A powerful and wealthy family in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.

By the early 20th century, the family owned 50 haciendas and ranches; total land: 7 million acres (28,000 km²) 500,000 head of cattle; 225,000 sheep; 25,000 horses; 5,000 mules Encinillas , largest of the haciendas: 1,300,000 acres (5,300 km²); employed 2,000 peons Four largest haciendas: 3.5 million acres (14,000 km²)

During the Madero Reveloution of 1910, this family was part of the científicos faction. the cientificos were conservative civilian technocrats. They were poised to succeed Díaz, but they were largely discredited by the decline of the Porfirian economy and the eruption of the revolution.

A book by Mark Wasserman , Persistent Oligarchs Elites and Politics in Chihuahua, Mexico, Duke University Press, Published January 1993, 174 pages, ISBN 0822313456, discusses the families "efforts to maintain its power after the Revolution, including its use of economic resources and intermarriage to forge partnerships with the new, revolutionary elite."

Noteworthy members of the family.

Don Luis Terrazas , founder of the clan. Governor of Chihuahua in the 1860s.

Enrique C. Creel - Porfirian governor of Chihuahua, 1904-1906 and 1907-1911, member of the powerful Terrazas-Creel family, son-in-law of Don Luis Terrazas by marriage to his daughter. He also served as Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Relations and as Mexico’s Ambassador to Washington. He was the interpreter when presidents Diaz and Taft met in 1909 on the international bridge between Juarez and El Paso. Becoming the vice-president of the Kansas City, Mexico and Oriente Railroad , he was responsible for the construction of part of the railroad west of Chihuahua. His haciendas totalled 1.7 million acres (6,900 km²).

Members of the Terrazas-Creel extended family served for a total of 66 terms in the state legislature and 22 terms in the national legislature

Francisco Javier Barrio Terrazas is Mexico's Secretary of Comptroller General .

SANTIAGO CREEL MIRANDA is the SECRETARIO DE GOBERNACIÓN nf Mexico .

Today, the Mexican Secretary of the Interior is a Mexico City Creel, representing the conservative Pan party .