Eulalia Elias
{{Short description|American rancher (1788–1865)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Eulalia Elias
| birth_name = Doña María Eulalia Elías González Romo de Vivar
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1788|02|12}}
| birth_place = Arizpe, New Spain
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1865|08|6|1788|02|12}}
| death_place =
| nationality =
| other_names =
| occupation = Rancher
}}
Doña María Eulalia Elías González Romo de Vivar (February 12, 1788 – August 6, 1865) was a Mexican American rancher who established the first major cattle ranch in Arizona. She was inducted into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame.{{Cite news|url=http://www.tucsonlocalmedia.com/deserttimes/article_115c97c4-dffb-11e5-b134-1bdf9b7c207e.html|title=Pioneering women blazed a trail in Arizona|last=Times|first=Albert Vetere Lannon, Special to Desert|work=Tucson Local Media|access-date=2017-11-12|language=en}}
Biography
The Elías González family, of which Eulalia was a part, was descended from her grandfather, Captain Francisco Elías Gonzalez, a native of La Rioja, Spain. The family was very powerful in the colonial era of Sonora and Arizona, and included a president of Mexico, two governors of Sonora, a governor of Chihuahua and several priests of the church in Mexico.{{Cite news|url=https://www.azwhf.org/inductions/inducted-women/eulalia-elias-1788-1865/|title=Eulalia Elias (1788–1865) – Arizona Women's Hall of Fame|work=Arizona Women's Hall of Fame|access-date=2017-11-12|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113003355/https://www.azwhf.org/inductions/inducted-women/eulalia-elias-1788-1865/|archive-date=2017-11-13|url-status=dead}}
Eulalia Elías was born on February 12, 1788, in Arizpe. Her father, José Francisco Antonio Elías González Díaz del Carpio, held 30 large land grants and thousands of acres.{{Cite journal|date=2015-09-05|title=Eulalia Elias Was Irascible, Untamed Rancher|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-38705370.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113003028/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-38705370.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-11-13|publisher=HighBeam}} On July 1, 1827, she applied to purchase land along the Babocómari Creek. Later that year, she and her brother Don Ignacio received a grant for about {{Convert|54|mi|km|abbr=}} along the creek.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FIOiCgAAQBAJ&q=Baboc%C3%B3mari+Creek&pg=PA109|title=Hispanic Arizona, 1536–1856|last=Officer|first=James E.|year=2015|publisher=University of Arizona Press|isbn=978-0816533497|language=en}} Called San Juan de Babocómari (later renamed to San Ignacio de Babocómari), the siblings began to bring in large amounts of livestock and purchase more land, eventually reaching 130,000 acres around Sierra Vista. The deed to the additional land was granted on December 25, 1832, and immediately construction was begun on a {{Convert|15|ft|m|abbr=}} walled fort. The land grew into the first major cattle ranch in Arizona, holding 40,000 head of cattle and horses in 1840. The ranch prospered until the death of two of Eulalia's brothers in Apache Indian raids. By 1849, the family abandoned the ranch and moved back to Arizpe.{{Cite news|url=http://www.insidetucsonbusiness.com/news/small_business/arizona-s-first-women-of-influence-set-high-standards/article_f6382fcf-1bfc-5263-b2b5-3dd23502647e.html|title=Arizona's first women of influence set high standards|last=Lundin|first=Martha|work=Inside Tucson Business|access-date=2017-11-12|language=en}}
Eulalia Elías, who never married, played a large role in managing much of the financial and land prospects of her family.{{Cite news|url=http://tucson.com/news/local/western-women-eulalia-el-as-was-irascible-untamed-rancher/article_e2be93fd-4957-53c2-9c1b-4af6c1af795a.html|title=Western Women: Eulalia Elías was irascible, untamed rancher|last=Star|first=Jan Cleere For the Arizona Daily|work=Arizona Daily Star|access-date=2017-11-12|language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Arizona Women's Hall of Fame}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elias, Eulalia}}
Category:Ranchers from Arizona