A Guide to the Arcenio A. Garcia Papers, 1967-1992

Biographical Note

Arcenio A. Garcia was elected Mayor of Cotulla, Texas in 1972 as a member of the Raza Unida Party, becoming the first Mexican-American to serve as mayor of the city. He also won the 1974 election, but was removed from the position when the city council ruled that Mr. Garcia was living outside Cotulla at the time of the election. In 1976, Garcia was elected County Commissioner of Precinct #3 in La Salle County, Texas.

In addition to his positions as Mayor and County Commissioner, Garcia was a member of Barrios Unidos, a public service organization, which he served as Chairperson and Public Official on the Board. He was also editor of the bulletin El Informador (The Informer).

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Scope and Content Note

The collection documents Garcia's work as Chairperson of Barrios Unidos, Mayor of Cotulla and County Commissioner of Precinct #3 of La Salle County. It also includes general information related to the Raza Unida Party and Garcia as a member of the Democratic Party of Texas. The collection is arranged chronologically and covers the period 1967-1992, with the bulk of the material dating 1973-1980.

The years 1973-1975 cover the period in which Garcia was Mayor of Cotulla, Texas. Documentation of this period includes correspondence and meeting minutes that provide insight into Garcia's work as Mayor. Of note are newspaper clippings and documents related to the successful lawsuit by George Carpenter to remove Garcia from the position of Mayor after his re-election in 1974.

Papers from 1976-1992 cover a period in which Garcia served as County Commissioner of Precinct #3 of La Salle County. Similar to the first series, this includes correspondence, meeting minutes and political campaign clippings. The minutes are of Commissioners' Court meetings dated 1977-1980. There are also records from the Democratic Party of Texas precinct meetings from 1980-1992. During this period Garcia was a member of the Democratic Party of Texas and attended the Democratic State Convention in San Antonio in 1980.

Arcenio A. Garcia worked to improve the social and economic situation of La Salle County through projects such as the Middle Rio Grande Railroad Project. Garcia was president of the Middle Rio Grande Rural Rail Transportation District, which focused on building a rail line with sufficient business to be profitable. The collection contains the articles of incorporation of the District. Also included is a document titled "Public Works Economic Development Grant Application and Supporting Documentation" submitted to the Economic Development Administration on February 3, 1988.

Of note in the collection is a report dated 1967-1968 titled "La Salle County Migrant Health Project." This document offers researchers an idea of the medical needs and services in La Salle County, and the kind of issues that Garcia faced as County Commissioner.

Selected material in this collection has been digitized and is available in our digital collections.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is housed at UTSA's Main Campus and must be accessed via the John Peace Library Special Collections reading room. To request access, please use the Collections Request Form.

Usage Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Arcenio A. Garcia Papers must be obtained from University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Arcenio A. Garcia Papers, MS 96, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

Acquisition Information

Received as a gift from Arcenio A. Garcia in March 2000 (Acc. 2000-012).

Processing Information

Processed by Joel A. Blanco, Summer Intern, June 2002.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Box	Folder
1	1		La Salle County Migrant Health Project, 1967-1968 View Folder Contents
	2		Barrios Unidos: Meetings Minutes, 1973 View Folder Contents
	3		"Vida Cultural de Cotulla" by Raul Martinez, September, 1973 View Folder Contents
			Mayor of Cotulla
	4			Correspondence, 1973-1974 View Folder Contents
	5			Meetings and Records, 1973-1975 View Folder Contents
	6			Political Campaign, 1974 View Folder Contents
	7			Lawsuit: George Carpenter v. Arcenio A. Garcia, 1974-1975 View Folder Contents
			La Salle County Commissioner
	8			Political Campaign, 1976-1992 View Folder Contents
	9			Elections, 1976-1980 View Folder Contents
	10			Correspondence, 1976-1977 View Folder Contents
	11			Correspondence, 1978-1981 View Folder Contents
	12			Meetings and Records, 1977 View Folder Contents
	13			Meetings and Records, 1978-1980 View Folder Contents
	14			Bulletins, undated View Folder Contents
	15		El Informador, 1977 View Folder Contents
	16		Raza Unida Party Newsletter, October 15, 1977 View Folder Contents
	17		County Directory, 1979, 1980 View Folder Contents
	18		Democratic Party of Texas: Precinct Meetings and Records, 1980-1992 View Folder Contents
	19		Certificates, 1985-1987 View Folder Contents
	20		Middle Rio Grande Rural Rail Transportation District: Articles of Incorporation, 1987 View Folder Contents
	21		Middle Rio Grande Railroad Project grant application, February 3, 1988 View Folder Contents

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