y

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Language: Spanish

?: Latin America

Nationality: El Salvador

Last place of residence: San Salvador, El Salvador

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Name of relative from where applicant came: Wife, Inez Monterosa Barrios, San Salvador, El Salvador

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Every been to USA before: Yes [something unreadable]

Passage paid by: Self

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Name of Relative or destination: Daughter, Rosa Barrios de Villalba, 684 Guerrero St, San Francisco, CA

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Amount of money on person: $500.00

Ever been [unreadable] and deported or [barred] from admission: No

Purpose and duration of trip: Pleasure -- 6 months

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[Unreadable] Tax Status: A

Height: 5 ft. [unreadable] in.

Complexion: Dark

Hair: Black

Eyes: Br

Defining Marks: ----

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[unclear, something about immigration visa]: 982/5-A of 5/1943 re: adm. with Gratis Visa. ml.

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[unreadable]: adm. 3(2)

Arrived by: Laredo Bridge

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handwritten number on bottom of form: 35011

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BOTTOM IMAGE (back of form):

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Typed on side of image: Checked out at Laredo, Texas July 24, 1943 by J.J. Burke, Jr. 7/26/43 [unreadable]

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Boxes at top of form empty. Under MEDICAL CERTIFICATE is handwritten "Fingerprints and Registry forms lifted"

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Stamp at bottom right of top half:

Inspected and Passed

JAMES L. CRAWFORD

[title unreadable]

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On bottom half, is REMARKS AND ENDORSEMENTS is handwritten:

Has diplomatic PP #19, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Relations in San Salvador, El Salvador, 4-6-43 (as Justice of the Supreme Court)

dated 4-17-43

Sec. 3(2) Diplomatic Visa #12, [Unreadable] Ligation, El Salvador, El Salvador

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Signature of Applicant: Sixto Barrios

You Can't Believe Everything You Read...

It certainly was wonderful to find a news article about a relative, especially a nice one that talks about their achievements or good business doings. I'm thrilled to have the article.
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However, a news story is just one piece of the puzzle, and often have "slants" -- stories edited or shaped by the writer's or paper's view. Add to that small misunderstandings that occur between people, especially when talking with an accent or a second language (like Emma undoubtedly was) and there will definitely be discrepancies or skewing of facts.
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Looking at this story, we find a definite slant -- the focus is on what would be considered womanly: romance and looks. The main part of the story is talks about Emma's marital status, that she's heart free (she says -- is there doubt?), that she's good looking and got a lot of attention on the ship coming up, and that she's traveling alone (horrors! This was considered very brazen and dangerous in 1929). Her business acumen (while also very "modern" or unusual for 1929) is really downplayed or left to the end of the story. Basically, the Chronicle is putting a huge arrow over Emma's head and letting the boys know that there is a young, single heiress alone in S.F. and ready to be romanced. Think Paris Hilton, backdated and not so fancy-free and you'll see the press hasn't changed much.
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Looking at the facts, we can find some other discrepancies:
A ship's list from the 5/3/1929 arrival of the Guatamala (I'll post this later) shows that Emma was traveling with Inez (her mother) and Arturo Barrios (her brother), so her travel was not as scandalous as it's made out to be. Plus, she is visiting with her sister (Rosa Josephina) and new niece, Carmen.
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This was also not Emma's first time to San Francisco. She was on the Albert Vogler in the 11/5/06 post on the blog, "Passport Photo and Journey." This ship arrived in San Francisco on Sept. 9, 1927.
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And in 1929, she had not inherited her estate from her father. My mother (Rosa Miriam)remembers her grandfather very well, and she was born in 1933! However, Emma was very involved in the Coffee Grower's Association in San Salvador (my mother remembers her taking them there and having ice cream in the cafeteria), so a business trip to a convention or meeting of importers is not out of the question.
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I have no doubt that Emma was in her 20s during this visit. I do find it amusing, however, that she was 21 on the Vogler's passenger list in 1927, and she is 21 on the Guatemala's passenger list! I will be posting all the passenger lists for the Barrios/Villalba families in later posts.

Coffee Queen in America

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Above is a San Francisco Chronicle article about Emma Barrios (Rosa Josephina's sister) that was printed on May 4, 1929. I'm sure the picture was more flattering when it was actually printed! It totally destroys my ability to rescue it when it's been put on newsprint, then microfiched.

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My transcription:

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Above Photo: To Boost Trade

Below Photo: Miss Emma Barrios

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Young Coffee Queen in S. F.

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Miss Emma Barrios Comes From Salvador to Consult Importers

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Owner of a 2000-acre coffee plantation in Salvador, Miss Emma Barrios, who arrived here yesterday on the Panama Mail liner Guatemala, is still in her early twenties and, she says, heart free.

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"But it's not to look for a husband I have come to San Francisco," she laughed. "I have come here to consult with the coffee importers and boom trade for Salvador coffee growers. That, and to see this famous California for the first time, is the object of my trip."

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Miss Barrios, who travels alone, was the center of attraction and admiration on the Guatemala, on its trip from Salvador.

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The 1928-29 coffee crop of Salvador, Miss Barrios said, will the the largest and the best in its history. Much of the coffee grown there is imported to the United States through San Francisco. Her own coffee plantation she inherited from her father.

Alfredo Villalba

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My mom has this beautiful photo of her grandfather, Alfredo Villalba, that I've scanned for you above. It is one of the few photographs that I have of the Villabla side of the family.
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Family lore has it that Alfredo was a conductor/composer for a Zarzuela Troop, and his wife, Juana Segura de Villalba was a singer/dancer. The Zarzuela Troop was on tour of Latin America from Spain, and while they were in El Salvador, Alfredo passed away. His wife stayed behind to bury her husband and thus ended her career, staying in El Salvador. Besides this story, I have really no other information on Alfredo.
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For those of you who are not familiar with Zarzuela (I wasn't!), it is a form of comic opera popular in Spain and Latin America. Think Gilbert & Sullivan with a Spanish flair.

Barrios Lineage by Grandma Rosie

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The above note is actually a family tree written by my late grandmother, Rosa Barrio. I've transcribed from the top with my additions in brackets:

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Cerbulo Araujo (Father)

[of] Encarnacion Araujo

[who married] Abel Barrios

[and they had]

Geraldo [Barrios, president of El Salvador, and]

Sixto Barrios (assinated (sic))

Abel Barrios

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[Abel Barrios, son of Abel & Encarnacion, married]

Teresa Albarenja

[and they had]

Sixto

Gustavo

Merced

Teresa

Mina

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Sixto Barrios [son of Abel and Teresa, married]

Inez Carrillo [previously listed as Ines Monterosa]

[and they were the parents of ]

Rosa

[along with other children]

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Rosa Barrios [married]

Jorge Villalba

[and they were the parents of]

Mimi

[along with other children]

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Mimi Villalba

[Mother of] Gina and Didi

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My Family Tree

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Rosa Villalba's SS-5

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An SS-5 is the form you fill out to receive a Social Security Number. Under the Freedom of Information Act, you can request an SS-5 for a deceased person, which is a big help for genealogists. The above image is of the SS-5 for Rosa Barrios-Villalba. Here is the transcription:

1. (Name): Rosa de Villalba
2. (Address): 684 Guerrero St., San Francisco
3. (Name at birth): Rosa Barrios
4. (Age last birthday): 42
5. (Date of Birth): September 28, 1901
Note: It looks like the year was originally 1900, but the last zero was filled in to make a one.
6. (Place of birth): San Salvador, El Salvador
7. (Father's Name): Sixto Barrios
8. (Mother's Maiden Name): Ines Monterrosa
9. (Sex): Female (box checked)
10. (Race): White (box checked)
11. Left Blank
(Asks if you have applied for a Social Security number before or are eligible for Railroad Retirement)
12. (Where employed): Unemployed
13. (Today's date): 3-9-43
Note: 9 March 1943
14. (Signature): Rosa de Villalba

The most significant information on the SS-5 is that Rosa used "de Villalba" as her legal name. This is a carry over from her Spanish upbringing as it is common there to designate a woman's married name in that manner. However, used here in the United States, it becomes her legal name, which creates another name or alias to look for her under.

The other interesting bit is that she shaved some years off of her age when filing. The date of birth is correct (she was born on Sept. 28th) but the year should be 1898, not 1901. This again was a common practice as (a) women of this generation could be particularly sensitive about their age and would lie about it to be younger, and (b) many times an older employee would be discriminated against or could not find work. Even a few years could mean the difference between getting a job or not.