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History in a Pecan
Shell The wide
median that bisects the town leaves no doubt that the town was born with the arrival
of the railroad. The namesake of the town was Placido Benavides who had served
in the Confederate army. After the Civil War he devoted himself to raising cattle
and his ranch became one of the largest in Duval County. He generously allowed
a depot to be built on his property in 1880 and the following year donated 80
acres for a townsite. |
In
1882 Archer Parr moved to Benavides and in time became the "Boss" of Duval County.
He
set into place a corrupt dynasty with his son and grandson continuing his legacy
of creative bookkeeping, voting fraud and outright assassination. For anyone interested
in how corrupt and totally controlled a place can be and still be in the United
States - The Fall of the Duke of Duval by John E. Clark, Eakin Press, 1995
is recommended.
By 1884 Benavides was Duval County's second largest town. | |
By 1914 Parr attempted
to form a new county with Benavides as the seat of government. It was to be called
Pat Dunn County after the State Legislator who was introducing the bill. A clause
in the State Constitution prohibited the act - depriving Parr of another County
Treasury to loot.
The estimated population of Benavides had dropped to
250 but by the mid-1920s had risen to 1,897.
A bank was established
in 1928, when the population was about 1200 people. By the 1940s the town was
prospering with 80 businesses and a population just over 3,000.
In 1950
Benavide's businesses did $2,084,000 in sales. The population began a decline
that lasted until the 80's when it rose to just over 2,000 people. |
Benavides
Texas Landmarks/Photo Gallery |
Merchants Exchange Bank Building
Sign
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson,
September 2011 |
Former Merchants Exchange Bank
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson,
September 2011 |
Buffalo, an architectural detail
from the bank
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson,
September 2011 |
Another bank architectural
detail showing the nickel
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson,
September 2011 |
L - The Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church in Benavides
R - A relic of better
yearsTE Photos,
2001 |
L - The Old Benavides Bank
R - A former business
TE Photos, 2001 |
Benavides
Texas Forum
Subject: Church in Benavides
I happen to grow up in San
Diego Texas and came across your website today. The information was interesting
except for a photo of the church. The church you placed under San Diego, TX is
the wrong Church. The church you have pictured is actually the church of a near
by town, Benavides, TX. Their church's name is Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church.
The church in San Diego is Saint Francis de Paula Catholic Church. You can find
it on Victoria St. in San Diego. It is a really beautiful church with lots of
history itself. Thank you, Elaine Montemayor-Gonzalez, April 17, 2006 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history and vintage/historic
photos, please contact
us. | |
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