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padre island

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osé Nicolás Ballí was born in Reynosa, Mexico, about 1770; his parents being Spaniards. He led an active
civic and religious life in South Texas and the state of Tamaulipas as a missionary, rancher, colonist, and
explorer. His parents owned over a million acres of land in South Texas and were prominent settlers and
landowners in Mexico, as well as in the lower Rio Grande Valley.

The properties that he owned in South Texas were the La Feria grant, the Las Castañas grant, part of the Llano Grande grant, the Guadalupe grant, and
the Isla de Santiago grant, known as Padre Island. Padre Island had been granted to his grandfather by King Carlos III of Spain in 1759. He was the first to
have the island surveyed and was the first settler on the island who brought in families. He also built the first church on the island for the conversion of the
Karankawa Indians and for the settlers. Twenty-six miles north of the island’s southern tip the priest founded El
Rancho Santa Cruz de Buena Vista (later known as Lost City), where he kept cattle, horses, and mules. Padre
Ballí died in 1829 and was buried near Matamoros. Padre Island was named in his honor.
During the Padre’s lifetime South Padre Island was a nesting
haven for at least two species of sea turtles, the Loggerhead and
the Kemp’s Ridley. Over time, man, coyotes and other natural
predators depleted the sea turtle population on the island, and for
many years after there was not even a trace of their nesting. Seventyfive years after the death of Padre Ballí a very special woman would be
born in Iowa who would be instrumental in changing the plight of the sea
turtles on South Padre Island. Ila Loetscher – and she was no ordinary woman!
From a very young age, Ila lived a full and active life; possessing an independent
streak that set her apart from others. A natural leader, she enjoyed organizing her