Harlingen, TX
Music connected to Harlingen
About Harlingen
- • Actor and comedian Cheech Marin, of Cheech & Chong fame, was born in Harlingen.
- • The Texas Onion, a sweeter variety, originated in the fertile Rio Grande Valley near Harlingen.
- • The St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway established Harlingen as a shipping hub.
- • During WWII, Harlingen housed a flexible gunnery school for the Army Air Forces.
- • Devastating floods in 1967 prompted major drainage improvements throughout the city.
- • It's named for a city in the Netherlands; incorporated in 1910.
- • With roughly 75,000 people, it's one of the largest cities in the Rio Grande Valley.
- • At 36 feet above sea level, it's flatter than a chapata.
- • Healthcare and retail trade provide the most employment opportunities.
- • Harlingen feels like a warm, welcoming town, brimming with culture and genuine hospitality.
- • The Arroyo Colorado, a resaca of the Rio Grande, flows near the city.
- • The area is home to the Texas tortoise, a threatened species.
- • The region features subtropical vegetation, including Texas ebony trees.
- • The area was historically inhabited by Coahuiltecan groups.
- • In 1927, Charles Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis at the Harlingen Theron International Airport.
- • The Baxter Building, a notable example of Art Deco architecture, was built in 1927.
- • U.S. Highway 77 passes through, connecting the city to the rest of Texas.