| Creator: | Vicente Salazar, Sr. and Family |
| Title: | Vicente Salazar, Sr. Family Collection |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1860-2017 |
| Abstract: | A collection of digital Photographs and documents that tell the story of Vicente Salazar Sr.'s life and family opening and working at the Salazar Store on 6th and Richard Street in Kingsville, Texas, in the early 1900s. |
| Identification: | A1994-005; A2017-034 |
| Extent: | 106 digital files |
| Language: | English |
| Container: | Sandbox>Archives>Masters>STA Collection Masters>A2017-034 |
| Repository: | South Texas Archives, James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University-Kingsville |
Vicente Salazar Sr. was born on April 5, 1860 in Jimenez, Tamualipas, Mexico. He married Petra S. Palacios born on September 3, 1871 in Ciudad Mier, Mexico. Vicente and Petra had 9 children. Vicente, Petra and their family lived in several small South Texas, among them being Mission, Concepcion, Alice, and Falfurrias, ultimately settling in Kingsville, TX in 1919. When Vicente Sr. purchased the lots in Kingsville where he eventually built the present day (2018) V. Salazar Building, there was an old wooden structure that housed a restaurant. The old structure was converted into a general merchandise store, but later it was located to the rear of the lot to build a new cement block and stucco building in its place. The newly built 3,000 sq. foot building became the V. Salazar Store in 1927 at the corner of North 6th Street and 200 East Richard Street in Kingsville, TX. The business thrived and Vicente Sr.'s success allowed him to build a spacious two story wooden home for his family adjacent to his business at 204 East Richard Street. When Vicente Sr. died on September 28, 1933, his son, Jose Salazar, became the general manager of the store, assisted by Jose's two brothers, Nicolas and Eduardo. The family home had become the gathering place for many family celebrations, especially for special occasions and holidays. The house next door to the store also became the home for Jose and his family, but all family members and family friends were always welcomed with open arms. Mrs. Petra Salazar, often referred to as Dona Petrita, lived in the family home until she died on September 3, 1961 at the age of 90. Jose and his brothers decided to close the V. Salazar Store in December 1965 after being in business for 46 years. The V. Salazar Store on East Richard Street throughout the years became an important part of the Hispanic community. Many families relied on the Salazar business because they could purchase both food and clothing on credit. Monthly payments were made on the customer’s "payday". Credit at the V. Salazar Store became especially important when the school year was about to begin. Every family, regardless of their income, was eager to buy their school-aged children new school clothes, shoes, and their school supplies. At the beginning of the summer, cotton picking sacks, hats, and gloves were always big sellers. For the families that didn't own a vehicle having their groceries that they had purchased at the Salazar Store delivered to their homes was greatly appreciated. When the store closed, there was a stack of the customers' unpaid credit bills that were laid to rest forever. Jose Salazar, general manager of the V. Salazar Store, became an active member of the Kingsville community. He served on the Kingsville Independent School Board, as a trustee, and he was a charter member of the St. Martin's Knights of Columbus. He was the first Hispanic to become a member of the Kingsville Chamber of Commerce in 1927 and was the first Mexican-American to be appointed as a trustee for the Kingsville Independent School District in the 1940's. As a charter member of the St. Martin's Knight of Columbus Council No. 2623, Jose played a major role in its formation. In December 1926, this organization was the third Spanish-speaking council to be instituted in the United States. Jose Salazar was a strong believer in education, even though he only completed his public school education at the 8th grade level. He attended Draughon's Business College in San Antonio, TX for 6 months when he was 16 years old. As the years passed, at the beginning of one school year, Jose, as store manager, ordered book covers for the school-aged children of the V. Salazar Store customers. For a few years, Jose made it possible for the Salazar business to donate Christmas stockings filled with fruit and candy to the school children of St. Martin's Catholic School. He always encouraged his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to further their education. One of his favorite sayings was: "You're never too old to learn!" Jose lived a full, gratifying and youthful journey until he continued on to his eternal life on July 10, 1989 at the age of 93. Jose Salazar died as a man, not with earthly richness, but as an honest man who was highly respected in the community and as always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need of food and clothing.
All files are digital, originals were returned to the family. Originals included documents, certificates and awards, publications, advertising artifacts, newspaper clippings, and photographs.
Arranged in Series Series I: Photographs – Salazar Family Series II: Photographs – Salazar Store in Kingsville, TX Series III: Documents Series IV: Awards, Plaques, and Store Artifacts Series V: Newspaper Articles Series VI: Publications
| Access: | Open for Research |
| Rights Statment: | Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use by any and all other current or future developed methods or procedures must be obtained in writing from South Texas Archives, James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A& M University-Kingsville. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards. |
Persons
Organizations
Geographical Names
Subjects
Preferred Citation
Vicente Salazar, Sr. Family Collection, A2017-034.XXXX- South Texas Archives, James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Acquisitions
A1994-005 – Gift of Amelia Salazar A2017-034 – Gift of Irma S. Benavides
Proccessing Information
Lori Atkins arranged and organized the documents and photographs; Daniel Thacker digitized all images, uploaded and created EAD document; Irma Benavides provided descriptions for all photographs and wrote the major contents of the Finding Aid in 2017 and 2018.