San Juan is on Farm Road 1426 and State Highway Spur 374, about
six miles northeast of McAllen in south central Hidalgo County. The townsite
is on land that was part of two Spanish grants made in 1767 to Narciso Cabazos
and to José María Ballí. The grantees and their heirs occupied the land well
into the 1850s, most likely working as subsistence farmers and cattle and sheep
ranchers. San Juan was organized in 1909 by John Closnerqv and was reportedly
named for him. The town was incorporated on December 29, 1917, and in 1918 a
school building was built there; previously classes had been held in the homes
of local residents. The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District, established
on March 24, 1919, encompassed all of the schools in San Juan. In 1922 the city
invested $42,000 for a new waterworks, and in 1924 a cotton compress, a cannery,
and a cotton gin were constructed there. The population was estimated at 1,203
in 1925. In 1945 San Juan had the largest plant in the South for the manufacture
of concrete pipe for irrigation drainage; at that time it also had citrus fruit
and vegetable packing houses, a shippers' equipment manufacturing plant, and
an iron foundry. The community was also known as the home of the Bougainvillea
Trail of Texas. In 1945 the community reported forty-seven businesses and a
population of 2,264. The Virgen de San Juan del Valle Shrineqv was constructed
there in 1954 and immediately attracted many pilgrims and tourists. The community's
population was estimated at 4,371 in 1960. During the mid-1960s the town reported
ten churches, three schools, two hospitals, a library, a bank, a newspaper,
and a new shopping center. In 1972 the town reported eighty businesses and a
population of 5,070.
San Juan made international headlines when, on October 23, 1970,
Francis B. Alexander smashed a rented single-engine plane into the Virgen de
San Juan del Valle Shrine. He had reportedly radioed a warning that all Methodist
and Catholic churches in the lower Rio Grande Valley should be evacuated, then
twenty minutes later struck the Shrine, which at the time was occupied by more
than 130 people. Two priests were able to save the statue of the Virgin, but
damages to the Shrine were estimated at $1.5 million and were a devastating
blow to the community. A mass effort was initiated to reconstruct the church.
San Juan continued to grow and by 1980 had an estimated population of 7,083
and seventy-four businesses. In April 1980 San Juan again made international
headlines when the new Shrine was dedicated; the televised ceremonies were shown
nationally on the Spanish Information Network. In 1992 San Juan reported a population
of 10,815. Its economy was based primarily on agriculture and commerce; visitors
to the Shrine were also important to the community.
Population: 10,815
Select your area of interest using the
links below:
San Juan Chamber of Commerce
1006 S. Standard, San Juan 78589