Plaque dedication will honor Pauline Espinosa

The City of San Marcos is inviting the community to the Pauline Espinosa Community Hall plaque unveiling and dedication ceremony.

The event starts at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 27 at the hall, formerly known as the San Marcos Rec Hall, 170 Charles Austin Drive.

San Marcos City Council approved the name change during the April 5, 2022, regular meeting. The decision followed a public input process that gave residents an opportunity to submit suggestions to the city.

Pauline Gonzales Espinosa was born in Roma, Texas on Sept. 6, 1902.

She was the daughter of Washington Gonzales and Joaquina Cadena Gonzales.

Espinosa and her husband 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.

Espinosa ran the daily operations of the store that served a large portion of the community, especially the Latin-American community. She was known to offer credit to families and donated generously to members of the community in need.

Espinosa was a wellknown beacon of the community, according to city officials. One of her friends was former Hays County Sheriff Jack Gary, who often requested guidance and assistance regarding arrested individuals from the Latin- American community. He relied on Espinosa’s knowledge of the community and its residents. It was not unusual for her to assist community members with releases from jail by placing her property as collateral on the bond.

Espinosa is an unsung heroine and a trailblazer during a time when there were few Mexican American women business owners. She is deserving of recognition as a business and community leader of San Marcos, Texas. The dedication ceremony is open to the public. For media inquiries, contact communi-