06/15/2026
Because of the scarcity of public schools, members of the Mexican community in Hebbronville -Asencio Martinez, Tomas Barrera, Dionisio and Severo Peña, Francisco Barrera and Jose Angel Garza- opened their own escuelita (Spanish-language community school) and named it El Colegio Altamirano. El Colegio enrolled students from kindergarten to sixth grade and imported its material and textbooks from Mexico. The first teacher was Rosendo Barrera until 1907 when he died, then sisters Adelina and Ernestina Carmona continued teaching. Then Miss Emilia Dávila took over, she was born in Saltillo, Coahuila and was a graduate of the Normal School (teacher’s college) in Saltillo. In her role as the sole teacher for decades and her pedagogical experience, she became the “intellectual mother” of Hebbronville’s children. Above, she is pictured with the class of 1911. In 1929, some women of the community with the support of the Franciscans, founded the Sociedad Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez to financially support the Colegio. After serving the community for more than sixty years, the Colegio Altamirano closed its doors in 1958. The building stands across the Scotus College. In 2019 the Sociedad donated the property to the Franciscan friars who currently lease it to the Head Start Program, a federal program that provides comprehensive child development services to the community.
