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History in
a Pecan Shell
Originally a Spanish
land grant made in 1767, heirs broke the grant into smaller tracts
in the late 1800s. John Connely Kelley and Henry N. Pharr arrived
about 1909 and bought 16,000 acres of land. Pharr, a Louisiana sugarcane
grower founded the Louisiana and Rio Grande Canal Company to construct
an irrigation system for a sugar plantation. Kelley formed the Pharr
Townsite Company, naming the new town after his partner.
Pharr became a stop on the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway
around 1911. Four thousand acres had already been sold to settlers
and the town had a depot, hotel and bank. The Rio Grande valley sugarcane
industry went bust - dashing Pharr's hopes. Kelley assumed control
of the existing irrigation system and supplied water to vegetable
and cotton farmers. In 1915 the population was a mere 600.
In 1916 the town incorporated and it had its own newspaper three years
later. That same year Pharr and two other small communities formed
the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD.
By 1920 Pharr had grown to 1 nearly 1,560 and eleven years later it
had doubled. The population was 4,784 in 1940. In 1956 a vote to merge
with neighboring McAllen
was soundly defeated. By 1960 the population had reached 14,000 and
by 1990 it was nearly 33,000. |
Pharr, Texas
Attractions:
Santa Ana
National Wildlife Refuge - 956-784-7500
Abundant wildlife, plants, and birds (many not found anywhere else
in the United States.) Entrance quarter mile east of the intersection
of US 281 and FM 907. 4 miles East of the Pharr/Reynosa International
Bridge.
Smitty's
Juke Box Museum - 956-787-0131
116 West State.
Ye Old Clock
Museum - 956-787-1923
East Preston Ave.
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Pharr Texas Bank
and Post Office (and cigar store)
1918-1920
photo courtesy texasoldphotos.com
More Texas Depots |
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Downtown Pharr
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
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Pharr post office
Postcard
courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
See Texas Post
Office
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Pharr Tourist Information
Pharr Chamber of Commerce - 956-787-1481
308 W. Park. Hours Mon.- Fri. 8:30AM - 5 PM
Book Hotels Here › Pharr
Hotels |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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