DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — and friends, this one deserves every word. Now, most stories about Texas lawmakers fade out pretty quick. But the story of J.
T. Canales — Jose Tomas Canales — that one keeps on ringing. He came into the world on March 7, 1877, born on a ranch in Nueces County to Andreas and Tomasa Canales, Tomasa being a Cavazos before she married.
When he was young, he made his way up to Kansas City, of all places, to finish high school. And then in 1896 he walked through the doors of the University of Michigan and set about getting himself a degree in law. He came back south — Corpus Christi first, then Laredo — before landing in Brownsville in 1903.
Two years later, in 1905, the people of South Texas sent him to Austin as a State Representative, and he served in that capacity until 1910. That same year, he married Anne Anderson Wheeler. The very next year, 1911, he purchased the lot where you may be standin' right now.
And in 1913 he built a home on it. A man putting down roots, you might say — though the roots he was putting down went a good deal deeper than timber and stone. He served as Cameron County School Superintendent.
He served as County Judge. And then South Texas called him back to Austin — back to the Texas House of Representatives from 1917 to 1920. He pushed for irrigation projects to help farmers scratch a living out of this Rio Grande Valley soil.
But here is where the story turns, and you need to be sittin' steady when it does. During that same stint in the legislature, J. T.
Canales filed formal charges against the Texas Rangers. Not one charge. Charges — for the oppression and murder of hundreds of Hispanics in the Rio Grande Valley.
He demanded a full investigation. He demanded a reorganization of the outfit. Now, you can imagine how that landed in certain quarters.
The backlash was fierce enough that Canales decided against seeking reelection. He paid a price for speaking plainly about an ugly truth. The Rangers were later reorganized.
Sometimes the river bends slow, but it does bend. Canales didn't quit. He kept workin' for Mexican American rights after he left office.
He became an influential member of the League of United Latin American Citizens — LULAC — serving as an early president from 1932 to 1933, and he wrote the organization's very first constitution. He served as Brownsville city attorney from 1930 to 1940. He wrote books.
He wrote articles. He kept building the case, argument by argument, page by patient page. Jose Tomas Canales lived until March 30, 1976 — ninety-nine years on this earth, most of them spent in the service of people who needed someone willing to stand up and say what was true.
The marker puts it plainly: his legislative and civil rights work continues to influence generations of individuals throughout Texas, particularly those of Mexican descent. That's the kind of legacy that doesn't need any embellishment from me. The facts speak loud enough on their own.
What the marker says
(March 7, 1877 - March 30, 1976) Civil rights advocate, legislator and attorney Jose Tomas Canales was born on a ranch in Nueces County to Andreas and Tomasa (Cavazos) Canales. As a young man, he moved to Kansas City, where he completed high school. In 1896, Canales began attending the University of Michigan, where he received his degree in law. He practiced in Corpus Christi and Laredo before moving to Brownsville in 1903. From 1905 to 1910 he served South Texas as a State Representative. In 1910, he married Anne Anderson Wheeler. He purchased this lot in 1911 and built a home on it in 1913. Canales then served as Cameron County School Superintendent and as County Judge before returning to the Texas House of Representatives (1917-20); during that time, he promoted irrigation projects to help farmers in South Texas. He also filed charges against the Texas Rangers for the oppression and murder of hundreds of Hispanics in the Rio Grande Valley, and demanded an investigation into and reorganization of the outfit; the Rangers were later reorganized. Canales decided against seeking reelection due to backlash from his charges against the Texas Rangers. Canales continued to work for Mexican American rights after leaving office. He was an influential member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), serving as an early president (1932-33) and writing the organization's first constitution. He went on to serve as Brownsville city attorney (1930-40) and wrote a number of books and articles. Today, the legislative and civil rights work by J. T. Canales continues to influence generations of individuals, particularly those of Mexican descent, throughout Texas.(2009)