San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department to discuss renaming city facility after “unsung heroine”

Staff Reports

SAN MARCOS – The City of San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department Board will discuss and vote on the renaming of City Recreation Hall to Pauline Espinosa Community Hall at their December 16, 2021, 6:30pm meeting.

The Council for the Indigenous and Tejano Community, appointed in early 2021 by Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra, conducted the research and submitted the nomination with Pauline Espinosa’s history.

“We are so delighted that the Renaming Committee recognized the value of Mrs. Espinosa’s contributions to the San Marcos community especially at a time when our history has been deleted or whitewashed” stated Maria Rocha, a Founding Member of CITC. 

As a result of the CITC nomination, Mano Amiga initiated a mural project that included Mrs. Espinosa’s image.  The unveiling of the mural was very well attended by the community. 

Pauline Espinosa, September 6, 1902 – February 20, 1974

Pauline Gonzales Espinosa was born in Roma, Texas on September 6, 1902 to Washington Gonzales and Joaquina Cadena Gonzales. 

Pauline and Jose Espinosa opened their first business in the late 1930s. The business was a produce shop located at the corner of Guadalupe Street and Comal Street (now named Martin Luther King Blvd.) in San Marcos, Texas. Eventually, a larger store was built at the site and named Pauline’s Grocery. 

Pauline ran the daily operations of the store that served a large portion of the community, especially the Mexican American community. She was known to offer credit to families and donated generously to the community in need and for community events.

Pauline Espinosa was well known in the larger business community. One of her friends was Hays County Sheriff Jack Gary, who often requested guidance and assistance regarding arrested individuals from the Mexican American community. He relied on Pauline’s knowledge of this community and respected her assessments on bond requests. It was not unusual for Pauline to assist Mexican American community members with releases from jail by placing her property as collateral on the bond.

Pauline Espinosa is an unsung heroine. Not only did she provide produce and food items for the community in need, she also provided credit to many individuals so they could feed their families. She provided jobs for several people and purchased produce from local farms. She was a trailblazer at a time when few Mexican American women were business owners. Pauline Espinosa is deserving of recognition as a business and community leader of San Marcos, Texas.