The town of Hidalgo, Texas which was named in honor of Miguel Hidalgo, the father of Mexico, has the distinction of being the first point in the U.S. at which the South American killer bees entered. In a tongue-in-cheek move, they have erected a very large killer bee next to their City Hall. Another point of interest in the small town of less than 8,000 inhabitants is the museum surrounding the pump house where irrigation in the Rio Grand Valley began. It is because of irrigation that the arid land along the border became rich farmland capable of growing various crops including corn, sugar cane and the famous Ruby Red Grapefruit. And it is the very irrigation which has lowered the level of the Rio Grande River. After our stop in Hidalgo, we went on to the chapel of La Lomita which is close to the city of Mission, Texas. The chapel, which was built in an unusual style with rocks and then a layer of adobe on the outside, is an unassuming building that was the church was one of various that were used in the 19th century by traveling priests when they visited their far flung parishioners. The part of the chapel that I found most interesting were the Stations of the Cross which have been drawn on sheets of paper and taped to the wall. On the grounds of the chapel, which today form a state park, there is an earthen oven used by the local Indians and a shrine to the Virgin Mary that dates from some time in the 20th century.
Click a picture to see a larger view.
City Hall in Hidalgo
The Killer Bee
A Home in Hidalgo
The First Valley Pump House
La Lomita Chapel
Interior of La Lomita
Stations of the Cross
View of the Rock Construction
Shrine to Mary
Earthen Oven
In the Park
