The last battle of the Civil War was fought at Brownsville’s Palmito Ranch. As late as 1920, Pancho Villa was antagonizing U.S. troops with border raids.

First settled by Spanish colonists in the mid-1700s, it was mostly ranching country until the development of irrigation and the coming of the railroads.

Today’s Rio Grande Valley is vastly different from the quiet, grassy plains once roamed by Coahuiltecan Indians. Thanks in part to the benefits brought by the North American Free Trade Agreement, South Texas stands poised for massive growth and prosperity.

Photo: South Padre Island has been a long time tradition for those looking to relax and have fun. The Island is filled with great food, music, shopping and recreation for people of all ages.

Valley Towns
Brownsville, McAllen and Harlingen, the Valley’s three largest cities, are tied together by US Highway 83 and its parallel railroad system, along which most Valley towns sprang up around the turn of the century. Brownsville (pop. 150,000) is a seaport and port of entry from Matamoros, Mexico.

Brownsville has passed from a frontier town to an international center of commerce without losing its sense of tradition or friendly bicultural heritage. The home of the Gladys Porter Zoo and the Valley Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (see Valley Attractions), Brownsville is the site of the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. Its growing industrial area and seaport bring ships from all parts of the world to the tip of Texas.

McAllen (pop. 125,000), the upper Valley’s largest city, is a mecca for winter visitors and has the distinction of being “the Square Dance Capital of the World.” In addition to its preeminence as a major port of entry with Mexico, a vital retail and wholesale center and a major healthcare center in South Texas, McAllen also boasts an excellent arts and sciences museum and a full calendar of cultural events.

Harlingen (pop. 82,000) is home to the Marine Military Academy which boasts the original Iwo Jima Memorial from which the Arlington, VA, statue was cast. The city’s excellent medical centers and related facilities offer services once found only in the largest metropolitan areas. It also has a major technical college for the Valley. (See Valley Education.) Harlingen’s upper level medical school has fully accredited undergraduate programs in the six required disciplines of internal medicine: obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, psychiatry and family practice medicine. Harlingen’s revitalized historical area, the Jackson Street District, features architecture from the 1920s-50s. The palm-lined business district features quaint restored storefronts, old-fashioned street lamps and sidewalk benches and masses of colorful flowers. Stores sell antiques, apparel, collectibles, crafts, country treasures, flowers, furniture, jewelry and works of art.

Photo above: Approximately 10,000 visitors come every weekend in pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan Del Valle National Shrine in San Juan, TX.

Northeast of Brownsville is Los Fresnos, en route to the shrimping and fishing town of Port Isabel. Across the Laguna Madre is the resort mecca of South Padre Island, which draws thousands of tourists from across North America each year. Between Brownsville and Harlingen lies quaint San Benito, once known as “the Resaca City” for its reservoirs. Northeast of Harlingen is quiet Rio Hondo, en route to the Arroyo Colorado, the only other river in the region. (See Outdoors.) Further north is the ranching and farming community of Raymondville, Willacy County seat and gateway to the Valley. Due east of Raymondville is the angler paradise of Port Mansfield.

Between McAllen and Harlingen lies Pharr, home to more than 10,000 Winter Texans each year and the Pharr/Reynosa International Bridge. San Juan, home to the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan Del Valle National Shrine, yearly draws Roman Catholic pilgrims to its mystic holdings. (See Valley Attractions.) Alamo lies adjacent to the popular Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge on US 281. Pharr, San Juan and Alamo form a single school district and are supported largely by agriculture. Donna was named for the daughter of one of 10 men who comprised the La Blanca Agricultural Company that established the area’s first irrigation system and opened the land for farming.

Weslaco, short for the W. E. Stewart Land Company, is the geographic center of the Valley making it a center for business throughout the Valley and a focal point for Valley nature tourism. The Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center is located here. Mercedes, in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley, has a pro-business philosophy and highly trainable workforce that make this rapidly growing community a key competitive player in the region’s economy. Mercedes draws over 160,000 visitors each year to its famous nine-day Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show held every March.

La Feria, “the fair,” was home to Indians in ancient times. The rich land that surrounds it produces year ’round crops. Edinburg, 10 miles north of McAllen, is the Hidalgo County seat and home of the University of Texas-Pan American, the Museum of South Texas History and the Edinburg Roadrunners of the Texas Louisiana Professional Baseball League. South of McAllen, on the border with Reynosa, Mexico, is the original Edinburg, later renamed Hidalgo and now home of the Dodge Arena, the Killer Bees Ice Hockey Team, and the El Dorado Arena Football Team.

East of Edinburg is another string of smaller towns. San Carlos, Elsa, Edcouch, La Villa and Santa Rosa supply labor for the surrounding sugar cane industry. Monte Alto and Hargill are in the northern mid-Valley. West of McAllen is Mission, home of the Ruby Red Grapefruit. It is so popular with Winter Texans that its population doubles during the winter months. To the west of Mission are historic Granjeno and Penitas, which date back to the Spanish era. In La Joya, the terrain grows hillier and rockier through Sullivan City, on to Rio Grande City, the Starr County seat that grew up around Fort Ringgold, and Roma. Roma was once the head of a 19th century steamboat operation. It is a popular day trip for Valley tourists interested in its historic buildings. The Valley is rich in opportunities. Leave no stone unturned.

Photo above: The original sculpture used in casting the Iwo Jima War Memorial stands proudly at 100 feet tall on the south campus parade deck of the Marine Military Academy, next to Harlingen International Airport. This full-scale model was used to cast the Marine Corps War Memorial for Arlington National Cemetery.