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History
in a Pecan Shell
Early travelers between Goliad
and Mier stopped to use the springs that fed San Diego Creek in what was
to become San Diego.
Around 1800 Julián and Ventura Flores (father and
son) received two land grants known as San Diego de Arriba and San Diego de Abajo.
The grants were surveyed in 1806 and they received their deed in 1812.
In 1828 the first birth was recorded and the population was estimated at 25 families
by 1844. In 1846 Gen. Zachary Taylor and his troops briefly occupied the town
during the Mexican War.
In 1848 Ventura Flores sold land to Pablo Pérez,
who built houses and named the town Perezville.
The
Casa Blanca
The town's first post office was opened in 1852 in
a small white building known as the Casa Blanca. It is said that Perezville was
renamed San Diego at this time. Another story claims 1867 as the year the
post office opened.
This building was occupied by Confederate forces
during the Civil War and it later served as a store, a speakeasy, a residence
and a bar. It remains standing today. |
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Casa
Blanca Bar
Photo courtesy Rudy Torres, May 2007 |
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In 1875 the population was about 550 people.
In 1867 the
only church between Corpus
Christi and the Mexican border was built by Father Claude Jaillet. When Duval
County was organized in 1868 San Diego was chosen as the county seat.
After the Civil War (1878) 2,000 federal troops were stationed in San Diego
to protect the townspeople from Mexican raiders. During a drought - a fight erupted
over a waterhole and five men were shot dead in the street.
In 1879
the Corpus Christi,
San Diego and Rio Grande Railroad reached the town, making the all-important connection
with the port at Corpus
Christi. Then in 1881 the Texas-Mexican Railway took over the Corpus
Christi, San Diego and Rio Grande and completed the road to Laredo.
The town's first newsaper opened in 1882 and the population was
1,000 by 1884. In 1890 it had risen to 1,500.
In 1907, John Cleary,
the county tax assessor was assassinated and Archer "Archie" Parr came to power
- establishing the illegal (but familiar) "Patron" system of government. Archer
was the father of George Parr who would later become known as "The Duke of
Duval".
In 1915 Basilio Ramos, Jr. was arrested in McAllen.
Ramos was carrying a copy of what became known as the Plan of San Diego
- a scheme that was to link Mexico
and Germany in WWI and after the
defeat of the U.S. - give back all former Mexican lands to Mexico.
More San Diego Texas History |
San
Diego Landmarks/Attractions |
San Diego Public Library
The
1909 Hoffman-Block Building
Hwy 359 and E. St. Peters Ave.
Photo courtesy
Terry
Jeanson, July 2010 |
San
Diego Architecture
TE Photo, 2001 |
San
Diego Museum
Photo courtesy Rudy Torres, May 2007
More Texas
Museums |
"An
old RC Cola sign as a layer along with "Fruits and Vegetables" on an apparent
former grocery store in San Diego, on the north side of Gravis just west of Perez."
- Gary L. Oldham, December 2010 photo
More Texas
Ghost Signs |
The
oldest home in San Diego
Photo courtesy Rudy Torres, May 2007 |
"I
think that is the former Bruno Rios drugstore downtown."
- Tom Garcia
Photo courtesy Rudy Torres, May 2007 |
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San
Diego Texas ForumSubject:
San Diego Texas History
During the Mexican revolution, the wealthy landowners,
the Garcias, were forced to escape Zacatecas to the United States and settled
in San Diego, Texas. Pilar Garcia, a Garcia descendant, lived in the outskirts
of town and owned a movie theater in Hebbronville,
Texas, during the early 1900's. Garcia Street is named in their honor. Cixto
Garcia, a Garcia descendant born in Texas, was one of the first hispanic lawyers
in the San Diego/Hebbronville
area. Jesus Soto and Manuel Olivares, relatives of the Garcias, opened a grocery
store in San Diego in the early 1900's. In the 1930's, there was a private elementary
school run by nuns.
Source: Maria Guadalupe Zuniga, descendant of the Garcia
family; oral history conveyed to and written by Zandra Zuniga, Corpus Christi,
Texas; March 2013.
- Zandra Zuniga, March 09, 2013
Subject:
The Church in San Diego
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
Subject: San Diego,
TX
Most of the entire side of my family, the Vela's, lives in and around
San Diego Texas. They own a small ranch home, 15 min. outside of any major road
or intersection. I haven't visited their home in many years, but what I remember
of San Diego was the miles of Mesquite trees on the land. There was so much Mesquite
that my relatives could easily supply all the fire wood they needed for cooking
their hunt from the ranch which was usually deer, quail, or wild pig even.
The downtown area of the town is very small. We would go into it for grain
for chickens and such items. There was an annual event in the downtown called
"Pan De Campo", held with dancing, booths with Mexican crafts and foods, and live
Tejano music. The only other cloest town was Alice, where we could go for the
movie theater or groceries. The Vela family lives strong in San Diego, Texas.
- Jimmy Vela, April 21, 2005
Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic,
endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local
history, stories, and vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. | |
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