Blackstone Dilworth Blackstone was born in Tilden, Texas in 1929. He grew up there, attended grade school wi thonly one other classmate. He attended high school at Texas Military Institute in San Antonio. Heattended Saint Mary’s University in San Antonio but did not graduate. He returned to Tilden and began cattle ranching as his family had always done. In 1950 he married his childhood sweetheart Frances Dilworth. Frances was the daughter of another McMullen County rancher also named Dilworth but not related to Blackstone.

They started their married life in south Live Oak County on a small ranch outside of Sandia, Texas.Frances and Blackstone have two children, Diane Dilworth Gates of Corpus Christi and Scott Dilworth of Tilden. They have three grandchildren, Thomas "Dos" Gates, Kelly Dilworth, and J.B. “Dilworth”. Blackstone has always been a rancher but soon became involved in other businesses. At one time he worked for a pipeline company, later he did auctioneering at local cattle auctions and rodeo announcing on the side. Blackstone was a distributor of Sinclair Oil Company products in Sinton, part owner and manager of Mathis Grain and Elevator, a grain storage and cattle feed manufacturer. In 1965 he became owner of a Chevrolet and Oldsmobile dealership in Three Rivers. Later he be came an accredited real estate appraiser. For about ten years he appraised commercial, resi dential and ranch properties in South Texas.

In the early 1980s he became interested in the communication tower business when he purchased one communication tower near Victoria and six towers in the Abilene Texas area. His tower company, Towers of Texas, grew to own locations in five other states. For several years, he manufactured towers which he used for his company and also sold towers throughout the country. He continues his tower business and considers that business as the one that brought much of the success to his life efforts. Always a rancher, in the late 1980’s he ventured into real estate development.

Therein came his business enterprises in Laredo. He started the development of San Isidro Ranch on the north side of Laredo. San Isidro Ranch consists of 2,320 acres of industrial, commercial and residential development. Blackstone and his family developed Independence Plaza; a shop ping center located in the heart of the San Isidro Ranch area. They own and operate the Best Western San Isidro Inn, and the developing arm of San Isidro Ranch known as San Isidro Management which manages the commercial and residential development of San Isidro Ranch. Blackstone is a devout Christian and political conservative. He is adamant about property Now in his early 90s, he is looking toward his as he calls it, “sunset” and because of that is making certain changes in his investments. He maintains offices in Laredo, Corpus Christi, and near Sandia. He summarizes his life by say ing “I was dealt a good hand and have enjoyed playing it”.