Title: Falcon Reservoir-Expedition and Settlement
Headings: Falcon Reservoir
Falcon Reservoir
Expedition and Settlement
Ranchos along the River
Cattle-raising in the Eighteenth Century

Content: it is now on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. Ranchos along the River
Mier was founded to be the central settlement for a series of ranchos that occupied the land surrounding the town on both sides of the river. Thirty-eight families were brought up from Cerralvo, Nuevo Leon, and joined 19 families already in the area. Each settling family was awarded a porcion, or land grant, that consisted of a narrow strip of land containing from 0.5 to 1 mile of riverfront property and extending about 14 to 15 miles away from the Rio Grande. Families were also given a small plot in town to build a house, if they wished. Many of the buildings on each porcion were placed near the Rio Grande, just far enough away to avoid flooding, and the rest of the land was used for sheep, goats, and cattle. No fences were used, and the animals could roam as they pleased across porciones. Cattle belonging to different owners would often merge together into large herds, and would only be separated during a rodeo, or roundup. To some extent, this was done as a defensive measure against Indian raids. To protect the cattle, ranchers allowed them to roam free, making them a less obvious target.