Mayer Halff: Pioneer Jewish Cattleman.

During historic times, the Big Bend region of Texas was enriched by peoples from a wide variety of backgrounds. Many had endured hardships in their former lives and were well prepared for the harshness of the country. Among such pioneers were people who began the journey from their land of origin roughly 3,000 years ago, the Jews. The Texas Jewish population's influence on Texas culture has been significant, especially considering the low state census numbers for adherents to Judaism. People of Jewish origin arrived in Texas in three main movements: during the Spanish Inquisition in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries; during the European migration of 1850-1920; and from Latin America over the last twenty years. For the purposes of this paper, by way of introduction, the earliest recorded migration from Spain will be summarized, followed by a study of one man from Europe of particular interest to Southwest Texas, Mayer Halff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]