Alonso Building

Manuel Alonso Sr. was born in Spain in 1842 of Spanish-born parents and immigrated to the United States in 1864. His grandson reported in an interview in 1977 that Manuel came to Brownsville in 1865. In September 1877 Manuel bought lots in the original town of Brownsville to build a home. In 1878, he married Guadalupe C., who had immigrated to the U.S. in 1875. Guadalupe was born in October 1846 in Mexico of Mexican-born parents. Although the Alonso House on St. Charles Street was built in 1877, Manuel Alonso Sr. was not listed in the 1880 census for Brownsville or Cameron County. However, a Salvador "Alonzo" lived on St. Charles Street in 1880. The 29-year-old single grocer was a native of Spain as were his parents. He lived with his sister-in-law, Guadalupe Cordova, a 27-year-old, married woman. Guadalupe appears to be Manuel's wife and her occupation was keeping house. Perhaps Manuel lived elsewhere for work in 1880.

In 1900, Manuel and Guadalupe "Alonzo" lived on St. Charles Street in a home that he owned. The 58-year-old grocer and his wife lived with their four surviving of six children: Alfonso (21), Antonio (19), Manuel Jr. (15), and Carmen (10). The two eldest boys worked as clerks in a grocery store and the two younger children attended school; all four had been born in Texas. While the parents and children could read and write, only the two younger children could speak English in 1900. Three more people lived in the Charles Street house in 1900: Guadalupe's unmarried sister, Susana (44), Jose A. Madrazo (24, a grocery store clerk), and Adolfo Garrate (17, a grocery store clerk). Madrazo, a Spanish native, immigrated to the U.S. in 1893; Garrate, a Mexican native, had been in the U.S. for two years.

Manuel Alonso Sr. (67) was widowed by 1910 and shared the St. Charles Street house with his sister-in-law, Susana Cordova (45) and children Antonio (30), Manuel Jr. (23), and Carmen (20). Jose A. Cisneros (28) was a boarder in the home. Manuel Sr. worked as a wholesale grocery merchant; Antonio was a bookkeeper in the grocery store and the other two men were grocery store salesmen. By 1920, the widowed Manuel Alonso Sr. lived in the St. Charles house with his single son, Manuel Jr. The elder Manuel (77) was a merchant in his own general merchandise store. The younger Manuel (35) worked as a clerk in the family's mercantile store. Manuel Sr. served as a Director of the First National Bank from about 1906 to the time of his death in 1922. Antonio bought his father's store stock and business in September 1920. No Alonso household was listed on Charles Street in the 1930 or 1940 census.

In 1977, the first floor of the Alonso store building was occupied by the Modern Bride Shop and the second story was a private residence. The building was owned in 1977 by a Brownsville physician named Tedd M. Crow. The Gorgas Science Foundation renovated the dilapidated building and used it for its headquarters until donating it to the Brownsville Historical Association in 2010.

Alonso, Antonio. "Notice." Brownsville Herald (Brownsville, TX) September 26th 1920. 4-4.

Brownsville Historical Association. The Historic Alonso, Event Rentals. January 1st 2019. Accessed September 17th 2020. https://www.brownsvillehistory.org/historic-alonso-building.html.

U.S. Census Bureau. Household of Salvador Alonzo on St. Charles St., Brownsville, TX, Enumeration district 031, dwelling 771, family 801. Washington, DC. US Government, 1880.

U.S. Census Bureau. Household of Manuel Alonzo [Sr.] on St. Charles St., Brownsville, TX, Enumeration district 016, dwelling 98, family 104. Washington, DC. US Government, 1900.

U.S. Census Bureau. Household of Manuel Alonso [Sr.] on Sixth St., Brownsville, TX, Ward 1, dwelling 391, family 405. Washington, DC. US Government, 1910.

U.S. Census Bureau. Household of Manuel Alonso [Sr.] on St. Charles St., Brownsville, TX, Enumeration district 021, dwelling 54, family 54. Washington, DC. US Government, 1920.

White, John P.. Bird, Betty, et al.. Historic American Buildings Survey of Alonso Building, 510-514 East Saint Charles Street, Brownsville, Cameron County, TX. HABS. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 1979.