The town is on the Concepción de Carricitos grant, awarded to
Bartolomé and Eugenio Fernándezqv in 1789. The portion of the grant on which
San Benito is built was obtained in the mid nineteenth century by Judge Stephen
Powersqv in return for legal services to the Fernández heirs. In 1904 Col. Sam
Robertsonqv went into partnership with James Landrum and Benjamin Hicks, Powers's
sons-in-law and administrators of his estate, to form what later became the
San Benito Land and Water Company. In January 1907 the company subdivided town
lots and began sales. Initially the town was called Bessie, in honor of the
daughter of Benjamin Franklin Yoakum,qv financial backer of the St. Louis, Brownsville
and Mexico Railway, which served the community. The name San Benito was concocted
by Rafael Moreno, an employee of Hicks. Moreno combined the given names of Robertson
(Sam or "San") and Hicks (Benny), whom he called "Don Benito." A post office
was established in 1907 under the name San Benito. The first meeting of the
city council was held on July 27, 1911. A city manager form of government was
adopted by charter in 1920. In 1990 the city was governed by a mayor and four
elected commissioners, with a city manager as administrative head. During the
border disturbances of 1915-16, San Benito was a base for troops of the Oklahoma,
South Dakota, and Tennessee National Guard. Several fights with bandits occurred
in the area, involving troops and Texas Rangers.qv There were numerous murders
and lynchings. In 1916 the night train to Brownsville was blown up at Olmito,
ten miles south of San Benito, and several persons were killed. In its early
years San Benito was a major shipper of citrus fruits and vegetables from the
lower Rio Grande valley. A market was held under the arcade of the San Benito
Bank and Trust Company, and agricultural festivals were popular. However, the
produce industry began to diminish in the 1960s, and the last citrus-packing
shed closed after the severe freeze of December 1983. The later economy centered
around agriculture and light industry. As of 1990 there were three cotton gins
in San Benito, one of which was combined with a large grain-storage facility.
The town had a 144-acre industrial park that included such industries as electronics,
plastic design and manufacture, soft drink distribution, meat packing, and clothing
manufacture.
Current Population: 25,000
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