Weslaco, about fifteen miles west of Harlingen in south central
Hidalgo County, is on U.S. Highway 83 and Farm Road 88. The site was part of
the Llano Grande grant to Juan José Ynojosa de Ballí (1790). Upon Ynojosa's
death the grant was divided among his children, and Manuela and María received
the land on which Weslaco is situated. The Ballí family ranched and maintained
ownership until 1852. In 1904 the Hidalgo and San Miguel extension of the St.
Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway reached the site, promoted by Uriah Lott,qv
Lon C. Hill, Jr. and others interested in developing the area through farming
as opposed to traditional Hispanic ranching. The American Rio Grande Land and
Irrigation Companyqv of neighboring Mercedes, which had interest in the railroad,
purchased a major portion of the Llano Grande grant and platted the West Tract
in 1913. In an effort to control raids from Mexico, the United States government
stationed troops along the Rio Grande in 1916 and established a camp at the
Llano Grande railroad depot, located between Mercedes and the site of Weslaco.
The guardsmen erected a watchtower at Progreso. On December 14, 1917, the irrigation
company sold 30,000 acres at ninety dollars an acre to the W. E. Stewart Land
Company, from which the name Weslaco is derived. The Stewart Company sold the
townsite to Ed C. Couch, Dan R. Couch, R. C. Couch, and R. L. Reeves. The site
was surveyed and platted on September 18, 1919, by H. E. Bennett, a civil engineer
hired by Ed Couch and R. L. Reeves, whose partners had backed out of the venture
in fear of failure. Neighboring communities distributed leaflets discouraging
settlement at the proposed town. Nevertheless, the sale of lots was held on
December 8-10, 1919, with prices ranging from $50 to $400 per lot. To make a
claim, individuals had to choose a lot and camp on it until the day of the sale,
during which lots were given free to church groups. The town's promoters gave
away three cars during the sale. Mail in Weslaco was received from Mercedes
until 1920, when Weslaco's first post office was opened. Also established in
1920 were the chamber of commerce, the Guaranty State Bank, and the Community
House. Elementary school classes were held at the Community House, and high
school students were driven to Donna. The first issue of the Weslaco News was
published on October 29, 1920. Electricity came in December 1920 from the Donna
Light and Ice Company. In 1921 the Weslaco Independent School District was established,
the first high school opened, and the Texas Rangersqv opened a Weslaco station.
The Valley Experiment Station was established in 1923 under the auspices of
Texas A&M. It was later renamed Texas A&M University Agricultural Research Center.
The Weslaco Fire Department was established in March 1924.
Current Population: 26,500
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