Elías family's roots long, deep

The Elías pioneers helped shape Arizona history in the military, ranching and mining. Those and other family contributions are included in several history books. Today, many of the pioneers' descendants still live in the region, including Tucson.

Elías, 79, is the keeper of his family's history. He lives in Vail and spends much of his time putting the final touches on a bilingual book about the Elías pioneers. The retiree said he has been able to trace his family origins to the 1600s in Spain.

"My family is a huge family; I have about 2,500 names in that book," he said, pointing toward a manuscript in his dining room. Elías said his book will include 12 generations of the Elías family.

Elías' home is a tribute to his family history. Stacks of family letters, notes and newspaper clippings are scattered on desks, tables and chairs. Old black-and-white photos cover several poster boards. Bookcases throughout his 10-room house are filled with new and yellowing books, journals and periodicals in English and Spanish. Elías speaks both languages fluently.

Elías was born in Douglas on April 1, 1927 – 74 years after a land deal between the United States and Mexico called the Gadsden Purchase officially created the southern border. But even after the U.S. bought from Mexico the land that later became much of Southern Arizona, the Elíases and other people living in the area came and went from one side to the other without passports or any other documents. It was much the same way all along the entire border, which for a long time did not have a fence.

When Elías was doing research on his ancestors, he came across a 1934 newspaper interview with his grandfather's brother, Rafael Elías, who was 81 at the time. The pioneer was born in 1853, the same year as the Gadsden Purchase.

In the interview, Rafael Elías shared memories of what life was like in his younger days. "I would take cattle from my ranch, agriculture products and alfalfa from my farm and fruits from my orchard, as well as firewood to Tombstone. Even when these offices were established on Elías property we could cross anything any time we desired."

Armando Elías said his grandfather's brother, whose family ranch was just south of Cananea, Sonora, was an uncle of Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles, who held office from 1924 to 1928. His ranch remains in the family.

Rafael Elías died in late 1953, at the age of 101. Armando Elías' grandfather, Manuel Elías, who had homes in Fronteras, Sonora, and in Douglas, died earlier that same year at 94.

Armando Elías said he still remembers conversations between the two ranchers. The brothers often talked about the land grants that various family members received from the government in the 1800s, he said, before there was an international boundary. Having a land grant meant pioneers like the Elíases owned the property, and that is where their cattle grazed. But like many other pioneers, the Elías family lost the Mexican land after it became part of the United States through the Gadsden Purchase. "They were very bitter," Armando Elías said of his two ancestors.

Elías still is working to find all the family connections. He knows the descendants in Sonora and those in the Tucson area are related, Elías said, but he doesn't know exactly how. Through Los Descendientes del Presidio de Tucsón, a cultural and historical group, many Tucson Elíases show Cornelio Elías — who was in the community by 1801 — as their last known ancestor in their genealogical chart while the Sonorans' ancestors trace their lineage back to the 1600s. Elías said he and the late Tucson historian James E. Officer explored the past of Cornelio Elías, but they were unable to come up with answers. Elías said he believes the man's parents were part of the Elías clan in northern Mexico.

Elías also has vague childhood memories of frequent family visits with Tucson relatives in the 1930s and 1940s. He does not remember their names, however.

"Who is the father of Cornelio Elías? Nobody's been able to tell me that," he said.

He hopes other Tucson-area Elíases will help him find the missing family links. "I would like nothing more than to figure out where Cornelio Elías came from before I publish my book."

Elías is anxious to get a call from someone who can help him solve the mystery of Cornelio Elías at 762-5806.