January
1908 - 2008
February
1908 - 2008
March
1908 - 2008
April
1908 - 2008
May
1908 - 2008
June
1908 - 2008
Centennial
Celebration
Centennial
Celebration
Centennial
Celebration
Centennial
Celebration
Centennial
Celebration
Centennial
Celebration
Texas Citrus Fiesta
Leo Najo
Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr.
John J. Conway
The fiesta still takes delight in
showing off the lovely ladies
and handsome lads at the
Coronation of King Citrus and
Queen Citrianna. Since 1932,
the Fiesta has presented its
Product Costume Style Show
where exquisite costumes
made of citrus and other local
Valley products are exhibited.
These costumes have been
featured in National
Geographic, Southern Living
and Texas Monthly
magazines.
Born in La Laijia, Nuevo Leon,
Mexico in 1899, Leonardo (Leo
Najo) Alaniz moved on from
Mission, Texas to become a
baseball hero in Texas and Mexico
was the first Hispanic to play
baseball for the San Antonio Bears
in the Texas League. He played
several years in the Texas League
before moving to the major
leagues where he played off and
on for four years before going to
the Mexican League in 1939 as a
manager. In his career in the Rio
Grande Valley, he was a player,
umpire, and manager - even
coaching Tom Landry.
Border Theater
John H. Shary
He came to the Rio Grande
Valley in 1912. In 1914 he
purchased 16,000 acres of
brush-land and named it
Sharyland. He planted the
valley's first commercial citrus
orchard and first modern citrus
packing plant. He is recognized
as the father of the Texas citrus
industry. His home on "Shary"
road hosted many dignitaries
including governors and
presidents.
The historic Border Theater
opened on April 3rd, 1942 and is
one of the last remaining
theaters with Art Pueblo Styling.
It was named a Texas Historic
Landmark in 1997 and is listed in
the National Register of Historic
Places. The Border Theater is
located at 905 Conway Ave. and
has provided three generations
of residents and visitors with the
finest movies in typical border
setting for more than 50 years.
Two wall to wall murals capture
scenes in the Rio Grande Valley
prior to the modernization of the
area.
(February 11, 1921 – May 23,
2006) was a four-term United
States senator (1971 until 1993)
from Texas and the Democratic
Party nominee for Vice President
in 1988 on the Michael Dukakis
ticket. He also served in the House
of Representatives from 1949 to
1955. In his later political life, he
was Chairman of the Senate
Finance Committee and the U.S.
Treasury Secretary during the
early years of the Clinton
administration. Lloyd Bentsen
Jr., one of Mission's favorite sons
served as County Judge, U.S.
Congressman, and US Secretary
of the Treasury.
Speer Memorial Library
Speer Memorial Library
John Conway founded the city
of Mission in 1907 with J. W.
Holt when the two purchased
the 17,000 acre La Lomita
Ranch from the Oblate
fathers. Subdivided parcels
were sold to arriving settlers
and water was pumped from
the Rio Grande by means of a
pumping station and
distributed to the residents of
the Rio Grande Valley through
the Mission Canal Co.
Irrigation System, also started
by Conway and Holt.
Speer Memorial Library
Speer Memorial Library
Speer Memorial Library
Speer Memorial Library
Don't forget to visit our
Mission Historical Museum
900 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572
Don't forget to visit our
Mission Historical Museum
900 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572
Don't forget to visit our
Mission Historical Museum
900 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572
Don't forget to visit our
Mission Historical Museum
900 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572
Don't forget to visit our
Mission Historical Museum
900 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572
Don't forget to visit our
Mission Historical Museum
900 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572
July
1908 - 2008
August
1908 - 2008
September
1908 - 2008
October
1908 - 2008
November
1908 - 2008
December
1908 - 2008
Centennial
Celebration
Centennial
Celebration
Centennial
Celebration
Centennial
Celebration
Centennial
Celebration
Centennial
Celebration
William Jennings Bryan
Tom Landry
Texas Butterfly Festival
La Lomita Mission –
Chapel / Park
Three-time Democratic
presidential nominee, and a
prosecution lawyer in the
Scopes Trial, Bryan built
his home in Mission. He
had arrived in 1909 with his
family at the urging of John
Conway. It became
common for Bryan to give
speeches and lectures in
the surrounding area. Many
nicknamed Bryan "the
Great Commoner."
The legendary professional
football coach who served as
the Dallas Cowboys' coach for
29 years was honored in 1993.
Mission residents Bill and Gen
Long commissioned Manuel
Hinojosa to create the Tom
Landry Mural. The mural
measures 95 x 18 feet and was
dedicated on September 18,
1995 by legendary
coach Tom Landry himself.
There are more than 290
species of butterflies in the
Valley. The NABA
International Butterfly Park
provides intensive outdoor
gardens of native nectar
plants and specific caterpillar
host plants as well as natural
habitat to attract large
numbers of wild butterflies
and conserve rare native
butterflies in the 85 acre outdoor park.
La Lomita was built in 1865
by Rene Guyard, a French
merchant of Reynosa who
purchased the land in 1845
and left to the Oblate
priests in 1871. When the
City of Mission was
founded in 1908 it was
named "Mission" in honor
of La Lomita Chapel.
Speer Memorial Library
Kika de la Garza
Raised in Mission, Kika de la
Garza, one of Mission's
favorite sons served in the
U.S. House of
Representatives from 1964
until 1996. A long time
champion of Hispanics,
Education and Agriculture, in
1978 he was awarded the
Order of the Aztec Eagle,
the highest honor Mexico
may bestow on a foreigner.
Original Mission
Town Site
The extension of the Spider
web Rail Road and its
depot 3-5 miles north of the
original La Lomita
community - as well as the
Post Office's requiring
another name (than
"Lomita" which was already
taken) - led to the
establishment and founding
of the Original "Mission"
Town site in 1908.
Speer Memorial Library
Speer Memorial Library
Speer Memorial Library
Don't forget to visit our
Mission Historical Museum
900 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572
Don't forget to visit our
Mission Historical Museum
900 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572
Speer Memorial Library
Speer Memorial Library
Don't forget to visit our
Mission Historical Museum
900 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572
Don't forget to visit our
Mission Historical Museum
900 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572
Don't forget to visit our
Mission Historical Museum
900 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572
Don't forget to visit our
Mission Historical Museum
900 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572