Everything Palmview is known for
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Palmview.
Palmview isn't a sprawling metropolis, but it has a quiet pride. You feel it in the air, especially on Friday nights when the roar of the high school football game carries for blocks. The rivalries down here are legendary, passed down through generations.
The green citrus groves and lush yards you see around Palmview are not natural. They are the result of a massive engineering project that transformed this semi-arid region. The key is the Rio Grande, but the river's water doesn't just flow into the fields. It has to be lifted and moved. Starting in the early 1900s, engineers and developers built a complex web of canals and powerful pumping stations. These pumps, originally steam-powered, would lift enormous volumes of water out of the river and into primary canals. From there, gravity would carry the water through a branching network of smaller and smaller channels, or 'laterals,' that crisscrossed the landscape, delivering water directly to the farms. You can still see some of these concrete-lined canals running alongside roads today. This irrigation network is the single most important piece of technology in the region's history, the infrastructure that turned dusty brushland into the 'Magic Valley.'
Palmview has always had a unique relationship with the Rio Grande. It's the reason the land is so fertile, perfect for the citrus groves that were once the backbone of the town. But that same river also brings challenges, and the recent floods are still fresh in everyone's minds. The water came fast, inundating neighborhoods that hadn't seen that level of flooding in decades. Fields were ruined, homes damaged. It was a tough time, no doubt about it. What was remarkable, though, was how the community pulled together. Folks were helping neighbors sandbag, sharing supplies, and offering shelter. The spirit of Palmview, that close-knit feel you often hear about, really shone through. Even now, you see the recovery efforts continuing, but there's also a renewed focus on infrastructure, on finding ways to mitigate future flooding. It's a reminder that while the Rio Grande gives life, it also demands respect, and Palmview is learning to adapt and build stronger for whatever comes next. They're not just rebuilding homes; they're reinforcing the bonds that make this place special.
Possibly one of oldest towns in the United States. Established, according to tradition, in mid-1520s. Founders were a priest and five other Spaniards of the unsuccessful Panfilo de Narvaez Expedition into Mexico in 1520. Narvaez was sent to arrest or kill Hernando Cortez, conqueror of Mexico, who was accused of disloyalty to the king. Cortez, however, defeated Narvaez in battle, imprisoned him, and took most of Narvaez's army for his own. After Narvaez was released from prison (1521), he and the remnant of his men set out for Florida. But Father Zamora and five officers gave up further plans to travel with Narvaez, and settled at Penitas. The refugees were befriended by Indians living in huts and dugout-type homes in the vicinity. The Spaniards erected stone houses with whitewashed walls. Father Zamora brought the Catholic faith to the Indians, also teaching them weaving and better farming. The Indians taught cookery to their guests. Cabeza de Vaca, aide in a later Narvaez expedition, is famous for having written of his shipwreck and wanderings in Texas from 1528 to 1535. The founders of Penitas are recalled best by their descendants, some of whom still live in this area. (1970)
Jose Mendoza Lopez, Medal of Honor recipient, was born on July 10, 1910, the son of Cayetano and Candida Mendoza de Lopez. Although military records list his birthplace as Mission, Texas, he was born in Santiago Atitlán, Mexico. In 1935 he purchased a false birth certificate in order to join the United States Merchant Marine. His early years were difficult. Lopez never knew his father and had been told by his mother that he had drowned. After his mother's death from tuberculosis when he was eight and with no way to support himself, the boy headed to the Rio Grande Valley. As a youngster, Lopez attended little school and worked in the cotton fields around Brownsville to support himself while living with an uncle or other friends. In his teens, Lopez hitched a ride on a freight train and ended up in Atlanta, Georgia. A local boxing promoter, impressed with Lopez's athleticism, arranged some amateur fights for the youngster. Needing shoes, Lopez turned professional. From 1927 to 1934 Lopez, billed as "Kid Mendoza," compiled a record of fifty-two wins and three losses in the lightweight division. Years later, he stated that the highlight of his boxing career was when he shook hands with Babe Ruth in Atlanta before a bout. From 1935 through 1941 Lopez found employment in the Merchant Marine working on ships and traveling the world. After a period of employment in Hawaii, he was on a ship headed to the United States when he heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. After his arrival in California, authorities wanted to arrest him until he convinced them he was Mexican not Japanese. In 1942 Lopez returned to Brownsville and married his girlfriend, Emilia Herrera; she was his wife of sixty-two years until her death in 2004. Together they had four daughters and a stepson from his wife's previous marriage. With his wife's support, he enlisted in the United States Army and spent a brief time at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio before going to Camp Roberts (California) for basic training. Assigned to Company K of the Twenty-third Infantry Regiment, Second Infantry Division, Lopez's unit trained in Northern Ireland where it prepared for the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe-D-Day. Described as short and stocky, the five-foot-five, 130-pound Lopez excelled in combat. Assigned to a weapons platoon, he set foot in Normandy on June 7, 1944. Although wounded on D-Day plus 1, Lopez refused treatment and evacuation and was determined to remain with his unit. He participated in the hedgerow action near Saint-Lô, the fight to take Brest, and was involved in steady combat in France and Belgium for the rest of 1944. For his efforts, Lopez was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. On December 17, 1944, Sergeant Lopez witnessed the Germans launch their offensive in the Ardennes against Allied forces in the Battle of the Bulge. Situated with Company K near Krinkelt, Belgium, Lopez took action on his own. Holding a heavy machine gun, Lopez found cover in a shallow hole and positioned himself. Taking aim at the soldiers surrounding a German Tiger tank, he immediately fired and killed ten of the enemy. Despite enemy fire from the tank, Lopez held firm and killed twenty-five additional Germans who were attempting to outflank him. He avoided blasts from the tank until one landed close enough for the concussion to lift him off the ground and throw him backward. Lopez recovered quickly, avoided being outflanked by the Germans again, reset his weapon, and fired to protect Company K. Then, using the dense forest for cover and constantly on the move, Lopez continued to fire and kill Germans. Eventually he met up with a few of his fellow soldiers to establish another defense point, where he continued fire until his ammunition was exhausted. In an operation that lasted from 11:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., Lopez killed more than 100 enemy soldiers-more than any other American serviceman during World War II. His efforts stabilized t
(February 17, 1899 - April 25, 1978) 
 Leonardo Alaniz, better known as Leo Najo, was one of the first Mexican-Americans to play professional baseball in the United States. Born in the Mexican community of La Lajilla, Nuevo Leon, he moved to Mission with his mother, Rosario Alanis, in 1909. As a youth, he became interested in baseball and in 1918, he helped form a team called the Mission 30-30 Rifles (later Mission 30-30s). 
 During the early 1920s, Najo, whose nickname came from an alteration of conejo (rabbit), played for teams in Mexico and Laredo. He was known for his high batting average and baserunning speed. In 1924, Najo joined the San Antonio Bears minor league team and played for several others before the Chicago White Sox major league franchise acquired him in 1925. He did not make the lineup and was sent back to the minor leagues. Najo continued to play impressively but suffered a serious leg injury in a collision during a game, ending his major league possibilities. 
 Najo continued to play in the minors until 1933, when he returned to Mission. He helped operate his family's tavern on West 6th Street and invested in real estate. Najo managed the Mission 30-30s from 1933 to 1937, and played and managed in Mexico for two more seasons. By the early 1940s, he married Elida Garza; the two reared eleven children. Najo continued to teach and manage baseball. In 1973, "Leo Najo Day" was proclaimed, the street in Mission where he lived (7th Street) was renamed Leo Najo Street, and the high school baseball field was renamed in his honor. In 1973, he was the first player formally inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame. Today, Leo Najo is remembered as a positive role model whose skills on the diamond were only surpassed by his character and class. (2009)
Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr., businessman, United States representative and senator, and secretary of the treasury, was born on February 11, 1921, in Mission, Texas. He was the son of Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Sr. (informally known as Big Lloyd), and Edna Ruth Colbath (informally known as Dolly). Bentsen grew up on the Arrowhead Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the Rio Grande Valley, where his father was in the ranching, oil, and banking businesses. The younger Bentsen graduated from Sharyland High School and later earned a law degree in 1942 at the University of Texas at Austin. He married Beryl Ann Longino (informally known as B. A.) of Lufkin in 1943. Bentsen served as a B-24 pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces and flew combat missions over Europe during World War II . He earned the rank of colonel and received the Distinguished Flying Cross. A Democrat, Bentsen was elected Hildago county judge and served in that role from 1946 to 1948. In 1948 Bentsen was elected to serve in the U. S. House of Representatives, where he was a protégé of Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn . (Rayburn would autograph a photo of himself to Bentsen with the inscription, "For Lloyd Bentsen, who likes ugly things." The keepsake photo was eventually given to the Sam Rayburn Library in Rayburn's hometown of Bonham.) In 1955 Bentsen stood down from elective politics and moved his family to Houston, where he worked in the financial industry and solidified his financial position. During this time he founded Consolidated American Life Insurance Company. By the late 1960s he was chairman of Lincoln Consolidated Inc., a financial holdings company. While Bentsen was not seeking office during these years, he remained in touch with Democratic Party politics. In 1970 Bentsen decided to reenter politics, this time as a candidate for the United States Senate. He won an upset victory over incumbent U.S. Sen. Ralph Yarborough in the Democratic primary and then went on to win the general election over the Republican nominee, U. S. Rep. George H.W. Bush. Bentsen was reelected to the Senate in 1976, 1982, and 1988, eventually serving as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976 but lost. In the Senate, he was known for his pro-business stance and was a supporter of the oil and gas industry, free trade, and the real estate industry. In 1988 Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis won the Democratic Party nomination for the presidency. Dukakis chose Bentsen to be his vice presidential running mate in the general election. Thanks to Texas election law, Bentsen was able to seek both the vice presidency and his Senate seat, which was up for reelection, that year. Bentsen was easily reelected to his Senate seat. However, the Republican ticket of Vice President George H.W. Bush and U.S. Sen. Dan Quayle of Indiana won the presidential election. Despite the loss of the Dukakis–Bentsen ticket, Bentsen received notoriety for his performance in the nationally-broadcast vice presidential debate. When Quayle compared his political experience to that of President John F. Kennedy, a Democrat, Bentsen replied, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy." In 1992 Bentsen was urged to seek the presidency but chose not to make the race. The Democratic nominee, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, won the election. Clinton asked Bentsen to serve as secretary of the treasury. The Senate confirmed Bentsen to that post, and he resigned his Senate seat. As secretary, Bentsen played an important role in the formation of the Clinton Administration's early fiscal policies. Bentsen served as secretary from 1993 to 1994, and left, he said, because he had planned to retire from politics in 1994, upon the conclusion of what would have been his fourth Senate term. Clinton recalled Bentsen as a "conservative Democrat, a fiscal conservative who thought more prosperous peop
Lloyd M. Bentsen, Sr., businessman, one of six children born in a 7½-year period to Niels Peter and Tena (Peterson) Bentsen, was born on November 24, 1894, in Argo Township, near White and Brookings, South Dakota, just west of the Minnesota state line. His father had immigrated from Denmark to farm. The family experienced many typical adversities of homesteading on the prairie frontier–fire, which destroyed their first dwelling and belongings, crop failure, harsh winters, sparse medical care, and hostility against Scandinavian immigrants. Lloyd Bentsen lived on the family homestead until World War I . He ceased schooling at thirteen years and worked for local farmers at harvesting and roping and taming mustangs . He also cultivated a youthful dedication to motorcycles and high-speed adventure thereon. He survived a cycle accident on a muddy farm road that left him with a partially severed foot and severe body lacerations, but sufficiently well to enlist at the beginning of World War I in the United States Signal Corps for aviator training at Kelly Field, San Antonio. His brother Elmer enlisted in the navy and went through the war on the second battleship Texas . In Texas during training Lloyd met and married Edna Ruth Colbath, known thereafter as Dolly. Bentsen and his wife joined his parents, who heeded medical advice and moved from South Dakota to Sharyland, Texas, an irrigated citrus and vegetable utopia envisioned by John H. Shary and developed by him near Mission. On November 5, 1918, the Bentsens left their homestead and began driving the 1,675 miles to the Rio Grande valley by car. They drove for seventeen days. The family arrived penniless. Peter Bentsen rented a place in Mission and began working as a land agent for John Shary. He also began a nursery-seedling business and sent out a call to the family for help. Lloyd, Sr., and Elmer mustered out of the military after the Armistice and responded to that message. A Bentsen beachhead was thus established in Texas. All saved diligently and invested in Valley land as soon as they could. Lloyd and Elmer Bentsen became the premier colonizers and developers of Hidalgo County, which led all counties of the United States in cotton production and raised a good part of the Valley's 1948 $100 million citrus and vegetable crop. In 1952 the county centennial program described the contribution of Lloyd and Elmer's stake in the county's economic development. The Pride O Texas citrus trademark contributed substantially to the fortune that the Bentsen family began amassing. Elmer and Lloyd were principals in the Elsa State Bank, Elmer a president and director and Lloyd on the board of directors. Lloyd was also a principal in the First National banks of McAllen, Mission, Edinburg, Raymondville, and Brownsville. He served as president of the Rio Grande Valley Chamber of Commerce from 1944 to 1946 and was instrumental in uniting and developing Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties. Later in life he became sensitive to preserving the natural environment of the Valley and donated land that became the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Scenic Park . Bentsen did not accumulate land and monetary fortunes without problems. In 1952–55 he had courtroom difficulties in Texas and Washington, D.C., over land sales. He was accused by five plaintiffs of conspiracy and fraud in the sale of Ramsmeyer Gardens, supposedly irrigated land fit for citrus, and one plaintiff wanted back acreage in Minnesota that he had traded to Bentsen for his share in the land venture. Bentsen himself testified that he had sold the land in question to Homer F. Ramsmeyer, and that all sales thereafter were not of his doing. Federal district judge James Allred ruled that the Bentsen Group, consisting of the Bentsen Brothers, G. F. Dorn, Bentsen Brothers, Incorporated, and the Rio Grande Development Company, having been cleared by jury of a conspiracy, were derivatively clear of fraud. In another land dispute, buyers of Va
This burial ground has served the Mission community since 1913, when graves were moved here from the first city cemetery because of unsuitable land conditions. Those buried here include John J. Conway (d. 1931), city of Mission founder; Dr. Cleo Dawson (d. 1991), author and television personality; and Floyd H. "Slats" Rodgers (d. 1956), noted aviator and stuntman. Also interred are community leaders, area pioneers and veterans of military conflicts dating to the Civil War. The cemetery, which is cared for by the City of Mission, features false crypts, fraternal markers, vertical stones, mausoleums, religious statuary and curbing. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2007
In the Rio Grande Valley a giant owl-witch called La Lechuza hunts at night. She is said to be the ghost of a mother whose children were killed by a drunk…
A 2000-pound steel-and-fiberglass killer bee statue stands outside Hidalgo City Hall. It commemorates the first U.S. arrival of Africanized honey bees near the…
281 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the nearest 200 are listed here — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
Palmview isn't a sprawling metropolis, but it has a quiet pride. You feel it in the air, especially on Friday nights when the roar of the high school football game carries for blocks. The rivalries down here are…
The green citrus groves and lush yards you see around Palmview are not natural. They are the result of a massive engineering project that transformed this semi-arid region. The key is the Rio Grande, but the river's…
If you're driving through Palmview between October and April, you're sharing the road with the Winter Texans. Every year tens of thousands of retirees from the Midwest, from Canada, from all over the frozen north come…
La Homa is a predominantly Hispanic community, with 97.73% of the population identifying as Hispanic or Latino. The racial makeup of the CDP is 87.89% White, 0.12% African American, 0.02% Native American, 0.07% Asian,…
You're driving through Hidalgo County, not far from the Rio Grande. Right here, near what's now Mission, was the site of a skirmish on September 3, 1915. United States Cavalry troops clashed with bandits on this very…
The man in the fedora, the stoic leader of 'America's Team,' came from right here. Tom Landry was born in Mission in 1924. Before he was a coaching icon, he was the star quarterback for the Mission High School Eagles.…
Mission's greatest contribution to the world might be something you've had for breakfast. In the 1920s the grapefruit industry down here was booming, but the fruit was pale and tart. Then in 1929 a grower named A. E.…
The city of Mission is named for a church that isn't even in it. Three miles south of town you'll find the quiet, historic La Lomita Chapel. 'La Lomita' means 'the little hill.' A French merchant named Rene Guyard built…
One of Mission's most unique places is also one of its most contested. Just south of the city lies the National Butterfly Center, a hundred-acre nature preserve that's a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts. Because this…
The 'Magic Valley' you're driving through isn't magic—it's engineering. When developers arrived in the early 1900s, they faced a huge technical challenge. The fertile soil was here, but the land was a semi-arid plain…
Mission, Texas has a unique claim to fame in the citrus industry. Since 1921, the city has been known as the 'Home of the Ruby Red' grapefruit due to the fruit's widespread cultivation in the area. This distinction is…
Abram, Texas, a colonia just south of Mission in the Rio Grande Valley, has been at the center of a long and complex fight for basic infrastructure. For years, residents struggled with inadequate drainage, a situation…
This burial ground has served the Mission community since 1913, when graves were moved here from the first city cemetery because of unsuitable land conditions. Those buried here include John J. Conway (d. 1931), city of…
You're driving past the Masonic Building in Kerrville, a handsome example of late Italianate architecture, built with local limestone. Charles Schreiner formed the Kerrville Masonic Company in 1890 to construct this…
Possibly one of oldest towns in the United States. Established, according to tradition, in mid-1520s. Founders were a priest and five other Spaniards of the unsuccessful Panfilo de Narvaez Expedition into Mexico in…
(February 17, 1899 - April 25, 1978) 
 Leonardo Alaniz, better known as Leo Najo, was one of the first Mexican-Americans to play professional baseball in the United States. Born in the Mexican community of La…
You're driving through the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley, a place that was once a dense, wild jungle of trees and brush, fed by the mighty Rio Grande. Imagine this: plants and animals from both north and south of the river…
You're driving past the site of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Mission. Established in 1899, this was the very first mission of the famous La Lomita Church. Originally called Our Lady of the Mission, it got…
You're driving past the Border Theater, a classic mid-20th century movie house completed in 1942. Designed by Dallas architect William J. Moore, it could seat 740 patrons. Though it's seen some exterior changes, the…
You're driving past St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Weslaco. It began as a mission parish in 1921, becoming a full parish in 1929. From 1940 to 1968, the church ran a school that educated many future professionals.
Mission is a community in Texas.
Imagine catching the latest flick at a theater that's been around since World War II! That's the Border Theater in Mission, Texas. Built in 1942 by Robert N. and Dell Smith, it quickly became the flagship movie house…
You're driving past the Shary Building in Mission, a testament to the Texas citrus industry. Designed by architect Harvey P. Smith, this two-story Spanish Colonial Revival gem was built in just 150 days, finishing in…
You're driving past the David Gregg Wood Home, a landmark in Mission. Wood arrived in the Valley back in 1893, eventually settling here in 1908. He became a key figure, serving as mayor, city commissioner, and even…
You're driving through Mission, and right here is the Río Theatre. Built around 1912 by Juan Bautista Barberá, a Spanish immigrant and bricklayer, it first opened as the Teatro La Paz, the Peace Theatre. Barberá brought…
About eight miles east of here stands a small, simple chapel that was the spiritual heart of this entire region for decades. It's called La Lomita, 'the little hill.' A French merchant named Rene Guyard bought the land…
As you look out at the green fields around Penitas, know that you’re seeing an engineered landscape. In the early 1900s, this was semi-arid thorn scrub. The soil was rich, but there wasn't enough rain. The solution was…
The green fields around Peñitas were sold, not just farmed. In the early 1900s developers bought up thorny ranch land, cleared it, dug irrigation networks, and marketed the Rio Grande Valley to Midwesterners as a…
You're driving past Oblate Park in Mission, a public space with a unique origin story. Back in 1916, the city leased this land for 99 years from the Missionary Society of Oblate Fathers, a group of Catholic priests who…
You're driving through Penitas, a town whose name means 'Little Pebbles' from the gravel deposits here. This community started way back in 1749, when Spanish colonizer Jose de Escandon settled families on land grants…
Jose Mendoza Lopez, Medal of Honor recipient, was born on July 10, 1910, the son of Cayetano and Candida Mendoza de Lopez. Although military records list his birthplace as Mission, Texas, he was born in Santiago…
Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr., businessman, United States representative and senator, and secretary of the treasury, was born on February 11, 1921, in Mission, Texas. He was the son of Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Sr.…
Lloyd M. Bentsen, Sr., businessman, one of six children born in a 7½-year period to Niels Peter and Tena (Peterson) Bentsen, was born on November 24, 1894, in Argo Township, near White and Brookings, South Dakota, just…
You're driving through South Texas, maybe near Mission, where you can imagine a young Lena Guerrero. She grew up here, working the fields, but her sights were set much higher. In 1985, at just twenty-six years old, she…
You're driving through the Rio Grande Valley, maybe near Mission, Texas, where Arnaldo Ramírez was born. He wasn't just any entrepreneur; he was 'Mr. Falcon,' the man who launched countless Tejano music careers. In…
You're driving through South Texas, and right here in the Rio Grande Valley, you're passing through the story of Dr. Cayetano Barrera II. Born in 1895, he faced discrimination when trying to attend medical school,…
You're driving through Mission, Texas, a place with a complex industrial past. What started as a hardware company in 1907, selling tools for irrigation, eventually became Hayes-Sammons Chemical Company. By the 1950s and…
You're driving through South Texas, maybe near Mission, where Lillian Dunlap was born in 1922. She wasn't just any nurse; she became the fourteenth chief of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, rising to the rank of brigadier…
You're driving through Mission, Texas, the hometown of Leonardo Alaniz, better known as Leo Najo. Born in Mexico in 1899, Najo moved here as a boy and became a baseball legend. Known for his incredible speed, he earned…
You're driving through what used to be a dense jungle, right here in southern Hidalgo County. In the early 1900s, John Shary bought up thousands of acres of mesquite and brush, and transformed it into a citrus empire.…
You're driving through the Rio Grande Valley, and right here in Mission, Texas, a notable architect got his start. Kenneth Bentsen, born in 1926, showed early promise, designing his parents' home in McAllen in 1950…
You're driving through South Texas, and right here in Mission, you're passing the birthplace of the Citrus Fiesta! Started in the late 1920s by John H. Shary, this two-week festival was created to celebrate the region's…
You're driving near Mission, Texas, in Hidalgo County, and right here is the site of La Lomita, the 'little hill.' This place started as a ranch headquarters for Oblate priests in 1899, a central spot for them to…
You're driving through the Rio Grande Valley, and right here in Mission, Texas, you're passing through the birthplace of Leo J. Leo. Born in 1917, Leo became a powerful voice for Mexican-American activism. After serving…
You're driving through Mission, Texas, in the Shary Heights neighborhood. This wasn't just any suburb; it was established in 1945 with a clear vision: a 'high class and highly restricted residential addition.'…
You're driving through Mission, the heart of the Rio Grande Valley's citrus country! Back in the 1930s, folks here wanted to show off their amazing citrus crops. So, in 1932, they threw the very first Texas Citrus…
You're driving through Mission, Texas, a town with roots stretching back to Spanish settlers and their vast ranches. But the modern city really kicked off in 1907 when developers bought up the old La Lomita Ranch. The…
You're driving through Mission, where the story of this library began way back in 1910 with the Tuesday Club. Just four years later, they formed the Civic League to care for a park and, get this, start a library! It…
Look at the green landscape around Palmhurst. None of it would be here without a massive feat of early twentieth-century engineering. The soil was fertile, but the climate is semi-arid. The solution was irrigation on an…
West Sharyland's history is closely tied to the economic changes brought about by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This agreement has significantly contributed to the region's growth, making it a popular…
Imagine it's 1912. You're a farmer in Iowa, sick of the snow, and a brochure lands in your hands promising a frost-free paradise down on the Rio Grande - the Magic Valley, they'd started calling it, a phrase a railroad…
Palmhurst, a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, has a history that began with its incorporation in 1966. Over the past decade, the city has undergone a significant transformation, losing nearly half its population as many…
For over 50 years, Palmhurst was just a collection of farms without a formal government. It was 'unincorporated.' But by the 1960s, things were changing. The neighboring cities of McAllen and Mission were growing fast,…
You're driving past the site of the First Presbyterian Church of Mission. Dr. Samuel McPheeters Glasgow gave the first sermon here in 1909 and organized a Sunday school. He and Dr. M.W. Doggett officially founded the…
You're driving through Mission, and just off the road is the property where William Jennings Bryan, a towering figure in American politics and a three-time presidential candidate, lived for a time. From <say-as…
You're driving through Mission, in Hidalgo County. Look around and imagine the year 1907. John Conway and James Hoit were busy building the future of South Texas agriculture. Right here, they constructed the very first…
You're driving through Hidalgo County, near the Rio Grande, and you're passing through land that was once a vital part of Spanish colonial expansion. Back in 1749, Colonel Jose de Escandon established the settlement of…
On the morning of September 21, 1989, a Mission school bus carrying 80 students from Alton and nearby Mission made a stop at the corner of Bryan Road and Mile 5. It was a routine morning. But as the bus pulled out, a…
For most of the 20th century, Alton didn't even want to be a city. It was a loose collection of farms and homes, perfectly happy being an unincorporated area of Hidalgo County. Several attempts to incorporate failed.…
You're driving through Mission, Hidalgo County, where a railroad once sprawled like a spiderweb! Back in 1912, dirt roads made getting around tough, so the San Benito & Rio Grande Valley Railroad was built. It started…
You're driving through Alton, a community that started as a simple stop on a railway line back in 1911. But Alton is forever marked by a terrible tragedy that happened right here on September 21, 1989. At 7:30 in the…
La Joya (La Joya, TX) placed on the 6A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Matthew Ortiz (0.515 avg, 6 HR); Gael Zambrano (0.477 avg, 5 HR); Axel Pulido (0.450 avg, 1 HR); Samuel De Leon (3…
You're driving past the area where Mexican General Juan Davis Bradburn is believed to be buried. Born in Virginia in 1787, Bradburn came to Mexico in 1817, fighting for its independence. He became a Mexican citizen and…
You're driving through Denton County, and right here, you're passing by the ghost of Alton. Established by the Texas legislature in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1848</say-as>, Alton was meant to be the county…
This humble chapel was once a vital hub, acting as a base for priests who braved unforgiving terrain to serve Catholics scattered across South Texas. La Lomita Chapel became the heart of the Cavalry of Christ. These…
You're driving past the site of La Lomita Chapel, which means 'The Little Hill.' The original chapel was built in 1865 near a campsite on the old Brownsville-Roma trail. It’s been rebuilt and restored a couple of times,…
Lands for La Lomita ("The Little Hill") Mission came from the 1767 Spanish grant of Joseph A. Cántu, and were donated in 1861. Used as farms and ranches, the lands supported the priests and their charities. The…
Sharyland (Mission, TX) placed on the 5A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Nic Valdez (0.486 avg, 2 HR); Luis Cienfuegos (3 HR).
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Sharyland (Mission), TX placed on the Texas high school baseball PLAYOFF HITS leaderboard for the 2026 postseason: Nic Valdez (17 hits, #8 in TX); Luis Balderas (17 hits, #8 in TX); Santiago Soto (16 hits, #15 in TX).
You're driving through La Joya, a town whose name means 'the jewel.' That beautiful name comes from a small lake near here, which early settlers said shimmered like a gem in the sun. This land has a long history,…
One of the biggest stories in modern La Joya revolves around its school district. The La Joya Independent School District isn't just a set of schools; it's a political and economic giant covering 226 square miles. This…
The existence of La Joya as a farming community is a triumph of early 20th-century engineering. The challenge was immense: how do you get water from the Rio Grande, which sits at a lower elevation than the surrounding…
La Joya was founded on higher, less flood-prone ground after the prosperous community of Tabasco, located adjacent to the northern bank of the Rio Grande, died out due to floods in 1908 and 1909. The settlers moved…
La Joya means 'the jewel,' and the town took that name from water. Settlers said a small natural lake just west of here shone in the sun like a jewel, and the name stuck. This place exists because of water in the other…
Palmview (La Joya, TX) placed on the 5A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Joseph Martinez (0.473 avg, 2 HR).
In the early 1800s, a descendant of the early colonizers of the area, Francisco de la Garza, founded a community called 'Tabasco' near the Rio Grande. This prosperous community thrived until it was hit by devastating…
You're driving through Mission, and right here is the site of La Lomita Farms. Back in 1865, Catholic priests began building a chapel on land donated by a French merchant named Rene Guyard. They hoped to grow food for…
You're driving past the site of the Nellie Leo Schunior School, a place with roots stretching back to a one-room schoolhouse in the old town of Havana. From 1890 to 1944, ranch children in the area learned their lessons…
Citrus City was founded in 1943 by Howard Moffitt, a builder known for his vernacular Moffitt cottage architectural style. Moffitt envisioned a large town centered around regional orange and grapefruit growing. Although…
You're driving through Palmhurst, in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. Look around – much of this landscape owes its existence to John H. Shary. Built in 1917, this home was the center of operations for the man often…
Rowe (McAllen, TX) placed on the 5A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Alex Leon (0.509 avg, 3 HR).
You're driving past the site of Havana, a community with roots stretching back to the Spanish crown. The land here, Porcion 46, was granted in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1767</say-as> to Don Jose Matias…
You're driving past El Granjeno Cemetery, a burial ground with roots stretching back to 1872. It began with the burial of Don Antonio Garza. His brother, Don Juan Garza Escheverria, donated the surrounding land, serving…
Pioneer (Mission, TX) placed on the 5A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Sean Lara (4 HR); Angel Ruiz (3 HR).
You're driving through South Texas, maybe near McAllen, and right here is where a musical legend got his start. Tomás Ortiz, one half of the iconic norteño duo Los Alegres de Terán, launched his international career…
Ramiro Raúl Casso, an educator, physician, civil rights and community activist from the Rio Grande Valley, was born in the Buenos Aires colonia of Laredo, Texas, on August 4, 1922, to Francisco Margarito Casso and…
Esteban Garcia, South Texas rancher and cattle breeder, was born on December 2, 1896, in Camargo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, the eldest of thirteen children of Amancio Garcia and Braulia de la Garza. The Garcia family had…
You're driving through McAllen right now, and you're passing by the legacy of Dr. Carlos Manuel Ballí Tijerina. He arrived here in 1918, during the chaos of the Mexican Revolution and the Spanish Flu pandemic. Dr. Ballí…
You're driving through South Texas, maybe near McAllen, where Henry Cuesta was born. He became a world-famous clarinetist, but you might know him best from his decade with the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. Welk himself told…
You're cruising through South Texas, and right here, you might have passed the birthplace of a legendary 1960s Texas rock band: Zakary Thaks. Formed by five Corpus Christi teenagers in 1966, they adopted the name…
You're driving through South Texas, and right here, Jack O'Day Dean made his mark as a Texas Ranger. He arrived in McAllen in 1970, a time of unrest. Rioters and striking workers were overwhelming local police, but…
You're driving through McAllen, a city that owes its existence to a railroad and a family legacy. It all started in 1904 when the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway reached the sprawling McAllen Ranch. John…
You're driving through McAllen, Texas, the hometown of Brooks Smith, a classical piano accompanist who made a name for himself by supporting other musicians. Born in 1912, Smith had a passion for chamber music and the…
You're cruising past the site where a steamboat named Bessie once plied the Rio Grande. This wasn't just any boat; it was the last of a famous shipping fleet, and instead of a whistle, it carried a massive 400-pound…
You're driving past the historic campsite of New York's famed "Fighting 69th" Infantry Regiment. Back in 1916 and 1917, these soldiers weren't fighting in Europe, but right here in McAllen, guarding the border. Their…
You're driving past the former Southern Pacific Depot in McAllen. Opened in August 1927, this beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival building was designed by railroad architect Leonard B. McCoy. It welcomed passengers…
What do you do with a giant, empty Walmart? In most cities, it might sit vacant for years. But in McAllen, they turned it into a library. In 2011, the city purchased a 123,000-square-foot former 'big box' store and…
As you explore McAllen, you might not expect to find a 10,000-square-foot Spanish Revival adobe mansion. But that's exactly what Quinta Mazatlan is — built in 1935, and believed to be the largest adobe structure in…
The Rio Grande Valley is famous for grapefruit, and that fame is largely thanks to a lucky accident of biology that happened right here in McAllen. In 1929, a citrus grower named A. E. Henninger was inspecting his…
In the early 1900s, McAllen and the surrounding area were sold as a dream. Developers bought huge tracts of thorny brushland, cleared it, and dug irrigation canals. Then, they launched a massive marketing campaign,…
You're driving through McAllen, past the site of the Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School. Established in 1904 as a common school, this campus was built specifically for the Hispanic population and opened its doors in…
You're driving past the site of D. Guerra and Sons Store, a business that served McAllen for over fifty years. Brothers Enrique and Modesto Guerra started a grocery here in 1908, with their father Diódoro joining them…
You're driving through Hidalgo County, where the landscape changed forever in 1934. Right near here, the John M. Lawrence No. 1 well roared to life on September 18th. Drilled by Otto C. Woods, this well kicked off the…
You're driving through McAllen, and just ahead is a house built by Sam and Marjorie Miller. Sam was a big deal here, involved in everything from nurseries to banking, and even co-owned the international bridge. Back in…
You're driving past the Percy Herman House, built in 1933. Percy Herman, a major influence in McAllen's development, was one of the first Jewish families in town. He hired Edwin W. Byers, known for designing buildings…
You're driving past Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Priests from La Lomita Chapel in nearby Mission ministered to Catholics at McAllen from 1908 until 1911, when a mission was begun here and a wood frame chapel was built.…
You're cruising through McAllen, and you might catch a glimpse of a real architectural gem. This is the M. & J. Nelson Building, designed back in 1949. Morris Randall Nelson, a carpenter turned builder and entrepreneur,…
You're driving through McAllen, and right here is the site of Bethel Baptist Church. In 1936, Eugene and Georgia Hubbard founded Little Bethel Baptist Church for African Americans in town, holding services without…
You're driving past the old McAllen Post Office, built back in 1935. It served as the town's postal hub for over twenty years, until 1957. Since then, this Spanish Colonial Revival building, with its distinctive baroque…
You're driving past La Piedad Cemetery, a burial ground that actually predates the city of McAllen itself. It likely started as a small ranch cemetery in the late 1800s, with the earliest known burial being Gertrudis…
You're driving through McAllen, where Methodists have been gathering since circuit riders first served the Rio Grande Valley back in 1849. The first church building here was constructed in 1909, with a larger one…
You're driving past the site of La Piedad Cemetery, established in 1895. This association marks its founding, and the cemetery was recognized as a Historic Texas Cemetery in 2005.
You're driving past the site of the old McAllen Hospital, a place that saw this city grow from its very beginnings. The first doctor, J.B.F. McMillan, arrived way back in 1906. Then, in 1918, Dr. Frank Osborn built a…
You're driving past the site of McAllen's first major hotel, the Casa de Palmas. Before this grand, three-story building with its red tile roof and twin towers went up in 1918, this was just a city park, home to…
You're driving through McAllen, and right here is Archer Park, a green space that's been part of the city's story since its early days. <break time="400ms"/> This one-block square was gifted to McAllen in 1917 by Mayor…
You're cruising through McAllen, a town that really took off after the railroad arrived in 1905. Irrigation turned the land into a vegetable farming powerhouse, and soon, this place had all the essentials: a hotel, a…
You're driving through McAllen, and right here is the site of the First Presbyterian Church. It started in 1908 with the very first Presbyterian worship service in town, held in a lumberyard! Even though the Mexican…
You're driving past Roselawn Cemetery. In 1908, just one year after McAllen began to develop, a group of residents established this cemetery on land donated by the Hidalgo Canal Company. The oldest marked grave here…
You're driving through McAllen, passing the site of the McAllen Lodge No. 1110, chartered in 1915. Meetings were held in early downtown buildings before the lodge built its own temple here in 1927. The lodge continues…
The Rio Grande Valley has always been a crossroads, but the influx of asylum seekers in recent years has really put McAllen in the national spotlight. The city, sitting just north of the border, became a focal point as…
Two years. That's about how long it took Grupo Frontera to go from a local Edinburg act to trading songs with Bad Bunny. This six-piece formed right here in Edinburg back in 2022, taking the old norteno cumbia — the…
You've heard Edgar Barrera's work even if you've never heard his name — the McAllen kid grew up to write and produce for Madonna, Shakira, Maluma, Selena Gomez, a shelf full of Grammys. But here's my favorite thing he…
Up in north McAllen, deep in the Rio Grande Valley, there's a small building with red-and-black trim called Hillbilly's — "Hills," if you're a regular. Two brothers, Reynaldo and Enrique Martinez, opened it back in…
In North McAllen, a man named Jose "Pepe" Maldonado had a recording studio called El Rancho Sound. Then he shut it down for about ten years. When he came back, he turned the place into something else — La Lomita Park,…
Down in McAllen, the city throws a party every year and calls it MXLAN — three days of the Valley's Latino culture turned all the way up. It started in 2019, built to knit the Valley and Mexico a little closer together.…
Every red grapefruit you've ever had traces back to one tree limb in a McAllen grove. In 1929, a grower named A.E. Henninger noticed a single branch on an ordinary pink grapefruit tree producing fruit with flesh far…
In South Texas, weekend mornings belong to barbacoa. Saturdays and Sundays, the line forms before the sun is fully up — at meat markets, taquerias, and family-run carnicerias from the Rio Grande Valley up through…
In the Rio Grande Valley a giant owl-witch called La Lechuza hunts at night. She is said to be the ghost of a mother whose children were killed by a drunk…
You're driving past the site of Lamar Junior High School in McAllen. Authorized by the school board in 1938, this campus was designed by architect Marion Lee Waller. Before air conditioning, classrooms here opened onto…
This stretch of Interstate 2 through central McAllen is named for Trooper Ernesto Alanis. On February 27, 1983, Alanis was making a routine traffic stop on Expressway 83 — the same road we now call Interstate 2 — when a…
Hey road trippers, keep an eye out for a piece of bubble gum history! During World War II, Andrew J. Paris was struggling to keep his Detroit tobacco shop stocked with sweets. In 1942, he found a solution south of the…
You're cruising through McAllen, and you're passing Quinta Mazatlan, the home of Jason Matthews. Built in the late 1930s, this was one of the largest adobe homes in Texas, with blocks made right here on site. Matthews…
You're driving past the site of Saint Paul Lutheran Church. Organized in Pharr in 1916, the congregation moved to McAllen in 1917. They purchased their own building in 1919 and later built a new sanctuary and school on…
You're driving past the site of Monte Christo, a town that boomed and busted in the Rio Grande Valley. Platted in 1909 by the Melado Land Company, it was meant to be a thriving community. By its peak, Monte Christo…
You're driving past McAllen, where Floyd "Slats" Rodgers made his home for years. This daring stunt pilot started with kites, built his first plane in 1912, and flew surplus World War I aircraft. Slats barnstormed,…
You're driving past the site of Moore Field, a vital part of America's WWII effort right here in Texas. This aviation training ground got its start in 1941, financed by the neighboring cities of Edinburg, McAllen, and…
You're driving near Los Ebanos, right on the banks of the Rio Grande. This area has been a crossing point for centuries, first for Spanish explorers in the 1740s. But during the Civil War, it wasn't just settlers…
Los Ebanos sits just a breath above the Rio Grande, a subtle rise in the land that makes all the difference when the river swells. The soil here is rich, alluvial, built up over centuries by the river's patient work,…
You're cruising along the Rio Grande, and right here is the Los Ebanos Ferry crossing, a spot with history stretching back to the 1740s. Spanish explorers and colonists under Jose de Escandon first used this ancient…
You're driving past the site of the Hidalgo-Reynosa bridges, a vital link between Texas and Mexico for over a century! Back in 1852, when this town was still called Edinburgh and was the county seat, a ferry was the…
You're driving past the approximate site of Mission San Joaquin, established way back in 1749. This was part of a big Spanish project to settle the Rio Grande Valley and bring Christianity to the native peoples. Imagine…
You're driving through Hidalgo, a town with a history as dynamic as the Rio Grande nearby. Originally named Edinburgh in 1852, the name was changed just nine years later to Hidalgo, honoring Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla,…
You're driving past the Vela Building in Hidalgo. In 1904, Crisoforo Vela and his wife moved here, and six years later, Vela bought the ferry service connecting Hidalgo with Reynosa, Mexico. This river crossing was…
If you look for the railroad tracks running near the highway, you're looking at the reason there's a town here at all. This land was Ed W. Sullivan's ranch, out in the far southwestern corner of Hidalgo County right up…
As you look out at the green fields and citrus groves around Sullivan City, you might not realize you’re seeing a massive engineering project that’s over a century old. This area, the Rio Grande Valley, wasn’t always a…
Like any small town, Sullivan City has seen its share of local drama, but its hardest headline came from inside the police station. In the summer of 2010 federal agents walked into the Sullivan City police department…
You're driving past Elder B. Barton. Born in New York City in 1806, Elder Barton was a formative figure in Hidalgo County history. Barton joined the Republic of Texas’ army on March 13, 1836, and fought at the…
After moving to be on the railroad line in 1912, Sullivan City’s future was secured. It was officially incorporated in 1911, cementing its status as a permanent community. For decades, its story was tied to the land. It…
You're driving past Hidalgo City Cemetery, which dates back to 1884. The oldest grave here belongs to Elder B. Barton, who died in 1884. This resting place grew over time, with additions in 1926 and 1963, and now holds…
Sullivan City, a small town in Hidalgo County, Texas, has a rich history that dates back to 1908 when it was formally opened. Named after Captain Ed Sullivan, a World War veteran who owned a ranch in the area, the town…
You're cruising through Hidalgo, and right here is the oldest post office still standing in Texas! Built back in 1889, this place started out as a general merchandise store. But one corner was set aside for the town's…
You're driving past the site of the Old Hidalgo County Jail, built way back in 1886. This wasn't just any jail; it served the county during a seriously wild time, when outlaw raids were still a real threat. Imagine the…
You're driving past the Old Hidalgo County Courthouse, a building that saw the county through its wild, formative years. Constructed in 1886, this brick structure, imported from Reynosa, Mexico, served as the county…
You're driving through Hidalgo County, where the land wasn't always so green. Until the early 1900s, this semi-arid valley was mostly good for grazing cattle. But then, in 1909, this very spot became the heart of a…
A 2000-pound steel-and-fiberglass killer bee statue stands outside Hidalgo City Hall. It commemorates the first U.S. arrival of Africanized honey bees near the…
Hidalgo holds a unique, and slightly terrifying, place in American history. In October 1990, this small border town became the official entry point for one of the most feared invasive species of the 20th century: the…
The bridge you see connecting Hidalgo to Reynosa, Mexico, is more than just a piece of infrastructure. It's the city's heart. Every day it pulses with a constant flow of life and commerce that is staggering to…
The rich soil around Hidalgo was useless without water. The STEM story of this entire region is how they solved that problem, and the answer is right here at the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse. Opened in 1909 and fitted out over…
Imagine this spot in the 1870s. Hidalgo, then called Edinburgh, was the most important town for a hundred miles. It was the county seat, and the air was filled with the whistles of steamboats on the Rio Grande, loading…
The history of Hidalgo, Texas, is rich and dates back to the 18th century. The area was first settled by Spanish colonists led by José de Escandón around 1749. The colony went by several names, including La Habitación,…
You're driving through Hidalgo, a town that literally moved to survive. Settled way back in 1749 by José de Escandón's colonists, it was first known by names like La Habitación and San Luisito. A Scotsman later renamed…
You're driving through Washington County, near the site of present-day William Penn. Right here, back in the 1830s, was the settlement of Hidalgo. It was a key spot on the Brazos River, chosen for its high bluffs…
You're driving past the Old Hidalgo School, a building that's been a cornerstone of this community for over a century. Thought to have been built around 1898, this two-story brick structure saw its first recorded…
You're driving through Pharr, and just ahead is Guadalupe Cemetery. Established in 1913, it was the public burial ground for this growing community, especially for Mexican immigrants and Anglo American settlers who had…
You're driving past the former home of the Kiwanis Club of Pharr, a building with a unique claim to fame. Built in 1928, this Mission-style structure was the very first meeting place owned by a local Kiwanis club…
You're driving past the site of the First Baptist Church of Pharr. It was established in 1913 by seven charter members, with Rev. A. J. Seale as the first pastor. Early services were in a school building until their…
You're driving through Pharr, and right here is the Old Pharr City Hall, built way back in 1911. This wasn't just a building; it was the heart of the new town. It housed the first bank, the post office, a drugstore, and…
You're driving past Pharr, the 'Hub City of the Valley.' Long before this town existed, nomadic tribes and Spanish explorers roamed this land. But the real story of Pharr begins in 1909, when John C. Kelly, Henry N.…
You're driving through Pharr, where a devastating fire in 1916 wiped out an entire downtown block, taking businesses like the Pharr Lumber Co. and the National Theatre with it. But out of that loss, something new…
Right by Pharr’s police station, a pivotal moment in the Texas civil rights struggle took place. On the morning of February 6, 1971, a few hundred Mexican Americans set out to protest what they saw as years of police…
The most important piece of technology in Pharr isn't in a lab; it's the international bridge connecting the city to Reynosa, Mexico. This isn't just a simple span of concrete and steel; it's a highly engineered…
Before Pharr was Pharr, it was just part of the vast, flat landscape of South Texas, land the Coahuiltecan people knew well long before anyone dreamed of railroads or citrus groves. The Rio Grande, a constant presence…
You're driving through Pharr, Texas, a town born from a sugarcane dream. In 1909, Louisiana investor Henry N. Pharr teamed up with John Connally Kelley, Sr., to buy 16,000 acres right here along the Rio Grande. Pharr…
You're driving past the Buell School in Pharr, a building that opened its doors in 1927. <break time="400ms"/> It was built specifically to serve Mexican-American children in the local school district, replacing an…
You're driving past the site of the very first school in Pharr! <break time="400ms"/> Built in 1911, this one-story building started with just nine students. <break time="400ms"/> But Pharr grew fast! <break…
You're driving past the site of La Trinidad United Methodist Church in Pharr. Organized back in 1913, this church holds the distinction of being the second oldest in Pharr and was the very first to serve the city's…
You're driving through Pharr, and right here is the site of the very first school serving three communities: Pharr, San Juan, and Alamo. Construction started in 1915, and it opened its doors for the 1916 school year…
You're driving past the Peñitas Cemetery, established way back in 1836. It served the early settlers of this historic area, with the earliest documented burial in 1894. Look for tombstones, crosses, and statues marking…
Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (San Juan, TX) placed on the 6A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: JT Reyna (0.500 avg); TJ Ayala (0.451 avg, 3 HR); James Cansino (0.432 avg, 2 HR).
You're driving through Edinburg, and right here is the story of Emilia Schunior Ramirez. Born in Hidalgo County in 1902, Emilia became a beacon for Hispanic women in education. After graduating high school and marrying…
Lopezville's founding story is rooted in the establishment of a trailer park in the early 1960s by a descendant of Francisco Solano López, the former president of Paraguay. This initial development set the stage for the…
You're cruising through San Juan, Hidalgo County, where a little railroad nicknamed 'Old Flossie' once chugged along. The San Antonio and Rio Grande Railway started operations back in 1909, bringing vital freight and…
Vela (Edinburg, TX) placed on the 5A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Jason Alaniz (4 HR).
You're driving through Edinburg, and right here is the former Southern Pacific Depot, completed back in 1927. Designed by railroad architect Leonard B. McCoy, this beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival building was the…
You're driving through San Juan, a town that got its start in 1910 when entrepreneur John Closner sold over 400 acres for the San Juan Townsite Company. Closner's name lives on in the town's name, and the railroad…
You're driving through San Juan, home of Tom Mayfield, a man who lived a life straight out of an adventure novel. Back in 1898, he left his farm to help buy horses for Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders. Later, he served as…
West Texas isn't just tumbleweeds and oil derricks, though we've got our fair share of both. What folks sometimes miss is the deep current of Mexican culture that runs through everything. Start with the names: towns…
You're driving past the site of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in San Juan. It began as a small chapel built in 1925 by Father Alphonse Jalbert. The community grew, and in 1970, a devastating plane crash and fire…
You're driving past the Edinburg Junior College Auditorium, a beautiful example of Gothic Revival architecture built way back in 1926. Designed by Giesecke and Harris, this building wasn't just for students. It served…
You're driving through San Juan, and right here is the site of the historic San Juan Hotel. Opened in 1920, this building was part of a big plan to make San Juan a major commercial hub in the Rio Grande Valley. It…
On October 23, 1970, the community of San Juan experienced a moment of terror and a miracle. A low-flying private plane, piloted by a former schoolteacher named Francis B. Alexander, circled the Shrine of Our Lady of…
The comedian Cristela Alonzo, who brought the Rio Grande Valley to network television, has a story that is deeply rooted in San Juan. For part of her childhood, she, her mother, and her siblings were homeless and lived…
The reason San Juan exists is a story of massive engineering. A little over a century ago, this was all thorny brushland, deemed useless because of the lack of rain. The STEM solution was to harness the Rio Grande.…
You can't talk about San Juan without talking about its neighbors, Pharr and Alamo. The three towns are so intertwined that they share a single, massive school district: the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School…
San Juan is a town deeply rooted in the fertile lands of the Rio Grande Valley, a place where agriculture has always been more than just a job – it's a way of life. Ever since the early days, when irrigation canals…
You're driving through Hidalgo County, named for a man who ignited a revolution! Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, born in 1753, was a priest who championed human rights and economic independence for Mexico. He believed the…
Two years. That's about how long it took Grupo Frontera to go from a local Edinburg act to trading songs with Bad Bunny. This six-piece formed right here in Edinburg back in 2022, taking the old norteno cumbia — the…
In the early 20th century, a group of developers including John Closner and Dennis B. Chapin began to build a new community at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 281 and State Highway 107. They named the town 'Chapin' in…
You're cruising through Hidalgo County, and just off this road, about 26 miles northeast, lies El Sal del Rey – the Salt for the King. This wasn't just any salt lake; during the Civil War, it was the primary salt source…