A great story from :Steve Hathcock

Don Chenche’s early life was uneventful for the most part. Born in San Luis Potosi Mexico his family first moved to the Matamoros area sometime after Texas won its independence from Mexico and then they moved to El Fronton (now known as Port Isabel) during the Mexican-American War.

As a teenager, Chencho got his first taste of modern construction when he helped build the Point Isabel Lighthouse in 1852. Over the next 20 years, he worked on a variety of other projects including laying track for Simon Celaya’s Rio Grande Railroad which operated along a 22 ½ mile track that ran between the Point and Brownsville. Finished in February 1872, the narrow gauge tracks extended about a mile out over the Laguna Madre where ships lying at anchor would offload the modern necessities needed for a growing Valley and take on cargos of cotton, hides and goods from South Texas and the interior of Mexico. The line was short-lived though and its final run was made in 1919. Good paying jobs were scarce and in order to provide a steady income for his family Don Chencho joined a rather ancient order of men known as agua dories who made their living by going door to door and selling water to those who either did not have a well to draw from or did not own the necessary equipment to haul the precious liquid from a far away site. His daily routine was pretty much the same for the next 60 years or so. Up before dawn, daylight would find him perched atop the wooden bench of his two-wheeled cart where he had an unobstructed view of his plodding burro’s backside. Ahead of him, other men were gazing at pretty much the same view as their own beasts hauled creaking bumping barrels along the primitive trail which led to the open Mogote Wells situated about a mile west of town. There the agua dories would fill their containers and then return to town. Undoubtedly there was some sort of pecking order amongst the water haulers that helped maintain an agreement of sorts on who got to service the best routes. I would assume any arguments were settled with squirt guns at high noon. Eventually, the Town of Port Isabel built their own water district and now everyone had instant access to running water. The agua dories were out of business…… But the old man continued his daily trek through town, only now he collected scraps for his pigs and posed for pictures for tourists. Don Chenche went on to his reward in February 1950. He was 115 years old and had outlived 6 wives. Reportedly he fathered his last child when in his 90s.

It has been said that Don Chenche and his famous mule were the most photographed residents of Port Isabel!