At our January meeting, Dr. Roseann Bacha-Garza presented And Then The Soldiers Were Gone which was developed by the CHAPS team at UTRGV about the history and future of Rio Grande City’s Fort Ringgold. About 60 people attended this presentation. This was the first general meeting lead by our new president, Donna Otto. New board members were introduced. Several members were recognized for milestones and certifications. Our outgoing officers were recognized for their service.
Ms. Bacha-Garza obtained her MA at the University of Texas-Pan American and is a Lecturer of Anthropology and History whose master's thesis, "San Juan and its Role in the Transformation of the Rio Grande Valley" traces the development of the Valley from the Spanish land grantees through its various stages of municipal development. She has co-edited several books related to Valley history including The Civil War on the Rio Grande 1846-1876, Blue and Gray on the Border: The Rio Grande Valley Civil War Trail, and The Native American Peoples of South Texas. She also wrote Images of America: San Juan, in collaboration with the San Juan Economic Development Corporation, which won Preservation Texas's Heritage Education Award.
