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The
statue of Popeye in front of Crystal City City Hall
TE photo, November 2001 |
History
in a Spinach Can
The counties of this region (other than the border counties) have
similar histories. Most towns were born with the arrival of the railroad
or when irrigation technology took advantage of the numerous wells
and springs.
Carl F. Groos and E. J. Buckingham, were developers who opened the
town in the early 1900s. They bought a 10,000-acre ranch in 1905,
platted the townsite of Crystal City and sold off land in smaller
parcels for farms.
In 1908 Crystal City was granted a post office and the Crystal
City and Uvalde Railway provided the first rail service.
In 1910 with a healthy population of 350 – the town incorporated.
An election held in 1928 made Crystal City the county seat.
The arrival of the railroad meant a market for produce and especially
winter vegetables for northern markets. Onions were the first crop
introduced, but spinach replaced the onion crop and now Crystal City
is “Spinach Capital of the World”
The first annual spinach festival took place in 1936 and the Spinach
Festival maintains an office in downtown Crystal City. The Spinach
Festival was resumed in 1982 after being suspended during World War
II.
A statue of Popeye was erected with the blessing of the sailorman’s
creator in 1937. It ranks high in the pantheon of less-than-serious
statues in Texas. Today the pipe-smoking sailor stands in front of
city hall – sharing the same banishment of other tobacco users.
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Remains
of the Japanese Interment Camp in Crystal City
TE photo, 2005 |
Japanese
Interment Camp
Identified with
two historical markers.
During World War
II an internment camp was built utilizing buildings from a prewar
labor camp.
Japanese, Japanese Americans and also Japanese that had been living
in South and Central American populated the camp which closed in 1947
and had its buildings incorporated into the Zavala County ISD.
(See also Alien
Camp by Mike Cox)
For additional information, contact the Zavala County Historical
Commission - PO Box 616, Crystal City, Texas 78839 |
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Mosaic
mural in Crystal City
TE photo 2001 |
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Another
of the murals in Crystal City
TE photo 2001 |
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Mosaic
mural detail
TE photo 2001 |
The
Green Economy
The Del Monte Corporation is the county’s largest employee and has
been since it opened a canning plant in 1945 when it was operating
as the California Packing Corporation.
In the 1940s – an astounding 97% of Crystal City’s citizens were migrant
workers who followed the crops.
Del Monte’s operations and several expansions have helped increase
the town’s size. In 1950 the population that once left town to follow
the crops rose to over 7,000 and then to over 9,000 in 1960. |
The “Crystal
City Revolts” of the 1960s
In the 1960s the
Hispanic majority asserted their dominant voting power to win key
city and school offices. The exaggerated "Crystal City Revolts"- which
were peaceful – helped form the Raza Unida party in 1970. The party
dominated the town politically until the late 70s when it dissolved
into splinter groups. |
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The theatre in downtown Crystal City
TE photo 2001 |
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The theatre at night
TE photo 2001 |
Crystal
City Texas Forum
Subject:
Crystal City Texas
Dear TE, A local Little Rock newspaper has an article about Alma,
Arkansas putting up it's second Popeye statue. And they claim Alma
is "The Spinach Capital of the World." Now you and I know that isn't
so. May I use some of your Web-site material in rebutting their
article? If this is not permitted, I may write them, using my personal
knowledge, having been born at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas,
September 12, 1922. My wife was born in Crystal City, in 1923, and
participated in two Spinach Festivals. - Ted
Hood Sr., Little Rock, Arkansas, November 07, 2006
Ted
Hood of San Antonio defends the Spinach Capital of the World
- November 15, 2006
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