Penitas

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it — and friend, this one reaches way back. We're talking about Penitas, Hidalgo County, and a story that might just make it one of the oldest towns in the entire United States. Possibly.

That word is doing some heavy lifting, but keep listening, because the rest of the story earns it. According to tradition, this place was established in the mid-1520s. And the road that led six Spaniards here — well, it started with a mission that went about as sideways as a mission can go.

In 1520, a man named Panfilo de Narvaez was sent into Mexico with one job: arrest or kill Hernando Cortez, conqueror of Mexico, who had been accused of disloyalty to the king. Sounds straightforward enough. It was not.

Cortez defeated Narvaez in battle, imprisoned him, and took most of Narvaez's army for his own. Just folded those soldiers right into his ranks. Now Narvaez sat in a prison cell while the man he was sent to stop kept right on conquering.

When Narvaez was finally released in 1521, he gathered what was left of his men and set out for Florida. But here's where the story bends toward Penitas. A priest named Father Zamora and five officers decided they had followed Narvaez far enough.

They gave up further plans to travel with him and settled right here. The refugees were befriended by Indians living in huts and dugout-type homes in the vicinity. The Spaniards erected stone houses with whitewashed walls — picture that against the South Texas sky.

Father Zamora brought the Catholic faith to the Indians, and also taught them weaving and better farming. And the Indians, for their part, taught cookery to their guests. A fair exchange, you might say, between people making a life together in a place none of them had originally planned to be.

Now the marker does tip its hat to one more name connected to Narvaez — Cabeza de Vaca, aide in a later Narvaez expedition, who became famous for having written of his shipwreck and wanderings in Texas from 1528 to 1535. A different journey, a different chapter. But it's Father Zamora and those five officers who put down roots here, and the marker says the founders of Penitas are recalled best by their descendants — some of whom still live in this area today.

Mid-1520s. Stone houses. Whitewashed walls.

A priest, five officers, and a town that's still here to tell the tale.

What the marker says

Possibly one of oldest towns in the United States. Established, according to tradition, in mid-1520s. Founders were a priest and five other Spaniards of the unsuccessful Panfilo de Narvaez Expedition into Mexico in 1520. Narvaez was sent to arrest or kill Hernando Cortez, conqueror of Mexico, who was accused of disloyalty to the king. Cortez, however, defeated Narvaez in battle, imprisoned him, and took most of Narvaez's army for his own. After Narvaez was released from prison (1521), he and the remnant of his men set out for Florida. But Father Zamora and five officers gave up further plans to travel with Narvaez, and settled at Penitas. The refugees were befriended by Indians living in huts and dugout-type homes in the vicinity. The Spaniards erected stone houses with whitewashed walls. Father Zamora brought the Catholic faith to the Indians, also teaching them weaving and better farming. The Indians taught cookery to their guests. Cabeza de Vaca, aide in a later Narvaez expedition, is famous for having written of his shipwreck and wanderings in Texas from 1528 to 1535. The founders of Penitas are recalled best by their descendants, some of whom still live in this area. (1970)