History of McAllen: 1911-1920

It was in 1850 that Scotsman, John McAllen came to South Texas to work as a clerk in the city of Edinburgh, which would later become Hidalgo.
In the 1860's McAllen would Marry into a local land grant family and start acquiring more land.
In 1904, the McAllen family and others established the McAllen Townsite Company when the railroad first came to town.
Soon people started building homes, businesses, churches and schools...And on Febuary 21, 1911, the brand new Texas city of McAllen was born.
The first decade of McAllen was a time for building
Sacred Heart church was built at 15th and Chicago Avenue, new schools at South 10th and Austin and at 16th and Chicago.
Local Mercants built hitching posts to help bring busines to the new downtown.
The Guerra and Sons grocery store opened at South 17th and Austin.
Kriedler under taking opened in the back of the Western Union office.
The first public park wich housed deer was set up just north on HWY 83 and Main.
The common school district #11 became the McAllen School District in 1915.
Later on in 1915 the first shipment of grapefruit left McAllen by train.
The population of 1200 became 12-thousand when National Guardsmen from New York arrived to protect the border from raiding parties out of Mexico.
In 1917 the Casa de Palmas Hotel was built on top of what was Deer Park.
The Crow Building was constructed at South Main and 83rd.
And in 1919 cotton gins are built and Monty's Monthly Magazine begins publication.

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• 1911-1920
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[ifoam]

Very cool and informative