REview of Dios y Tejas: Stirpes

Book Review of the 2016 Grand Prize Winner 2016 TxSGS Book Awards

Dios y Tejas: Essays on the History of Von Ormy, Texas

Art Martínez de Vara. (Von Ormy, TX: Alamo Press, 2016).

502 pages, indexed. Available from AlamoPress.com or

Amazon.com, $59.99 hardcover; $39.99 paperback.

     Is the perceived hyperbole used to sell a book a true litmus test for any great work? In the case of Dios Y Tejas, I found the mix of positive statements presented by credentialed individuals in “Praise for” to be spot on – “committed to telling the stories that few have heard;” “a remarkable amount of information, an indefinite number of facts and stories;” “suggest ways of approaching local history;” and other comments about the diversified and multicultural history of the community of Von Ormy. I’m sold, a believer. I found the essay approach to presenting history refreshing in that it did not remind me of a textbook. Each essay was complete in and of itself and I felt compelled to read what interested me. The author, Art Martinez de Vara, presents 32 topical essays, 30 of which he personally authored. They create a loose timeline that presents a community history about the people, families, events, and happenings all tied to the land along the Medina River in Southwest Bexar County, Texas. Roughly a dozen of these essays began as a series of local history articles published in the The Von Ormy Star newspaper founded by the author in the same year Von Ormy was incorporated (2008).

     I would recommend reading first the story of Von Ormy’s incorporation in the essay “The City of Von Ormy.” It is here that the author reveals his connection with Von Ormy: as a youth spending his summers at his grandparents’ house; moving to Von Ormy in 2004; and his passion

or pride, stating “Von Ormy always felt like home.” This pride is exemplified through the authors’

pseudo-autobiographical history of his personal involvement in efforts to incorporate Von Ormy. Describing the birth and struggle to formally recognize this historic community is a ‘David and Goliath’ story, a story of resilience, fortitude, and change. To me, it set the tone and gave me a feel for the author’s writing throughout the rest of the book. 

     If the Table of Contents is not enough detail to understand the topic of an essay, the author has provided an 18 page “Introduction” to summarize the various chapters for the reader. A chapter by chapter “Annotated Bibliography” (pgs. 433-446) provides the reader with an excellent resource for further reading material as well as exemplifies the fact that the author is

extremely well read. The author states he worked on this volume for seven years. I was impressed with the variety of sources that the author sought for the background of his essays: oral interviews, pamphlets, newspapers, and records.

     This history is full of the stories we did not learn in school. Included are comprehensive biographies of Blas Herrera, the “Paul Revere” of the Texas Revolution, who warned

the Alamo of Santa Anna’s approach; Francisco Antonio Ruiz, who as interim alcalde of San Antonio witnessed the disposition of the Alamo dead; Enoch Jones, once the wealthiest man in Texas; and more. All are tied in some form or fashion to the community of Von Ormy.

     Additionally, the author provides extras that truly set this book apart. 144 images are presented throughout the book; 120 of these were collected by the author from private collections and published for the first time in this book. Appendix B contains 45 cattle brands from the Von Ormy area, results of an intensive search through the Bexar County Spanish Archives. The index (pgs. 447-479) includes a full name and place index.

     This work passes the test. It is everything it purports to be – a fresh approach, factual, interesting, well written, and more. It is a celebration of the people, the stories, and a place

called Von Ormy, Texas.