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History in
a Pecan Shell
Other than it being
part of the former Santos García Spanish land grant, there is little
history prior to the mid 1880s. A post office was granted in 1886
and by 1890 the population had reached 400 residents served by two
general stores. In two years the population had doubled to 800, although
that was an estimate. This was the town's population peak - although
the infrastructure had only increased slightly from its 1886 basic
businesses.
In 1913 there was proposal to create a new county - to be named Pat
Dunn. Political shenagagans deprived Realitos of a voting box, insuring
that Realitos' rival town (Benavides)
would gain county seat status. By the State Legislature threw out
establishment of the proposed county on a technicality, sparing the
region redistricting and a bitter rivalry between the two towns.
The year 1914 showed a population of just 225 and as late as the 1980s
it remained under 300. The town retained a school in the 1960s, but
this merged with the Benavides
school in the mid 1970s. |
Photographer's
Note:
"This is a quaint village located on the main highway and the Texas-Mexican
(now Kansas City Southern) Railroad. You can zip past it easily on
the high-speed highway that cuts through it, however, by taking your
time, you visit a classic, typical South
Texas town with some unique dwellings and a couple of places representitive
of what passed for entertainment prior to the 1980s.
Most interesting is the picturesque historic Scared Heart Catholic
Church. This little jewel sits hidden - just one block from the main
highway. However, this little ol' Texas town is not as peaceful as
you might think when the colorful locomotives of the KCS come thundering
through the town, headed from the border pulling a long train of goods."
- Gerald
Massey |
1920s Duval
County map showing Realitos
(Below "U" in DUVAL") SW of Benavides
From Texas state map #10749
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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