“Harriet Tubman of Texas” Remembered this Juneteenth

Photo: Headstone of children of Silvia and John Webber in Webber Cemetery, Hidalgo County, Texas. Credit: Sandra Sanchez.

Crossing the Rio Grande to Freedom in Mexico

New York, N.Y. Silvia Hector Webber, often referred to as the “Harriet Tubman of Texas,” played a significant role in aiding enslaved people seeking freedom by guiding them to Mexico. Born into slavery, Silvia gained her freedom and, alongside her husband John Ferdinand Webber, established a safe haven for escaped slaves in Texas.

The Webbers originally settled in Webberville, Texas, where they faced increasing racial hostility as more settlers from the Deep South moved into the area. By the early 1850s, threats to their safety prompted them to relocate to Hidalgo County in South Texas.

Here, they established an 8,856-acre ranch near the Rio Grande, a strategic location for aiding freedom seekers due to its proximity to the Mexican border, where slavery had been abolished since 1837.

Silvia and John were dedicated anti-slavery advocates and Union sympathizers.

Their ranch became an essential stop on the Underground Railroad, where they provided shelter, food, and assistance to those fleeing slavery. They utilized their ferry business to transport these individuals across the Rio Grande to freedom in Mexico.

The Webbers’ efforts were part of a broader network of anti-slavery activities along the U.S.-Mexico border, which included support from their neighbors, Matilda and Nathaniel Jackson.

Throughout the Civil War, the Webber family faced persecution for their Unionist stance, leading them to temporarily flee to Mexico to escape Confederate forces. They returned to their ranch after the war, where Silvia continued her charitable work until her death in 1892.

Silvia Hector Webber’s legacy as a champion for freedom and equality is commemorated in Texas history, notably in exhibits like “Freedom Papers: Evidence of Emancipation” at the University of Texas at Austin, which highlights her contributions to the abolitionist cause.

“Harriet Tubman of Texas” Remembered this Juneteenth (June 17, 2024)