GARCÍA, BARTOLOMÉ (1813-ca. 1878). Bartolomé García, pioneer Laredoan and three-time mayor during the 1850s and early 1860s, was born in 1813 in Laredo, the son of Tomás María García and Tomasa Benavides. He was a direct descendant of Catalina Uribe and Tomás Sánchez de la Barrera y Garza,^qv who founded the city of Laredo in 1755. García's political career began in 1850, when he ran unsuccessfully against Refugio Benavides^qv for mayor of the city. In 1852 García was elected alderman and served as treasurer of the Laredo City Council. After two years on the city council, he was elected mayor in 1854. After leaving office in 1855, he remained politically inactive until 1858, when he was reelected mayor. After serving two years he stepped down in 1860. In December 1861, however, he ran again for mayor and defeated Tomás Treviño. In 1875 García ran once again for mayor, but was defeated by the incumbent, Refugio Benavides. García's marriage to Encarnación (Carmen) Benavides produced twelve children, several of whom would later become active in Laredo politics or marry into prominent Laredo families with strong political connections. Bartolomé García died about 1878.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Feliz Garcia, The Children of Bartolo Garcia (1976). Jerry D. Thompson, Warm Weather and Bad Whiskey: The 1886 Laredo Election Riot (El Paso: Texas Western Press, 1991).

Laura Lamar Ramirez