Encarnacion Virjan (c. 1840–1891): A Life Between Borders and Shadows
Encarnacion Virjan (c. 1840–1891): A Life Between Borders and Shadows
In the dusty, evolving frontier town of San Antonio, Texas, the name Encarnacion Virjan once flickered through courtrooms, saloons, and church registers. His story, fragmented through public records and newspaper ink, offers a glimpse into the life of a Mexican immigrant navigating the hardships and temptations of post-Reconstruction America.
Origins: Mexico to Texas
Born between 1841 and 1844, either in Monterrey or Matamoros, Mexico, Encarnacion Virjan was the son of Jose Maria Virjan and Maria del Refugio Sanches. Official records conflict on the precise location and year of his birth, but what is certain is that he crossed the U.S. border through Laredo, Texas around December 15, 1873, later declaring his intention to become an American citizen in November 1884.
Family Threads
Encarnacion was identified as the father of Genoveva Virjan, born circa 1870, whose mother was Eufemia Menchaca (alternatively recorded as Pacheco). Genoveva later married Jesus Reyes in 1900, confirming her paternity.
In a surprising final chapter of his life, Encarnacion married Anastacia Rodriguez, a 26-year-old native of Parol, Mexico, on June 22, 1891 at San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio. Just five days later, he was dead.
A Public Life Marked by Trouble
Encarnacion’s time in Texas was marked by frequent clashes with the law—largely tied to alcohol and gambling. Local newspapers from the 1880s chronicle a series of arrests and fines for:
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Public intoxication on multiple occasions in 1882
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Fighting and disorderly conduct in 1885
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Gambling charges in 1890 that resulted in jail time
Perhaps most harrowing was a bar fight in July 1884, where he was slashed across the face with a knife, leaving a wound from ear to mouth. Despite this injury, he survived and remained active in the city’s underbelly, earning notoriety among San Antonio’s gambling circles.
Death and Legacy
On June 27, 1891, just five days after his marriage, Encarnacion Virjan died at the age of 50. A brief obituary in the San Antonio Daily Light described him as “a gambler well known to all of the fraternity in this city.” He left behind no known estate or detailed obituary—only scattered traces in court dockets, church ledgers, and city blotters.
While Encarnacion lived on the fringes of respectability, his paper trail paints a vivid portrait of the Mexican working class during a transformative era in Texas history. He was a man of contradictions: both citizen-in-the-making and perpetual outsider.
Primary Sources & Documentation
Marriage License Record: 21 Jun 1891 · Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837–1965
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Marriage Record: 22 Jun 1891 · San Fernando Cathedral, Bexar County, Texas — FamilySearch
Declaration of Intent: 3 Nov 1884 ·Bexar County Naturalization Records — Ancestry.com
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Newspapers:
- San Antonio Evening Light, Thu, Jan 19, 1882 · Page 1
- San Antonio Evening Light, Thu, Jan 19, 1882 · Page 4
- San Antonio Evening Light, Fri, Jan 20, 1882 · Page 1
- San Antonio Evening Light, Wed, Feb 1, 1882 · Page 1
- San Antonio Evening Light, Wed, Feb 1, 1882 · Page 4
- San Antonio Light, Sat, Jul 19, 1884 · Page 4
- San Antonio Light, Tue, May 26, 1885 · Page 2
- San Antonio Light, Thu, Jun 25, 1885 · Page 8
- Austin American-Statesman, Tue, Feb 23, 1886 · Page 7
- Austin American-Statesman, Tue, Sep 14, 1886 · Page 2
- San Antonio Daily Light, Thu, May 8, 1890 · Page 10
- San Antonio Daily Light, Thu, Jun 18, 1891 · Page 7
- San Antonio Daily Light, Fri, Jun 19, 1891 · Pages 4, 5, 8
- San Antonio Daily Light, Mon, Jun 22, 1891 · Page 10
- San Antonio Daily Light, Sat, Jun 27, 1891 · Page 9
- Chronicling America, Sat, Jun 27, 1891 · Link
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Genoveva Virjan marriage record (1900): Ancestry.com
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Name Variants Found in Records: Virjan, Verjan, Virgan, Virgen, Virjen, Birjan, Bergan, Viegan
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