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Ebarb Owes Its Founding to Closing of Los
Adaes
Ebarb, a small Spanish-Indian community located
in northwest Sabine Parish, owes its founding to the closing of
the Presidio Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Los Adaes over 200 years
ago.
Progenitor of these Spanish-Americans of ancient
lineage was Antonio Gil Y'Barbo, a Spanish pioneer from whom the
village was named. Somewhere down the years the "Y" became
"E", as it is pronounced in English, and the "O"
was dropped.
Gil Y'Barbo was a resident of Los Adaes on El Camino
Real in 1773 when the King of Spain ordered the mission and garrison,
which had been established in 1721, to be removed to Bexar. Adaes
was the capital of Texas and had a stable population. Civil officials
had brought their families and built homes. Upon retirement from
office, the men often set up businesses in the town or opened farms
and ranches nearby. The population numbered about 5,000, mostly
Spanish, although there were a generous sprinkling of French and
several Caddo Indians in the settlement.
The Treaty of Paris, in which France ceded Louisiana
to Spain, disrupted this idyllic scene and rendered the border post
obsolete. Commandant Y'Barbo was ordered by Baron de Ripperda to
have everyone ready for the march to San Antonio in five days. The
journey began on March 25.
Y'Barbo was 40 years old and was said to be of strong
character, fine intellect, and unusual capacity for leadership.
His family consisted of an aged mother and several grown children.
Besides his home in Los Adaes, he owned a large ranch "already
a pueblo", at El Lobanillo near Nacogdoches, Texas.
Most of the inhabitants prepared to emigrate, but
a number fled to the forest. About 34 men, who had married French
girls from the nearby settlement of Natchitoches, moved their families
into the French settlement.
The military commandeered many of the horses, so
a host of civilians had to walk, which added greatly to their distress
under the burning summer sun. When the caravan reached his ranch,
34 persons, including his mother, his sister and sister-in-law,
were granted permission to remain there.
It was one of these people who established a settlement
called Vallecillo, meaning "little valley" which was corrupted
to Bayou Scie. It became the present day Ebarb. Emmanuel Y'Barbo,
son of Gil Y'Barbo, was one of the family members remaining behind,
and it is Emmanuel's son, Alcario Y'Barbo, that is known as the
first settler in Ebarb.
The people in the community are descendants of the
Spanish-Indian, French, and Anglo-Saxon settlers. They intermingled
with many Indian tribes in the area as the Indians were friendly
due to the good relationship that existed between the local Indian
tribes and Gil Y'Barbo.
Source: Sabine Parish Library; author: Sabine
Index 9/6/79
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