Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when Mexican forces defeated a much larger and better-equipped French army. But why is an 1862 Battle in Mexico so important to be celebrated across the United States? The story has an important connection to the Vaqueros of Texas.
Museum founder Edmund D. Samora first became fascinated with the story of Porfirio Zamora, who was asked to recruit 500 cavalrymen from Texas to support the Mexican cause during the struggle against the French. At the time Texas was part of the Confederacy and the French wanted to support thier cause to help take over the US. It was Captain Porfirio Zamora and his 500 Tejanos who went to Mexico to help defeat and delay the attempts of the French to join the confederacy. When the Tejanos came back to Texas they celebrated becoming a growing tradition.
The story became personal. Edmund's grandparents had always told him that the family name had once been spelled with a “Z.” That led him to investigate whether his own ancestry might connect to Porfirio Zamora. Although he did not establish that family connection yet, his search led him to something unexpected; the descendants of Major Porfirio Zamora.
Among them was Dr. Gabriel Zamora, who has since become a proud supporter of The Vaquero Museum.
Today, the story of Porfirio Zamora, the Texas Vaqueros, and Cinco de Mayo serves as an anchor of The Vaquero Museum—connecting the history of Mexico, Texas, horsemanship, military service, and the Vaquero tradition across generations.
