Marilyn, Eric, Bill & I
visit The Museum of
South Texas in
Edinburg.
Eric makes friends
with a Texas
The stairway & second
floor balcony are
beautiful.
I love the tiled risers
between the stair treads.
The skeleton of a Pliosaurus
welcomes visitors to the
beginning of the South
Texas History Galleries.
Nomadic Coahuiltecans lived
in South
Texas when Spanish
explorers came to the region.
Pinedo commanded
the
first three ships that
explored the Gulf
Coast
in 1519.
headed inland looking
for gold.
Conquistador Eric checks
for rain.
Early settlers lived in
small, simple homes.
Baking was done
outdoors.
the area to put down the
1835 - 1836.
Texans won the Revolution established
the Republic
of Texas. Mexicans became Americans when the Treaties of Velasco were signed. After nine years as an independent country, Texas
became the 28th state on December 29, 1845.
Businesses and land owners discriminated against Mexicans and Mexican-Americans (Tejanos). The practice was codified in state and local laws. Slaves working on Plantations in Texas escaped and headed south to Mexico, where slavery was illegal.
Businesses and land owners discriminated against Mexicans and Mexican-Americans (Tejanos). The practice was codified in state and local laws. Slaves working on Plantations in Texas escaped and headed south to Mexico, where slavery was illegal.
With only wagon trails to access the region, South Texas was isolated from the rest of the state and the country.
Farm tools were very basic
in the 1800s.
The Multi-Purpose Wooden Trough
was used to mix Tamale Meal,
mix Sausage & to wash
clothes...
Maybe bathing children too.
By 1860, River Boats
were becoming a
common sight on the
Rio Grande River.
With increased travel into and out of the area,
markets grew for fruits and vegetables grown in South Texas.
Cotton was King in
the 1860s.
Texas seceded from the Union on February 1, 1861. The Union Navy blockaded coastal ports. The last battle of the Civil War was fought on May 11, 1865 at the Palmetto Ranch, near Boca Chica.
Cattle became King
after the Civil War.
Brands were invented to
identify cattle grazing
on the open range.
The Chuck Wagon was stocked
with food for Vaqueros who
moved herds of cattle to
market.
I look at the Chuck Wagon and see the the beginnings of the RV Industry.
We walk down the staircase to
Galleries on the first floor.
This Rotary Drill Bit was
used to drill through dirt
& rock to oil reservoirs.
Cars came to South Texas
in 1910.
Gas Stations & roads
became necessities.
Challenges were met with
business acumen and hard work. Access to South Texas was growing.
The Mexican Revolution spread
violence into the border region.
Farms, ranches & stores
were frequent targets.
Appeals for help went out to the Texas Government
in Austin and to the
Federal Government. General Pershing and the
Infantry were sent to the border area to quell the violence in 1916. Texas Rangers moved
into the region and slaughtered Mexican-Americans
by the hundreds citing the need for Law and Order. The Mexican Government worked south of the border to stop the gangs of raiders. The violence stopped in 1917.
was a lawless time with
liquor being smuggled
north from Mexico to
thirsty Texans.
Northerners came to
South Texas in the 1920s
to get away from harsh
winters, open businesses,
& farm in this region.
Starting in the 1920s, immigration north from Mexico was seen as a problem. The US Border Patrol was created in 1924 to oversee the border and stop people crossing north from Mexico.
Commercial flights into South Texas started in 1929 with the opening of the Brownsville Airport, further opening up the area to business opportunities and entrepreneurship.
Texas struggled through the
With nearly 25% of the population out of
work, President
Roosevelt's New Deal programs were welcomed. Still, many
continued to eke out a living while waiting for the economy to turn around.
Anglo & Tejano Texans
Following the War, South Texas remained pretty much the same. Mexican-Americans were discriminated against in business, housing and in the courts. In 1954 a discrimination case went to the Supreme Court. The results of Hernandez v Texas: The Fourteenth Amendment which states that all persons born in the United States are American citizens and citizens of the states in which they live. The government can not deny due process to blacks, whites or a person of a defined a member of a class, such as Mexican-Americans.
Cities in South Texas
gradually grew through
the 1950s, '60s...
Civil Rights Laws passed in the 1960s benefited Mexican-Americans.
... & '70s.
NAFTA created an economic boom in South Texas and the population of the area expanded through the 1990s. The region nervously waits to see what the current administration will do with this treaty. Will changes to NAFTA help or hurt the South Texas economy?
This region relies on tourism and welcomes Winter Texans from across the US and Canada each year.
Marilyn, Bill, Eric and I agreed that The Museum of South Texas provides a lot of historical information about this region. We highly recommend a visit to tourists.
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