La Grulla, Texas

Name: La Grulla, Texas
Address: La Grulla, TX

Everything La Grulla is known for

2 songs mention this city

RoadyGoat plays music like this when you drive through La Grulla. It's free on iPhone, and full songs play through Apple Music.

Music in La Grulla

Songs About La Grulla

heard it all before

bob wayne

20%

leavin' texas

jerry jeff walker

10%

Artists From La Grulla

No artists from La Grulla in the database yet.

Know one? Add it →

Rivers & Roads in Song near La Grulla

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near La Grulla.

Rio Grande / Río Bravo 162 songs Rio Grande / Río Bravo 249 songs

History of La Grulla

Turning Thornscrub to Farmland RoadyGoat

Look at the lush green fields surrounding La Grulla. They look natural, but they are actually a massive feat of engineering. This region, the Tamaulipan thornscrub, is naturally semi-arid. Without human intervention, it could never support the kind of large-scale agriculture you see today. The solution is a complex irrigation system, a network of canals and powerful pumping stations built over the last century. The process starts at the Rio Grande, where massive pumps lift water out of the river. From there, it flows through a web of primary and secondary canals, often using gravity to feed smaller and smaller channels that deliver water directly to the fields. This system transformed the landscape and the economy, turning dry brushland into one of the most productive agricultural zones in the country. Every crop you see is a testament to the hydraulic engineering and careful water management that makes life and industry possible here in the Rio Grande Valley.

RoadyGoat →

The King's Land Grants RoadyGoat

The fields and property lines around La Grulla have a strange shape, and it goes back to how the Spanish crown settled this northern frontier of New Spain. Instead of square plots, the crown issued long, narrow rectangles called porciones, each with a short frontage on the Rio Grande and running miles inland - so that as many families as possible would touch the one resource that mattered out here: the river. La Grulla sits on what was Porcion 80, granted in 1767 to Francisco de la Garza Martinez, son of Blas Maria de la Garza Falcon, who had already put the first settlement in this area on the ground in 1763. The town proper came together in the 1780s, and Matias Longoria is remembered as its first settler. That old survey created a landscape of long, skinny ranches and farms, a pattern you can still faintly trace in property maps today. It's a physical reminder that you're not just in Texas - you're standing on what was once the far northern edge of the Spanish Empire.

RoadyGoat →

Alto Bonito, TX RoadyGoat

Alto Bonito, Texas, a quiet community nestled in the Rio Grande Valley, has a surprising legacy of individuals who left their mark far beyond its dusty roads. It's not a place that shouts its history, but rather whispers it through the generations. One notable figure was Maria Elena Flores, a formidable labor organizer in the mid-20th century. Her tireless work with farmworkers in the surrounding agricultural fields, advocating for fair wages and better conditions, made her a pivotal, though often unsung, force in the region's socio-economic landscape. Her family’s small, unpretentious home, still standing on the outskirts of town, serves as a silent testament to her unwavering commitment to justice.

Villareal, Bruno

1928

Bruno Villareal, accordionist, was born in La Grulla, Texas, on October 6, 1901. According to stories told by Narciso Martínez , "father" of Texas-Mexican conjunto music, during the 1930s Villareal lived on a ranchito three miles from Santa Rosa, at the north end of the lower Rio Grande valley. Although he was half blind, he walked every day into town to play his accordion for whatever money was offered. At times, he was also hired out to play at bailes de negocio or other kinds of celebrations. Villareal was nicknamed "El Azote del Valle" (the Scourge from the Valley) and is today still remembered by people as far north as Amarillo, where he once played in the streets with a tin cup attached to his piano accordion, an instrument he used from the late 1930s onward. He originally played a two-row button accordion, but switched to a piano accordion later in his career. In the early 1930s, conjunto players such as he used the left-hand bass and right-hand treble chord elements of the accordion. Villareal was among the first accordionists to become popular in South Texas through phonograph records, and he made the first recording of the accordion in 1928. By the 1930s, often backed by a bajo sexto (twelve-string bass guitar), he was an acknowledged master. During this time música norteña or conjunto became the music of choice among the Mexican-American working class. This music enjoyed a great popularity in the area known to Mexicans as el Norte , the region bounded by South Texas and the Mexican states of Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and Coahuila. Villareal apparently was the first accordionist to secure a long-term relationship with a major label. The OKeh label recorded him on June 12, 1930, and continued to do so for the next several years. Consequently, he is generally recognized as the first conjunto accordionist on records. His style was traditional, with almost equal emphasis on melody and bass. Villareal and fellow accordionists José Rodríguez and Jesús Casiano relied heavily on their left-hand, bass-and-chord elements for the accordion sets. This set them apart from Narciso Martínez, who began almost immediately to de-emphasize that side of the accordion in favor of more marked and better articulated melody lines at the treble end. After World War II , Mexican-American music continued to evolve, and the accordion continued to play a central role. However, as some accordionists, such as Narciso Martínez and Santiago Jiménez , grew in popularity, others such as Jesús Casiano and Villareal, who were unwilling or unable to meet new musical challenges, all but disappeared from the commercial market. In his later years, Villareal lived at his home in Robstown. He died on November 3, 1976.

Tsha Handbook →

Casa Blanca, TX

1754

Casa Blanca was two miles southwest of Sandia and twenty miles northeast of Alice in extreme northeastern Jim Wells County. The Casa Blanca or White House was part of a settlement established at the site around 1754 by Tomás Sánchez de la Barrera y Gallardo , captain of Laredo, who was ordered to find a suitable site for a new settlement. After surveying the country Sánchez selected a site on the banks of Peñitas Creek. A settlement was established there, and the White House was constructed of caliche blocks known as ciares . The house was built in the shape of a square with a courtyard in the center; the well in the courtyard also served as a the end of a tunnel out of the building. Toward the end of the eighteenth century the house was used as a mission. The Spanish crown granted the land to Juan José de la Garza Montemayor and his sons Agustín, Perfecto, and Manuel on April 2, 1807. They used the Casa Blanca as a ranchhouse. According to records the land was occupied by their heirs until 1852. However, local legend has it that the Montemayor family was driven away by a band of outlaws, who in turn were driven out by hostile Indians. Subsequently various families occupied the house and the surrounding area, and a post office operated at the site from 1860 to 1866. The area continued to be inhabited by several families, and in 1893 the post office was reactivated. In 1896 the land was purchased by John L. Wade. Because Casa Blanca was already established as a stopping point Wade established Wade City adjacent to it, platting streets and setting aside land for stores and churches. In 1896 Casa Blanca-Wade City had a combined estimated population of 150, a Methodist church, a general store, a gin, and a lumberyard. Wade City did not prosper, however, and by 1914 its population had decreased to thirty-five. The post office ceased operation in 1922. Around 1936 Wade's heirs petitioned for the site of Wade City to revert to them, arguing that the town never developed and showed no promise of doing so and that the land would be more valuable as ranchland. The petition was granted, and Wade City reverted to pastureland; Casa Blanca continued to be an independent community, but by 1945 only ruins remained.

Tsha Handbook → · 3.0 mi away

La Grulla, TX

1780

La Grulla is three miles south of Alto Bonito and U.S. Highway 83 in the southeastern corner of Starr County. It was founded in the 1780s by Spanish pioneers, probably descendants of followers of José de Escandón . Matias Longoria was the first settler. The Spanish-speaking community extended on both sides of the Rio Grande before 1848. The town takes its name from the Spanish word for crane, the sandhill crane having once been common on the ponds a mile north of town; the ponds had been drained for farming by 1988. The post office, established by 1912, is named Grulla, but the community is called La Grulla. The community had ten businesses and a population of 250 in 1940. The town incorporated about 1966. In the early 1990s there were many vegetable farms around the community, which at that time also comprised six businesses, as well as the Holy Family Catholic Church, a Mennonite church called Iglesia Hermanos Mennonitos de Grulla, a junior high school, and an elementary school. The Oblate Trail between Brownsville and Laredo passed through La Grulla, and the old brick church is so marked with an 1849–1949 medallion. In 1991 the community reported seven businesses and a population of 1,390; in 2000 there were sixteen businesses and 1,211 inhabitants.

Tsha Handbook →

Los Ebanos Ferry Crossing

1740

Apparently this is an ancient ford. First recorded usage was by Spanish explorers and colonists under Jose de Escandon in 1740s on the Rio Grande. A salt trail led from here to El Sal del Rey (40 miles northeast). The ford was used by Mexican war troops, 1846; by Texas Rangers chasing cattle rustlers, 1874; by smugglers in many eras, especially during the American prohibition years, 1920s and '30s. The ferry and inspection station were established in 1950. Named for the ebony trees here, this is known as the only government-licensed, hand-pulled ferry on any boundary of the United States. (1974)

Historical Marker → · 5.7 mi away

Hidalgo County's First Oil Well

1934

John M. Lawrence No. 1 oil well was brought in September 18, 1934, near this site by veteran driller Otto C. Woods. Well flowed 1,000 or more barrels a day. At first the oil formed a lake beside the well. County has produced 20 million barrels of oil. (1968)

Historical Marker → · 7.5 mi away

Havana

1767

Located on land known as Porcion 46, ceded by the crown of Spain to Don Jose Matias Tijerina in 1767, the community of Havana was named for Havana, Cuba, where Tijerina had stopped on his journey from Europe. Among the early settlers here were the families of Josefa de la Garza Salinas and Civil War Union soldier Patricio Perez. A frame church was built in 1891 and named for St. Joseph. Descendants of early settlers still live in the area. Many Havana pioneers are buried here in the Havana Cemetery. (1988)

Historical Marker → · 8.9 mi away

Everything Near La Grulla

106 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Villareal, Bruno · Tsha Handbook
Bruno Villareal, accordionist, was born in La Grulla, Texas, on October 6, 1901. According to stories told by Narciso Martínez , "father" of Texas-Mexican conjunto music, during the 1930s Villareal lived on a ranchito…
La Grulla, TX · Tsha Handbook
La Grulla is three miles south of Alto Bonito and U.S. Highway 83 in the southeastern corner of Starr County. It was founded in the 1780s by Spanish pioneers, probably descendants of followers of José de Escandón .…
Turning Thornscrub to Farmland · 0.1 mi
Look at the lush green fields surrounding La Grulla. They look natural, but they are actually a massive feat of engineering. This region, the Tamaulipan thornscrub, is naturally semi-arid. Without human intervention, it…
The King's Land Grants · 0.1 mi
The fields and property lines around La Grulla have a strange shape, and it goes back to how the Spanish crown settled this northern frontier of New Spain. Instead of square plots, the crown issued long, narrow…
Alto Bonito Colonia, TX · 2.3 mi · Local history
Alto Bonito Colonia, nestled along the Rio Grande, is a testament to the enduring power of citrus. This small community has long been defined by its vibrant orange and grapefruit groves, a tradition that took root in…
Alto Bonito, TX · 2.6 mi
Alto Bonito, Texas, a quiet community nestled in the Rio Grande Valley, has a surprising legacy of individuals who left their mark far beyond its dusty roads. It's not a place that shouts its history, but rather…
Buena Vista, TX (Shelby County) · 2.8 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Shelby County, and you might be passing near the site of a town that started life as Bucksnort. That's right, Bucksnort! It began forming in the early 1830s. Renamed Buena Vista in 1848 when it…
Trooper Eduardo Chavez Memorial Highway · 2.9 mi · Historical Marker
US Highway Eighty Three at the eastern edge of Starr County, running west from the Hidalgo County line, is named for Trooper Eduardo Chavez. On the second of May, two thousand six, Chavez was racing to back up his…
Casa Blanca, TX · 3.0 mi · Tsha Handbook
Casa Blanca was two miles southwest of Sandia and twenty miles northeast of Alice in extreme northeastern Jim Wells County. The Casa Blanca or White House was part of a settlement established at the site around 1754 by…
A cattle stop on Sullivan's ranch · 5.3 mi
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…
Making the Desert Bloom with Engineering · 5.3 mi
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…
A City Hall Shake-Up · 5.3 mi
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…

Show all 106 nearby places

Sullivan City, TX · 5.3 mi
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…
Sullivan City, TX · 5.3 mi
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…
Los Ebanos Ferry Crossing · 5.7 mi
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…
Los Ebanos, TX · 5.7 mi
Los Ebanos feels like a place where time slows down, and much of that feeling comes from the river. The Rio Grande is right there, of course, but it's also the ebony trees, the ebenopsis ebano, that give the town its…
Los Ebanos, TX · 6.4 mi · Tsha Handbook
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…
Hidalgo County's First Oil Well · 7.5 mi · Historical Marker
John M. Lawrence No. 1 oil well was brought in September 18, 1934, near this site by veteran driller Otto C. Woods. Well flowed 1,000 or more barrels a day. At first the oil formed a lake beside the well. County has…
La Puerta, TX · 7.8 mi
La Puerta, a small community in Starr County, Texas, has seen significant changes over the years. It first appeared as a census-designated place in the 2000 U.S. census with a population of 1,636. However, prior to the…
B and E Colonia, TX · 8.8 mi · Local history
B and E Colonia, Texas, occupies a unique position along the Rio Grande, not due to any natural harbor or mineral deposit, but largely as an economic and cultural byproduct of cross-border dynamics. Its origins trace…
Havana · 8.9 mi · Historical Marker
Located on land known as Porcion 46, ceded by the crown of Spain to Don Jose Matias Tijerina in 1767, the community of Havana was named for Havana, Cuba, where Tijerina had stopped on his journey from Europe. Among the…
Las Lomas, TX · 10.2 mi
Las Lomas, a community in Starr County, Texas, has seen significant changes over the years. Once characterized by dilapidated shacks and unpaved streets, the area has been transforming. Emanuella Grinberg of CNN…
Nellie Leo Schunior School · 10.4 mi · Historical Marker
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…
The School District Scandals · 10.5 mi
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…
Taming the Rio Grande · 10.5 mi
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, TX · 10.5 mi
The name 'La Joya', meaning 'the jewel', was inspired by a small natural lake west of the city. Early settlers observed that the lake shined in the sun like a jewel, giving the city its beautiful and fitting name.
Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Palmview (La Joya) · 10.5 mi
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).
La Joya, TX · 10.5 mi
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…
The Oasis That Vanished · 10.5 mi
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…
La Joya, TX · 10.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
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,…
Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: La Joya (La Joya) · 10.8 mi
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…
Los Ejidos de Reynosa Vieja · 11.2 mi · Historical Marker
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…
Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Rio Grande City (Rio Grande City) · 11.7 mi
Rio Grande City (Rio Grande City, TX) placed on the 5A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Deandre Rodriguez (0.551 avg, 9 HR); Robert Rios (5 HR); Hiram Lopez (3 HR).
Robert E. Lee House · 12.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of a house that once overlooked the Rio Grande steamboat dock, a landscape that was once part of northern Mexico. This was no ordinary home; its main rooms were lined with military maps of…
Old Ringgold Barracks Hospital · 12.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the Old Ringgold Barracks Hospital, a fortress of healing that stood guard for decades. Built in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1870</say-as> with unique Moorish architecture and…
Fort Ringgold, C.S.A. · 12.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Fort Ringgold, a crucial Confederate outpost during the Civil War. This fort was a vital link in a chain of posts defending the vast Texas frontier, coastline, and border against threats…
Fort Ringgold · 12.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Fort Ringgold, established back in October of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1848</say-as> as Ringgold Barracks. It was named for Major David Ringgold, who died from wounds…
Bass, Howard L., Home · 12.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the 1877 home of John Peter Kelsey, a Starr County judge and large landowner who arrived from New York in 1848. This house is built with lumber salvaged from a sunken steamboat, featuring mesquite…
The Cavalry of Christ · 13.0 mi
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…
Making the Desert Bloom: The Engineering of Irrigation · 13.0 mi
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…
Rio Grande City - Fort Ringgold · 13.0 mi · Historical Marker
Before they faced each other across the bloodiest war in American history, Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant both served at this remote outpost on the Rio Grande. Fort Ringgold was established in 1848 after the…
Rio Grande City, C.S.A. · 13.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Rio Grande City, which served as a vital Confederate port and customhouse during the Civil War. This booming border town was the South's lifeline, funneling cotton to Europe for cash to buy essential…
Site of Cortina Battle · 13.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of a major showdown with the outlaw Juan Cortina. On December 27th, 1859, Cortina's band of 450 men were surprised at dawn. U.S. Army troops and Texas Rangers, recruited by John S. Ford,…
Selling a Paradise by the Trainload · 13.0 mi
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…
Padre Gustav Gollbach, O.M.I. · 13.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Immaculate Conception Church in Rio Grande City, where Padre Gustav Gollbach served as pastor from 1924 to 1937. A German immigrant, he was ordained in 1906 and served churches across Texas. But…
The Rev. Gustav Gollbach, O.M.I. · 13.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of a remarkable spiritual landmark in the Rio Grande Valley. Father Gustav Gollbach, a German immigrant priest, arrived in Rio Grande City in 1924. Until 1937, he served as pastor here, and…
Penitas · 13.0 mi · Historical Marker
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…
Named for Dr. James Harper Starr · 13.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Starr County, Texas. It was formed from Nueces County and officially organized back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1848</say-as>. The county is named for Dr. James Harper Starr, a…
Starr County · 13.0 mi · Historical Marker
Formed from Nueces County; created February 10, 1848; organized August 7, 1848. Named for Dr. James Harper Starr 1809-1890; pioneer Texas surgeon and Indian fighter, located at Nacogdoches in 1837; Secretary of the…
Fort Ringgold: From Frontier Post to Public School · 13.1 mi
As you pass through the east side of town, look for the historic buildings of Fort Ringgold. What you’re seeing isn't just an old army base; it’s a piece of living history now used by the local school district.…
Jose 'Pepe' Maldonado · 13.1 mi
Pepe Maldonado picked cotton in the fields around Rio Grande City before he was old enough to know it wasn't his future. At thirteen he decided he'd be an artist instead — and then he taught himself accordion, bass, and…
When Rio Grande City was a Port · 13.1 mi
It's hard to imagine now, looking at this quiet stretch of the Rio Grande, but for the better part of fifty years this town was a working steamboat port. A Kentuckian named Henry Clay Davis — a survivor of the Mier…
The Red and Blue Bosses of Starr County · 13.1 mi
The history of Rio Grande City was shaped by a political system straight out of a novel. For decades Starr County was run by jefes — bosses — and the dominant one was Manuel Guerra, who held this county from 1894 until…
Fort Ringgold · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving near Rio Grande City in Starr County, and right here, Fort Ringgold stood guard over the Rio Grande for almost a century. Established in 1848, this was the southernmost fort in a line built after the…
Harrell, William George · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, maybe near Rio Grande City, where William George Harrell was born. He was a young man heading to Texas A&M when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Rejected by the Army and Navy, he joined the…
Headley, Alexander Manford · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving near Rio Grande City, Texas, where a Confederate surgeon named Alexander Headley became known as 'el doctor canoso,' the grey-haired doctor. After the Civil War, Headley settled in Camargo, Mexico, just…
Laborde House · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Rio Grande City, and right here is the LaBorde House, a Parisian-style mansion built in 1899 by French immigrant Francois LaBorde. Designed in Paris and finished by San Antonio architects, it was…
LaBorde, Francois · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Rio Grande City, a place that was home to one of its most flamboyant characters, Francois LaBorde. Born in France, LaBorde arrived here sometime around 1878, quickly becoming a prominent merchant…
Starr County Strike · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
Right here in Starr County, Texas, in 1966, you're driving through the heart of a major farmworker uprising. It started with Eugene Nelson, an organizer who arrived to help local melon pickers. He formed the Independent…
Welch, Stanley Osborne · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through the Rio Grande Valley, not far from Rio Grande City. Right here, in 1906, Judge Stanley Welch, a man known as the 'silver-tongued orator of Southwest Texas,' met a violent end. He was in town to…
Vera, Daria Arredondo · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through the Rio Grande Valley, and right here in Starr County, you're passing through the heart of a historic labor struggle. In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1966</say-as>, Daria Arredondo Vera,…
De Escandon, Jose · 13.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the heart of Starr County, a place shaped by the bold vision of Jose de Escandon. Back in the mid-1700s, this guy was the ultimate Texas colonizer. From Tampico all the way up to the San Antonio…
Garcia, Manuel Marius · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
Manuel M. García, educator, rancher, and philanthropist, the son of Sixto and Dolores (Ramírez) García, was born on June 17, 1872, at Camargo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The family owned land near Rio Grande City, Starr…
The La Borde House: A French Merchant's Dream · 13.1 mi
If you get a chance to see the historic downtown, look for a striking two-story building with intricate brickwork and elegant verandas—the La Borde House. Built in the late 1890s, it looks like something out of the…
Davis, Henry Clay · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Starr County, the heart of the Rio Grande Valley, and right here is where Henry Clay Davis, a man known as Clay, made his mark. Arriving in Texas in 1836, Davis was a soldier, a Texas Ranger, and…
Kelsey, John Peter · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, and right here, John Peter Kelsey was building his fortune. Born in New York, he landed in Galveston in 1839, constructing the city's first two-story house. But his ambition stretched…
Seabury, Francis William · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Starr County, right where Francis William Seabury made his mark. He arrived in Brownsville in 1890, a young lawyer from Virginia, and soon moved to Rio Grande City. There, he became county…
Rio Grande City, TX · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Rio Grande City, one of the oldest settlements in South Texas, right on the banks of the mighty Rio Grande. This place started life as the Carnestolendas Ranch back in 1762. But it was Henry Clay…
Haynes, John Leal · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Starr County, near the Rio Grande, where John Leal Haynes once called home. He wasn't just a local politician, serving as Starr County clerk and in the Texas House of Representatives. During the…
Perez, Lino, Sr. · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Rio Grande City, a place that owes a lot to Lino Perez Sr. He returned here around 1909 and, with family, formed the Rio Grande City Ice, Water, and Light Company in 1910. During World War I, he…
Rio Grande City Railway · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Starr County, and right here, the Rio Grande City Railway was once a key link. Planned initially as a federal measure during the 1916 border troubles to reach Fort Ringgold, construction stalled.…
Starr County · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Starr County, a land shaped by Spanish dreams and Texas grit. Back in 1749, José de Escandón was tasked with colonizing this very region. Despite initial reports calling the land unsuitable,…
Rancho Davis, Old · 13.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Rancho Davis, Old. Home of Henry Clay Davis, a Kentuckian; came to Texas in 1939. Served with Taylor's army in 1846. Married into the Garza family, pioneer settlers and large landowners in the…
Rio Grande City, TX · 13.1 mi
Rio Grande City owes its existence to the land. That subtle rise above the river, just a few feet higher than other spots along the border, made all the difference. It was high enough to offer some protection from the…
Immaculate Conception School · 13.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the Immaculate Conception School in Rio Grande City. In 1884, the Rev. R. M. Olivier asked the Sisters of the Incarnate Word to start a school here, and by 1885, three nuns were teaching…
Old Rio Grande City Cemetery · 13.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Old Rio Grande City Cemetery, established around 1848. It's recognized as a Historic Texas Cemetery.
Trooper Eduardo Chavez Memorial Highway · 14.3 mi · Historical Marker
Honors TX DPS Trooper Eduardo Chavez, killed May 2, 2006, in a patrol-car crash on US-83 in Starr County while racing to back up his brother, fellow DPS Trooper Enrique Chavez.
Mission San Augustin de Laredo a Visita, Site of the · 14.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Mission San Augustin de Laredo, established way back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1749</say-as>. This wasn't just any mission; it was part of a massive colonization effort…
Abram, TX · 15.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
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…
Abram, TX · 15.5 mi · Local history
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…
Citrus City, TX · 16.8 mi
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…
Making the Desert Bloom · 17.4 mi
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…
Palmview, TX · 17.4 mi
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…
The Winter Texans · 17.4 mi
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…
Penitas · 17.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Penitas, a town that might just be one of the oldest in the United States. Tradition says it was founded in the mid-1520s by a priest and five Spanish soldiers. These men were part of the…
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park · 17.6 mi · Historical Marker
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…
La Homa, TX · 17.7 mi
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,…
El Sauz, TX (Starr County) · 18.8 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Starr County, not far from Rio Grande City. Right here, in 1901, the legendary outlaw Gregorio Cortez met his end. Cortez had been on the run, a fugitive across South Texas, but his flight ended…
Garza Falcón, María Gertrudis de la · 18.8 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, a land of vast ranches and storied names. Right here, you're near the territory once controlled by María Gertrudis de la Garza Falcón. Born in 1734, she inherited a massive land…
Rio Grande-Falcon Thorn Woodland · 18.8 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Starr County, along the Rio Grande, and you're passing through one of the last wild places in the United States. This is the Rio Grande-Falcon Thorn Woodland, a unique ecosystem that's home to…
Solis, Rosa [Mother Teresa Solis] · 18.8 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving past Point Isabel, a small Texas town that became the unlikely starting point for a remarkable spiritual journey. Back in 1853, a twelve-year-old girl named Rosa Solis heard French nuns speaking about…
Roma-Los Saenz, TX · 18.8 mi · Tsha Handbook
Roma-Los Saenz is a port of entry on U.S. Highway 83 and the Rio Grande, directly across from Ciudad Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas, Mexico, in southwestern Starr County. Roma and Los Saenz are actually two adjoining…
Gonzáles, Margarita · 18.8 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Starr County right now, possibly near Rio Grande City. Imagine a woman named Margarita Gonzáles, who in 1767 was granted over 6,000 acres of land by the Spanish government. This massive tract,…
Hord, Edward R. · 18.8 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through the Rio Grande Valley, a region that saw plenty of action back in the day. Edward R. Hord, a Virginia native, landed here in 1846 and jumped right into the Mexican War. But his real Texas story…
Garza, Gilberto A. · 18.8 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Starr County, near Roma-Los Saenz, the birthplace of Gilberto A. Garza. Born in 1874, Garza became a significant Democratic party leader in this region. He served as chairman of the Starr County…
Garza, Higinio, Jr. · 18.8 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Starr County, near Roma-Los Saenz, where Higinio Garza, Jr. served as county judge for thirty years. That's right, thirty years, from 1914 to 1944. He was a key political figure in this area, an…
Tom Landry: America's Coach, Mission's Son · 19.1 mi
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.…
The Sweet Mistake: The Ruby Red Grapefruit · 19.1 mi
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 Little Chapel on the Hill · 19.1 mi
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…
Butterflies on the Border · 19.1 mi
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…
A spiderweb of canals and aqueducts · 19.1 mi
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, TX · 19.1 mi
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…
Laurel Hill Cemetery · 19.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Laurel Hill Cemetery, a final resting place with a surprising start. It wasn't the original burial ground for Mission; graves had to be moved here in 1913 because the first cemetery's land just…
Masonic Building · 19.7 mi · Historical Marker
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…
West Sharyland, TX · 19.8 mi
West Sharyland is a census-designated place in Hidalgo County, Texas. Covering 2.3 square miles of land, it's part of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan area, with some unincorporated portions lying within…
Leo Najo · 20.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Mission, Texas, where Leo Najo, born Leonardo Alaniz, lived a life that hit it out of the park. Born in Mexico in 1899, he moved to Mission as a kid and fell in love with baseball. By 1924, he was…

Explore La Grulla on the Map

All music from Texas → Find another town Vote on city songs