Ochoa, Texas: A Rio Grande Farming Community That History Still Remembers

Ochoa is a former farming community in Presidio County, Texas, located along Farm Road 170 on the Rio Grande, about six miles southeast of Indio and ten miles northwest of Presidio.

Origins and Early Growth

The settlement developed around the ranch of Esteban Leaton Ochoa, son of Juan and Isabel (Leaton) Ochoa. By the early 1900s, the community had grown to include about seventy-five families and was considered a prosperous farming area. Its location on the Rio Grande allowed for river-irrigated agriculture, which supported the ranching and farming activities of its residents.

Irrigation and Agriculture

In 1914, an agricultural shift occurred when irrigation and cotton cultivation were introduced to the region. Esteban Ochoa hired about one hundred Mexican refugees to dig an irrigation ditch that supplied water to his farm and those of his neighbors. This work transformed Ochoa into a productive farming community, with cotton becoming an important crop.

Education and Community Life

By 1911, Ochoa had a functioning school, with Jessie Head serving as its teacher. The school remained active at least through 1945, providing education for local children during the community’s most active years. In addition, by 1936, Ochoa supported a church and a store, reflecting its role as a small but self-sustaining settlement.

Decline

As economic patterns shifted in the mid-20th century, Ochoa began to lose population and importance. By the late 1980s, mail for the area was being routed through Presidio, marking the end of Ochoa as a distinct community.

Legacy

Though it no longer exists as a town, Ochoa’s legacy remains in historical records and in the Ochoa Cemetery, which still marks the area. One of its most notable residents was Juan Ochoa II, born in Ochoa in 1894, who later served as a tracker and scout for the Eighth Texas Cavalry.

Key Facts

• Located on FM 170 along the Rio Grande, Presidio County.

• Community developed around the ranch of Esteban Leaton Ochoa.

• About 75 families lived there in the early 1900s.

• Irrigation and cotton farming began in 1914 with labor by about 100 Mexican refugees.

• School operating by 1911 with Jessie Head as teacher, continued until at least 1945.

• By 1936, the community had a church and a store.

• Declined after mid-20th century; mail handled through Presidio by late 1980s.

• Ochoa Cemetery still exists; community remembered in historical accounts.

• Juan Ochoa II (1894– ) served as a U.S. Cavalry tracker and scout.