The Chronological History of Harlingen, Texas1

Prehistorical

Before there were animals and before there were people, there were the land and the nameless river. Together they would shape the topography of the Harlingen area. The Lower (LRGV) is a basin. The basin is a comparatively flat plain with a gentle slope to the northeast away from the river, which would be called the Rio Bravo, the Rio Grande del Norte, and eventually the Rio Grande, and towards what was to be designated the Gulf of . The political entities which were to come to be, Cameron County and most of Willacy County, lie in the basin subdivision called the Rio Grande Delta. "The area occupied by the delta, both ancient and recent, was once a broad valley, up to 400 feet deep, which was eroded from the coastal plain by the Rio Grande. It has since been filled with materials brought down by the river from inland areas."

The only natural drain in Cameron County is the Arroyo Colorado. Arroyo is the Spanish word meaning small stream. It flows along the only two exposed geologic formations. These are the Beaumont Formation of Pleistocene age and the overlying sediments of Holocene (Recent) age. Both geologic ages created material deposits related to the rising and falling of the sea during and after the last major advance of the continental glaciers in North America. All of the Holocene age deposits are less than 5,000 years old. South and east of Harlingen are the cutoff meanders, called resacas, of the Rio Grande. Natural depressions called potholes also abound. These are usually round.

The soils in the vicinity of Harlingen, 26° 12' north 97° 42' west and elevation 36 ' above sea level, have been classified by the Soil Conservation Service as Chromusterts and Pellusterts. These are level, very slowly permeable, high shrink-swell clayey soils. They fall into the Harlingen association, Harlingen-Montell saline association, and the Montell association.

The area has a variable climate because, for about seven months of the year, it is influenced by maritime conditions, but in the other five cooler months is subject to continental conditions. It is termed a modified marine, or coastal-type, subtropical and semiarid climate. It is characterized by long, hot summers and short, mild winters occasionally punctuated by severe freezes. At Harlingen, on the average, the last date when the temperature is 32° F or below in spring is February 4, and the first date in fall, December 12. The average length of the warm season in Harlingen is 341 days. While the mean average temperature is 74 degrees, extremes may range from 12° to 107°. The climate is tempered by the Gulf breezes which tend to stabilize the temperature.

1 This Chronology is an on-going work in that it remains open to additions, corrections and dele- tions as new historical material is uncovered. Please contact Norman Rozeff of the Harlingen Historical Preservation Society. The material in the Chronology is primarily from newspaper accounts, Mrs. Gerald McKenna's Harlingen Golden Anniversary Celebration –April 24-30 (1960) Official Program, The Hand- book of Online, Soil Conservation Service and Corps of Engineers publications, church histories, and literature and archives researched by Norman Rozeff, Betty Murray, Mary Lou Rumbo, and Jay Rus- sell. Although this chronicle contains material of a genealogical nature it is not meant to be a repository for genealogical history as such.

The relative humidity of the LRGV decreases slightly from east to west as the distance from the Gulf increases. At noon, Central Standard Time, the east-to-west variation in relative humidity is estimated at 70 to 67 percent in January, 65 to 59 percent in April, 55 to 52 percent in July, and 63 to 60 percent in October. The prevailing winds are southeasterly to south-southeasterly for much of the year, but in the October through April period may be frequently interspersed with northerly winds wrought by the passage of Pacific and Canadian cold front systems.

The area is semi-arid in that the average annual rainfall totals are fairly low and the rain is not evenly distributed by month nor across localities. In an average year, free-water (lake) evaporation of 58 inches exceeds precipitation by 32 to 36 inches. Flood – producing rains may occur in any season. In April 1991 Harlingen officially recorded 17.15 inches in one six hour cloudburst and over 20 inches in unrecorded areas of the . This may have been a once in 500 year event. The approximately 92 1/4 year rainfall record for Harlingen as compiled by NOAA is:

Harlingen Rainfall Data from May 1911 through April 2003

Rainfall Data Through 2003

Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Ttl Harlingen Yrs. 1911 1 2.27 0.41 2.16 0.00 1.70 0.00 0.66 1.91 9.11 1912 2 2.38 1.78 0.38 2.98 0.05 8.45 0.00 0.60 1.76 6.47 0.85 1.72 27.42 1913 3 1.53 1.21 1.72 0.72 2.14 5.41 0.61 0.56 8.43 2.06 0.18 1.34 25.91 1914 4 0.10 1.37 1.84 1.72 9.63 0.50 0.00 2.79 2.12 3.25 4.62 2.07 30.01 1915 5 3.98 0.16 3.91 1.85 1.08 1.39 1.19 3.79 1.16 1.19 0.23 0.78 20.71 1916 6 0.29 0.00 0.08 0.40 2.51 0.97 7.21 10.34 2.71 1.96 2.22 0.76 29.45 1917 7 0.00 1918 8 0.00 1919 9 2.68 5.84 0.13 5.40 4.22 0.13 1.45 19.85 1920 10 1.24 0.42 0.34 0.03 1.89 3.09 0.00 0.35 2.09 1.35 1.32 0.00 12.12 1921 11 0.25 0.62 2.66 1.93 2.79 2.06 2.95 0.11 4.53 2.57 1.02 0.07 21.56 1922 12 1.05 0.43 0.94 0.74 2.00 7.16 2.27 1.94 13.18 0.49 5.17 0.12 35.49 1923 13 0.13 12.10 1.23 0.46 0.33 0.93 1.03 0.33 12.72 7.84 2.85 2.79 42.74 1924 14 4.58 0.47 0.35 0.00 6.07 1.63 0.96 0.46 4.75 2.42 0.00 2.24 23.93 1925 15 0.73 0.00 3.08 1.04 1.71 3.69 0.00 2.16 9.56 1.53 0.74 4.12 28.36 1926 16 2.39 0.06 3.12 0.57 1.53 5.77 3.84 1.61 3.13 1.18 1.47 1.68 26.35 1927 17 1.11 0.83 0.12 0.22 2.02 4.88 3.75 0.04 3.12 1.43 0.45 1.27 19.24 1928 18 0.65 1.75 0.14 1.47 5.00 1.14 0.18 0.00 10.39 0.50 4.80 0.80 26.82 1929 19 0.12 0.35 1.05 1.30 6.26 0.30 2.05 2.92 3.80 3.05 4.00 0.90 26.10 1930 20 0.55 0.45 0.86 1.10 4.70 2.95 2.40 0.00 5.65 9.04 5.15 0.00 32.85 1931 21 5.22 1.00 0.00 0.60 4.22 5.10 4.10 2.40 1.56 0.65 1.25 0.82 26.92 1932 22 0.73 1.32 1.20 3.55 1.64 2.75 1.15 3.25 7.85 3.40 2.02 0.48 29.34 1933 23 1.26 0.07 0.28 0.79 3.00 0.45 6.41 4.94 18.25 4.85 1.45 0.00 41.75 1934 24 3.61 0.45 1.20 0.45 1.20 0.40 4.35 2.00 6.67 0.02 1.20 1.75 23.30 1935 25 0.42 1.01 0.87 4.46 8.60 7.50 2.57 0.82 6.07 1.40 0.17 4.03 37.92 1936 26 0.32 1.08 0.07 1.90 3.85 0.30 3.06 7.45 8.72 0.31 0.30 2.15 29.51 1937 27 1.85 1.11 0.42 0.50 4.42 0.00 4.08 1.00 1.70 3.35 1.75 7.59 27.77 1938 28 1.25 0.30 3.45 1.75 2.02 1.38 0.01 6.92 1.17 0.02 1.62 1.86 21.75 1939 29 1.82 0.08 0.63 1.34 3.92 7.83 0.35 0.89 1.74 0.11 0.03 0.20 18.94 1940 30 0.09 0.45 4.13 0.03 5.90 3.78 0.70 0.60 1.35 2.57 1.91 9.11 30.62 1941 31 9.17 1.01 3.92 5.75 6.95 4.90 1.00 2.05 3.10 5.37 0.20 2.57 45.99 1942 32 1.03 1.15 0.05 0.10 2.40 6.00 2.82 0.80 0.62 1.10 0.75 0.25 17.07 1943 33 1.82 0.50 0.70 0.00 7.47 0.90 0.00 0.51 4.88 1.60 1.37 2.45 22.20 1944 34 0.74 0.40 1.73 0.00 5.25 1.30 4.30 7.20 6.43 2.85 1.60 1.80 33.60 1945 35 1.30 2.92 0.00 1.65 0.40 0.90 3.50 8.68 0.90 3.05 0.30 0.20 23.80 1946 36 1.85 1.30 0.20 3.30 0.60 3.60 0.02 1.17 8.60 6.03 0.27 0.39 27.33 1947 37 0.56 0.82 0.40 2.19 2.75 1.66 0.49 7.27 0.46 0.65 2.42 0.64 20.31 1948 38 1.14 2.05 0.49 0.15 5.32 0.20 1.98 4.57 8.06 2.24 0.54 0.01 26.75 1949 39 0.73 2.85 1.24 0.89 0.81 1.02 5.00 0.96 0.18 1.30 14.98 1950 40 0.33 0.17 2.12 0.91 3.73 4.08 0.35 1.18 1.69 3.53 1.78 0.00 19.87 1951 41 0.12 1.59 0.28 2.04 0.89 3.74 2.52 6.08 2.66 0.45 0.21 20.58 1952 42 0.54 0.20 0.34 0.82 3.97 3.01 0.72 0.34 4.30 0.00 3.41 0.57 18.22 1953 43 0.38 0.94 0.47 0.51 0.10 0.16 0.92 11.28 0.57 2.62 0.44 1.22 19.61 1954 44 0.32 0.01 0.38 4.18 0.46 2.43 0.18 3.41 1.21 6.77 1.38 0.09 20.82 1955 45 0.75 0.28 0.03 0.36 0.97 0.00 5.70 2.01 12.30 2.70 1.85 0.25 27.20 1956 46 0.01 1.17 1.00 2.43 0.26 1.98 0.64 0.30 1.66 1.55 0.32 0.07 11.39 1957 47 0.17 2.42 2.62 4.34 2.32 6.67 0.07 0.34 0.43 0.30 2.95 0.33 22.96 1958 48 5.12 7.13 0.74 0.08 2.53 2.34 1.45 0.00 8.05 10.73 1.73 1.66 41.56 1959 49 1.53 2.39 0.32 1.76 5.38 4.46 0.64 1.14 0.09 5.33 2.73 0.34 26.11 1960 50 0.22 1.00 1.07 2.28 1.34 1.76 0.42 6.28 7.44 3.58 1.14 2.83 29.36 1961 51 1.38 0.25 0.00 2.49 0.42 1.79 2.69 4.52 8.30 0.90 1.61 0.71 25.06 1962 52 0.34 0.13 1.30 0.85 0.69 2.98 0.00 0.88 2.28 1.35 1.95 1.64 14.39 1963 53 0.20 0.44 0.05 0.39 6.07 1.88 1.92 2.75 4.29 3.75 4.31 2.55 28.60 1964 54 0.17 1.51 0.08 0.75 2.65 2.96 0.42 0.27 2.76 0.48 0.65 1.69 14.39 1965 55 0.32 2.70 0.68 0.31 1.11 0.93 0.20 2.73 12.90 1.16 3.76 4.26 31.06 1966 56 3.52 0.92 0.80 3.51 7.99 5.15 1.48 3.00 2.56 4.19 0.09 0.35 33.56 1967 57 1.43 1.03 1.12 0.06 1.88 0.86 0.56 5.65 14.36 5.24 3.34 3.65 39.18 1968 58 3.79 1.57 0.93 0.77 4.83 2.49 2.74 2.71 4.98 1.87 0.49 0.15 27.32 1969 59 0.39 2.09 0.84 0.13 4.06 0.62 0.19 3.73 5.84 0.44 1.04 0.30 19.67 1970 60 3.82 0.87 0.72 1.60 4.40 3.85 1.96 1.32 7.84 3.56 0.32 0.31 30.57 1971 61 0.80 1.21 0.08 0.93 0.39 2.33 1.96 3.20 8.35 2.73 0.49 1.66 24.13 1972 62 0.46 1.14 3.17 1.04 2.61 4.73 2.85 0.58 4.49 0.51 1.27 0.37 23.22 1973 63 4.56 7.28 0.31 0.71 0.45 7.51 1.64 8.96 4.83 4.40 1.68 0.17 42.50 1974 64 1.21 0.02 0.24 1.02 1.10 1.92 1.24 4.21 10.46 3.71 0.42 0.91 26.46 1975 65 1.55 0.58 0.12 0.02 1.98 2.27 8.64 4.44 8.60 1.04 0.27 1.61 31.12 1976 66 0.30 0.04 0.20 9.52 1.87 2.15 8.87 5.55 3.55 7.11 3.53 1.95 44.64 1977 67 1.78 1.65 0.17 3.35 1.24 7.27 1.88 0.42 2.78 2.20 2.19 0.36 25.29 1978 68 3.54 1.40 0.02 1.65 0.02 2.37 1.54 2.04 8.72 2.75 0.59 2.17 26.81 1979 69 1.35 1.27 0.09 5.99 1.50 4.37 0.80 4.64 4.44 2.71 0.46 2.60 30.22 1980 70 1.21 1.45 0.40 0.02 3.14 0.10 0.69 8.39 1.38 1.85 2.38 0.60 21.61 1981 71 3.66 0.60 3.23 1.75 6.16 1.29 2.27 2.19 2.13 4.75 0.73 0.39 29.15 1982 72 0.05 9.50 0.32 0.71 11.96 0.00 0.42 1.85 0.80 1.59 1.07 3.18 31.45 1983 73 0.87 4.13 2.60 0.00 4.03 1.49 7.05 1.22 6.92 2.97 1.09 1.52 33.89 1984 74 3.16 1.22 0.05 0.05 2.96 0.71 1.56 0.98 17.70 1.05 0.02 2.00 31.46 1985 75 1.38 1.27 1.15 2.06 3.64 4.56 0.81 0.76 5.32 2.34 0.29 0.72 24.30 1986 76 0.00 1.26 0.38 0.48 5.88 3.99 0.41 2.56 4.34 2.63 3.73 4.33 29.99 1987 77 3.15 2.05 0.98 1.61 3.47 6.28 2.50 0.22 4.99 0.54 2.83 0.15 28.77 1988 78 3.49 2.08 3.95 0.12 0.65 1.64 0.75 2.57 5.41 1.33 0.73 0.17 22.89 1989 79 1.01 0.38 0.05 3.45 0.80 3.79 2.15 4.35 2.96 0.15 0.62 2.10 21.81 1990 80 0.53 0.96 1.80 2.48 1.81 1.07 0.88 1.13 2.32 1.75 0.26 0.09 15.08 1991 81 0.47 3.11 0.27 17.15 1.07 1.58 5.52 0.76 0.83 2.61 33.37 1992 82 3.37 1.96 0.24 5.74 6.57 1.50 0.55 1.70 3.87 1.14 3.07 1.59 31.30 1993 83 0.62 2.08 2.15 0.33 4.69 5.78 0.11 0.21 4.56 2.20 1.70 1.63 26.06 1994 84 3.42 0.35 1.13 1.95 3.15 0.30 2.58 4.02 0.64 4.01 21.55 1995 85 0.70 0.05 1.71 0.76 2.04 2.65 0.36 8.44 2.21 4.82 2.47 2.45 28.66 1996 86 0.00 0.20 0.64 1.11 0.36 2.27 0.08 3.90 2.73 6.10 0.58 0.47 18.44 1997 87 0.60 0.40 5.24 4.69 2.84 0.90 T 0.51 4.13 9.09 1.37 0.80 30.57 1998 88 0.01 4.57 0.79 0.05 0.00 0.02 1.08 1.25 11.39 7.16 5.20 0.32 31.84 1999 89 0.13 2.37 3.41 0.68 2.99 0.66 3.67 3.69 3.95 0.99 0.22 0.49 23.25 2000 90 1.40 0.35 2.24 1.61 1.77 2.93 T 3.49 0.72 4.38 0.31 0.90 20.10 2001 91 0.47 2.30 0.62 2.85 0.52 1.76 0.37 3.90 5.74 0.48 2.01 0.92 21.94 2002 92 0.06 1.02 0.25 0.65 1.56 1.21 0.00 0.24 6.71 8.67 4.86 3.50 28.73 2003 93 1.30 0.79 2.29 0.93 0.17 1.47 3.70 1.31 8.07 11.09 1.48 0.18 32.78 2004 94 1.10 3.68 3.83 8.61

Years 89 89 88 89 89 90 89 91 90 91 91 91 94 Average 1.43 1.45 1.15 1.71 2.93 2.65 1.85 2.64 5.21 2.88 1.54 1.44 25.75

The lower Texas coast was frequently visited by hurricanes and tropical storms in the late 1800s throughout the1900s. Those recorded by NOAA for the Valley are:

Date of Storm Remarks (hurricanes, except as noted)

9/16/1877 entire coast 8/13/1880 Matamoros struck 9/18/1885 lower coast 9/22/1886 moved inland near Brownsville 9/21/1887 made near Brownsville 8/29/1895 moved inland near Brownsville 6/30/1909 tropical storm between Brownsville and Corpus Christi 8/27/1909 landfall south of Brownsville 8/31/1910 landfall south of Brownsville 9/14/1910 between Brownsville and Corpus Christi 10/16/1912 between Brownsville and Corpus Christi 6/27/1913 between Brownsville and Corpus Christi 9/6/1925 tropical storm moved inland near Brownsville 8/4/1933 hurricane moved inland near Brownsville 9/4/1933 hurricane moved inland near Brownsville 8/27/1934 hurricane passed near entire Texas coast 9/13/1936 tropical storm moved inland near Brownsville 9/27/1943 hurricane passed near lower Texas coast 8/1/1947 tropical storm moved inland near Brownsville 6/25/1954 Hurricane Alice made landfall south of Brownsville and moved up the Rio Grande 6/15/1958 Tropical Storm Alma made landfall south of Brownsville and moved up the Rio Grande 9/20/1967 moved inland between Brownsville and the mouth of the Rio Grande 9/14/1971 passed near entire Texas coast 9/2/1977 made landfall south of Brownsville 8/10/1980 was identified as "The Hurricane of the Century." Fortunately, it weakened prior to entering Texas just north of Brownsville 8/22/99 Minimal Hurricane Brett moved through north side of the Valley 7/23/08 Category 2 made direct hit of Valley

The Harlingen area retains only remnants of its native vegetation. This once consisted of numerous xerophytic plants in a jungle-like forest of trees such as elm, ebony, hackberry, ash, anaqua, tepeguaje, guayacon, huisache, retama, and possibly a few sabal palms, interspersed with a mesquite-cactus association. The thick undergrowth consisted of bushes and climbing vines. In some locations these may have thinned out to allow savannahs of native grasses. Eventually clearing and heavy grazing resulted in a general change to thorny shrubs and low trees on introduced grass pastures. In the urban area introduced tree species and ornamentals relegated many of the native plants to wildlife refuges and the undeveloped banks of the Arroyo Colorado.

The remaining native wildlife has also been limited to the latter locations. These include opossum, nine-banded armadillo, raccoon, coyote, ocelot, bobcat, black-tailed jackrabbit, eastern cottontail, Mexican ground squirrel, white-footed mouse, hispid rat, Mexican spiny pocket rat, southern plains wood rat, Ord's kangaroo rat, frogs, tortoises, snakes, and possibly jaguarundi. The javelina (peccary), white-tailed deer, bridled weasel, feral pigs, wild mustangs, wild turkeys, quail, blue pigeon, occasional mountain lion, Texas wildcat or southern lynx, long nosed white backed skunk, weasel, red fox, and such are long gone from the mostly urbanized Harlingen area.

Fish in the silt-laden and heavily polluted stream in the Arroyo Colorado are limited. Catfish are to be found and drum are too when cold Laguna Madre waters drive them in- land. The canals have gar and tilapia.

What remains unusual and interesting to the area are the well over 400 species of bird life. The region lies in flyways from the northern states and from Mexico to the south. Species of special interest with peripheral occurrence in Texas include the least grebe, masked duck, jacana, white-tailed hawk, black hawk, chachalaca, red-billed pigeon, white-tipped dove, groove-billed ani, kiskadee flycatcher, tropical kingbird, ferruginous owl, buff-bellied hummingbird, beardless flycatcher, Lichtenstein's oriole, white-collared seedeater, Botteri's sparrow, aplomado falcon, and others. Flocks of noisy Mexican parrots have made the arroyo their habitat.