DRC.Jul.23.2023.Ramsey-Latinos.in.Denton FINAL • DA DA
On Brazil trip, '1'WU team
grew on and off the court
enton
» Sports, 11A lilt w
Record-Chronicle
\.1I. 119.NO.JS.; II it Deuani.'reVis
Getting to know ,1 _ , Juan-John"
Menchaca's
_ cafe atE.
Oak St.t.may
may
have been
some of Denton's
Denton's
first Mexican
restaurant.
early Latino roots - Annettay
photo/
� .nc � Annetta
Ramsay
Thfae Menchaca -
and Villanuev
rtwlies were 1
some of Denton's ear-
liest Latino residents.
Juan"John'Men- -
chaca moved from
Mexico to Cooper - -
Creek a small com-
munity 31/2 miles northwest of vember 1918 ad ran in the Denton
Denton by 1910 with his wife. Record-Chronicle. Ad kinds short orders served chace's death in Dallas after an Record-Chronicle,he was'well-
Conception. Restaurant opened at 106 East cheaper here_Come see me. emergency appendectomy.He known by many White people"
Menchaca opened a Cafe that Oak Street--here 8 years- JOHN MENCHACA had been in the restaurant busi- Menchaca owned property In
may have been Denton's first Good Mexican chip:good hot On July 3,1920.a Record- ness"for some time"
Mexican food restaurant.A No- tamales. Chronicle article reported Men- According to the See RAMSAY on 10A
From Page 1A
Ramsay
Denton.The Menchacas had
no children. ' ►Y' rr-Y1r �. >•� �r' w M
Juan Menchaca was bur-
ied in Cooper Creek Ceme-
tery in 1920.
Antonio"Tony"Villanue-
va moved to Cooper Creek
around 1886 from Mexico.
Tony's first wife,Refugio,
died in 1911.She's buried in
Cooper Creek Cemetery.
Shortly after Refugio's
death,Tony moved to Den-
ton with his young daughter,
Ramona.He knew Men-
chaca;they likely worked +
together prior to Mencha- Courtesy photo/Annetta Ramsay
ca's death. Antonio"Tony"Villanueva and his family lived at 608
Villanueva met and Withers St.in the early 1900s.
married Margarita,a widow
from Mexico.They lived at He was so terrified that not listed in his obituary. Courtesy photo
608 Withers St.in Denton. he drove away from wait- He's buried in City Ceme- Tony Villanueva's son Braley was the first Denton man called to the"White"Texas 36th
In addition to Villanueva's ing customers.After that, tery,present-day Oakwood Army division.According to a Jan.28,1940,Denton Record-Chronicle article,Braley
daughter Ramona,the cou- Villanueva parked outside Cemetery. was listed in the second contingent to volunteer from the Selective Service Board.
ple had nine children:Braley, Stoddard Hall. Ultimately,Tony Villan-
Dolores,Sam,Ben,Margaret, While Villanueva called ueva longed to return to Jose,died of diphtheria,the invasion. in a Denton nursing home.
Josephine,Trina,Tony and out to students,the Good Mexico.On March 7,1928, leading cause of childhood Sam Villanueva served in She had returned to Texas
Jose. Humor man advertised a Record-Chronicle article death in the early 1920s. the Army in 1943 in Germa- from Mexico after proving
Villanueva provided for ice cream with tiny bells. outlined the 58-year-old's Jose Villanueva was buried ny.In 1944,Ben Villanueva she was born in Cameron,
his family by selling tamales Tamales were exotic,but plan to move to a farm in City Cemetery. served in Hawaii.Accord- Texas,in 1893.
from a horse-drawn wag- ice cream was a novelty in a he owned in Nuevo Leon. By 1930,CIA students ing to local Latino history Tony and Margarita's
on.It was reported that on time without refrigeration. He lived in Denton for 42 mourned the Villanueva enthusiast Rudy Rodriguez, granddaughter Gloria Vean-
Jan.9,1924,a truck driven Life wasn't easy in the years,20 years as a tamale family departure in a Dec.4, their sister Margaret might ueva Pruett Anderson died
by R.M.Bennett of Aubrey 1920s,especially for the vendor. 1930,Lass-0 article,"Tony's have been the first Latina in in 2015 at age 81.She was
smashed Tony's Tamale Villanuevas. Villanueva said times Loss Felt": the U.S.Army one of Denton High School's
Wagon.Bennett stated that A July 11,1927,Re- changed and he couldn't Tony,the hot tamale Antonio Villanueva Jr., first two Latino graduates.
snow on his windshield cord-Chronicle article make a living:"People don't man,with his ramshackle, age 47,died at 608 Withers She attended North Texas
prevented him from seeing describes an incident where buy tamales like they used yellow-wheeled buggy and St.in April 1959.His obituary State University before tak-
the wagon.According to the three boys were saved from to,and I got to do some- the old gray horse,was lists all but two surviving ing a job with the FBI at age
newspaper report,Tony was drowning near the dam at thing."Tony said he made always on the job at some siblings living in Denton.Two 18.Her obituary reported
"badly shaken up." the city park,present-day a good living up until a few advantageous point on other siblings lived in Irving she owned a nursery school,
The tamale wagon Quakertown Park.Ten-year- years earlier.He didn't want Oakland or Bell Avenue....If and San Antonio. helped establish a Lewisville
was popular with women old Noble Callahan and to take his children out you passed near,he would A Feb.24,1971,article Montessori school,helped
attending the College of 12-year-old John Callahan of Denton schools,where say with his soft voice, showed 57-year-old Braley start the Lewisville Lead-
Industrial Arts,present-day were pulled from deep school officials reported "tamales?" Villanueva fighting a grass- er newspaper,owned an
Texas Woman's University water,along with"Tony the they had"high marks." Villanueva died shortly fire near his place of em- answering service,was ap-
The CIA student newspaper, tamale man's 10-year-old A March 17,1928,article after returning to Mexico. ployment,the Denton State pointed by President Ronald
the Denton Lass-O,fea- son,"who was resuscitat- in the Lass-O titled"Tony By 1940,his family had School.Braley helped keep Reagan to the Small Busi-
tured a June 25,1927,story ed.Black people forced to Quits;Girls Reduce and Ta- returned to 608 Withers St. the grassfire from getting ness Administration,and
about Villanueva and"the move from the land that boo Hot Tamales,"says Vil- in Denton. closer than 40 yards to the worked for state legislators,
hot tamale man's"on-cam- became the city park four lanueva sold his hot tamales Villanueva's son Braley dormitories. including Ronny Crownover
pus rival,the Good Humor years earlier were no longer before the CIA Building, was the first Denton man In November 1974, and Myra Crownover.
ice cream man. allowed in the place they present-day Old Main,was called to the"White"Texas 89-year-old Margarita Rudy Rodriguez credits
The article described once inhabited;Villanueva's built on"blue serge hill."The 36th Army division.Ac- Villanueva of 608 Withers Gloria with being Denton's
Villanueva's frequent visits son was allowed in the park, article concluded Villanueva cording to a Jan.28,1940, St.died at a Denton nurs- first Latina leader.
to campus with"a voice but the paper didn't list his would no longer add"histo- Record-Chronicle article, ing home.According to her Denton Public Library librar-
known to every student" first name alongside the ry and picturesqueness"to Braley Villanueva was listed obituary,she was survived ianLaura Douglas contributed
Students studying Spanish other boys. the campus. in the second contingent to by four daughters,three researchfor this article.
enjoyed practicing language Villanueva's brother,Mi- Tragedy struck as the volunteer from the Selective sons,one stepdaughter, ANNETTARAMSAY,Ph.D.,
skills with him.He parked by chael,died at the age of 47 Villanuevas family prepared Service Board.By 1944,he 29 grandchildren and 12 has lived and worked in Denton
the CIA gym until,it's been on Aug.24,1927,of cardiac to leave Denton.A Sept.8, was Cpl.Braley Villanueva, great-grandchildren, for manyyeam She can be
said,the day he saw a facul- issues at 608 Withers St. 1928,Record-Chronicle ar- awarded for being on the Juan Menchaca's reached atanneha.ramsay@
ty member exit the gym Michael was survived by title reported that Tony and Army front in Italy and for 84-year-old wife,Candida, gmail.com.
carrying a human skeleton. several children who were Margarita's 4-vear-old son, participating in the Salerno died four years later in 1978