Tiburcio Vásquez
Tiburcio Vásquez | |
---|---|
Died | March 19, 1875 San Jose, California, U.S. | (aged 39)
Criminal status | Executed |
Conviction(s) | Murder |
Criminal penalty | Death by hanging |
Tiburcio Vásquez (April 11, 1835 – March 19, 1875) was a
Early life
Tiburcio Vásquez was born in
By 1852, Vásquez had become a protégé of Anastacio García, one of California's most dangerous bandits.
Northern California
In 1856, a sheriff's posse caught up with Vásquez while he was rustling horses near
In 1870, Vásquez organized a bandit gang, which included the notorious Juan Soto and, later, Procopio Bustamante. After numerous bandit raids, Vásquez was shot and badly wounded in a gunfight with Santa Cruz police officer Robert Liddell. Vásquez managed to escape, and his sisters nursed him back to health.[13]
In 1873, he gained statewide, and then nationwide, notoriety. Vásquez and his gang stole $2,200 from Snyder's Store in
Southern California
Vásquez hid for a while in Southern California, where he was less well known. With his two most trusted men, he rode over the
Vásquez was popular in the Mexican-American community, and had many friends and family members from Santa Rosa in Northern California to Los Angeles in the south. He was handsome, literate and charming, played guitar, and was a skillful dancer. Women were attracted to him, and he had many love affairs. He enjoyed reading romantic novels and writing poetry for his female admirers. He had several affairs with married women, one of which eventually led to his downfall.[15]
Vásquez returned to the San Joaquin Valley. On November 10, 1873, he and his gang robbed the Jones store at Millerton in Fresno County. On December 26, 1873, he and his band sacked the town of
Governor Booth was now authorized by the California State Legislature to spend up to $15,000 to bring the law down on Vásquez. Posses were formed in Santa Clara, Monterey, San Joaquin, Fresno, and Tulare counties. In January 1874, Booth offered $3,000 for Vásquez's capture alive, and $2,000 if he was brought back dead. These rewards were increased in February to $8,000 and $6,000, respectively. Alameda County Sheriff Harry Morse was assigned specifically to track down Vásquez.[17]
Heading towards Bakersfield, Vásquez and gang member Clodoveo Chávez rode to the rock promontory near Inyokern now known as Robbers Roost. Near that spot, at Coyote Holes, they robbed a stagecoach from the Cerro Gordo Mines, which were silver mines near Owens Lake. During the robbery Vásquez shot and wounded a man who did not obey his orders.
The gang moved to Elizabeth Lake and Soledad Canyon, robbing a stage coach of $300, stealing six horses and a wagon near present-day Acton, and robbing lone travelers. Vásquez was believed to be hiding out at what are now known as Vásquez Rocks.[18] These rock formations proved a formidable hideout for him and his gang. Shallow caves, deep crevices, and numerous overhangs created a maze for any posse to thread. The tallest rock, 150 feet (46 m) high, provided an excellent lookout point.
For the next two months, Vásquez escaped attention. However, he then made an error that led to his capture. On April 15, 1874, he and his band held the prominent sheepman Alessandro Repetto for ransom. Pursuing posses from Los Angeles almost trapped the gang in the San Gabriel Mountains, but once again, Vásquez and his men escaped.[19]
Arrest and execution
Vásquez took up residence at the adobe home of
Vásquez remained in the
In late May, Vásquez was moved by steamship to
Visitors still flocked to Vásquez's jail cell, many of them women. He signed autographs and posed for photographs. Vásquez sold the photos from the window of his cell and used the money to pay for his legal defense. After his conviction, he appealed for clemency. It was denied by Governor Romualdo Pacheco. Vásquez calmly met his fate in San Jose on March 19, 1875. He was 39 years old.[23]
Legacy
Vásquez's legacy has been subject to much debate over the ensuing decades since his execution. For quite a long time after his death, popular culture tended to regard Vásquez as a mere dangerous bandit of the Southwest. The Chicano Civil Rights Movement prompted the publication of Chicano scholarship and artistic works that challenged this notion and instead posited a more nuanced perspective on Vásquez as a victim of injustice and resistance fighter against Anglo-American discrimination. Chicano scholars and artists used Vásquez's story as an example of the persistent anti-Californio discrimination following the Mexican-American War. To this day, many continue to visit and pay respects to Vásquez's grave. He was buried in Santa Clara Mission Cemetery in Santa Clara, California.[24]
With his upper-class
The actor Anthony Caruso played Vásquez in Stories of the Century.
Armand Alzamora (1928–2009) played Vásquez in the 1957 episode, "The Last Bad Man" of the syndicated anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. The segment focuses on Vásquez's early life of crime, his hatred for the US takeover of California, the prison escape, and his hanging at the age of 39.[26]
Vásquez was the main subject of a play by famous Chicano playwright and director Luis Valdez in his 1982 stage play Bandido! The play helped popularize the story of Tiburcio Vásquez to a new generation of young Chicanos and Chicanas in the latter 20th century. Through the lens of satire, Valdez uses the life story of Vásquez not just as a storytelling device to critique the traditional mythology of Manifest Destiny but also harmful stereotypes towards Mexican-Americans. As with Valdez’s other works, themes of poverty and discrimination against Californios like Vásquez are used to draw attention to the intergenerational socio-political problems that face the Chicano community to the current day.[27][28]
In 1971, at the height of the Chicano Rights Movement, a coalition of local groups in Alameda California, including the Brown Berets, established a nonprofit health clinic named after Vásquez aimed at fighting health disparities among Chicano and migrant communities.[29]
The trunk and knife that belonged to Tiburcio Vásquez are on display at the
Places named for Vásquez
Geographical features
- Sierra Pelona Mountains, popular as a filming location for movies and television
- Vásquez Canyon in Saugus, California
- Vásquez Tree, outside of the 21-Mile House, in Morgan Hill, California
- Vásquez day use area in the Angeles National Forest
- Tiburcio's X and (Vasquez's) Monolith, two rock faces popular with climbers in Pinnacles National Park, were named for the legend that Vásquez hid out in a cave below the Monolith.[31]
- Kern County, is named for Vásquez and his gang, who used it as a hideout.[32]
Buildings and facilities
- Tiburcio Vásquez Health Center, Hayward, California and Union City[33]
- Vásquez High School in Acton, California
- The Alisal Union School District near Salinas, California named a new school Tiburcio Vásquez Elementary School in 2012. The choice of name attracted much criticism and the school was renamed to Monte Bella Elementary in 2016.[34]
- Vásquez House in Monterey, California. Vásquez built it for his sister; it is now California Historical Landmark #351.[35]
References
- ^ Acuña 2011, p. 140
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, p. 13
- ^ Boessenecker 2010
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 22, 30.
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 39–40.
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 46–48
- ^ William Hardmount (ODMP)
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 49–53
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 54–69
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 70–101
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 102–120
- ^ Roddy 1970
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 165–172
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 213–241
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 139–140, 206–207, 233–234
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 250–268
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 271–285
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 289–290
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 293–302
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 309–319
- ^ "Vasquez Captured At Last". Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 327–348
- ^ Boessenecker 2010, pp. 349–366
- ^ "Tiburcio Vasquez – California Desperado". Legends of America. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
- ^ Deutch 2008
- ^ "The Last Bad Man on Death Valley Days". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
- ^ Luis Valdez and Jorge A. Huerta. Zoot Suit and Other Plays. (Houston. Arte Público Press, 1992) 34-35, 171-172.
- ^ Acuña, Rodolfo (2020). Anything but Mexican: Chicanos in Contemporary. Los Angeles: Verso. p. 616.
- ^ "Our History: What's in a name?". Tiburcio Vásquez Health Center. November 24, 2020.
- ^ "History Keepers: Knife and Trunk of Tiburcio Vasquez". August 3, 2016.
- ^ Rubine 1995, pp. 12, 55, 62
- ^ "PH 0294535". UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. October 31, 1971.
- ^ Our History: What's in a name? 2013
- ^ Said 2013
- ^ californiahistoricallandmarks.com Landmarks chl-351
Bibliography
- "Our History: What's in a name?". Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center. November 24, 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ISBN 978-0-205-78618-3
- Boessenecker, John (2010), Bandido: The Life and Times of Tiburcio Vasquez, Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, ISBN 978-0-8061-4127-5
- Boessenecker, John (2012). "Bandido: The Countless Love Affairs of Tiburcio Vasquez" (PDF). Bulletin. No. 102. California State Library Foundation. pp. 6–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2014-07-28.
- Deutch, Joann (August 10, 2008). "In The Hills Truth Meets Fiction". Canyon News. Archived from the original on 2016-05-09.
- Roddy, W. Lee (1970). Wanted! Black Bart and Other California Outlaws. Ceres, California.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Rubine, David (1995), Climber's Guide to Pinnacles National Monument, ]
- Said, Samira (January 3, 2013). "Villain or hero? Flap over California school named for bandit". CNN. Retrieved 2013-01-03.
Further reading
- May, Ernest. "Tiburcio Vasquez". In Pedro Castillo; Albert Camarillo (eds.). Furia y Muerte: Los Bandidos Chicanos.
- McLean, Angus (1989). Legends of the California Bandidos. Arroyo Grande, CA.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Sawyer, Eugene T. and William H Collins. The Life And Career of Tiburcio Vasquez: the California Stage Robber. Oakland, Calif.: Biobooks, 1944
- Thrapp, Dan L. (1990), "Vasquez, Tiburcio", Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography, Spokane, WA: The Arthur H. Clark Co.