By Rene Torres
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Going back to the beginning, it was specifically March 28, 1846 at 1:00 p.m., that the first American flag flew over this territory of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
It was fastened to a mesquite tree by Zackary Taylor’s men as they bombarded Matamoros.
This region was better known then in Europe, then in the United States.
Simultaneously, the colors of France, Spain, and England were run up from their respective consulates in Matamoros.
Shortly after the Mexican War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848, Brownsville was incorporated into a city in 1850.
But altering the landscape from a brush-infested countryside with a lawless, "Wild West" society took decades to accomplish.
What was the number one thing that lifted this valley into what it is today?
Transforming this region into a civilized area really did not happen until the St. Louis, Brownsville, Mexico Railway came to town on July 4, 1904
The inaugural train ride, that left Corpus Christi, accommodated 150 Corpus Christians and some valley passengers.
They climbed into a train described as gaily decorated, with folks carrying their lunches for their long trip to Brownsville.
The run started with cheers, flag waving and band music, as some old-timers talked about this being the beginning of Corpus Christi.
In Brownsville, the arrival of the train was met with a throng that had been anxiously waiting to see this horseless carriage finish its first run.
The affair included an official reception committee. Speeches were delivered, followed by a concert by the Fort Brown military band and concluded with a 21-gun salute.
Herbert C. Dennett, who served as agent for the railroad, sold the first ticket in Brownsville.
Since no terminal was available, Dennett set up shop outdoors by piling old railroad ties into a makeshift desk.
The rest is history.
The outdoor office was not anything to brag about, in fact, it was ill equipped. It had one ticket stamp, a crayon box and $40 in change.
Speaking then, Herbert said, “I don’t remember too much of what happened. . . . I was too busy; I do remember there was a lot of VIPs on hand and the band played on.”
“People went wild for a while,” he added.
A Corpus Christi city commissioner from back then, Joe Mireur, compared the arrival of the railroad to that of the building of the Naval Base in his town. He commented that it also began the development of the Rio Grande Valley.
"It was something remarkable. Crowds would gather to see its departure and arrival,” declared W. B. Hopkins, Nueces County judge.
It was not unusual for people to stop what they were doing to watch the train come in.
“I abandoned a good baseball game to see the train roll into town,” Hopkins said.
Train leaves Corpus…
Adorned with drapery made for kings and flags flying proudly, the train left early, making its way slowly out of Corpus with passengers hanging out the windows waving to friends.
An infectious holiday spirit spread throughout the train as passengers visited, ate their lunches and sang during the seven-hour journey.
Once the travelers settled in, the monotony of the ride set in.
The only thing they could see out the train windows were a few scattered ranches and miles of mesquite brush and cactus.
Prior to the opening of the railroad, people from Corpus made the trip to Brownsville by stagecoach, the trip usually taking between 2 to 3 days of hard traveling.
This occasion marked the beginning of a land rush that lasted until 1930. Fast talking salesmen offered unclear land to gullible Easterners, who’s pockets were full of gold and heads filled with dreams.
The sales pitch was that you could have a country home, irrigated land and acres of rich, black soil that would produce lemons, grapefruit and oranges that could be sold for unheard riches.
Maybe, at the beginning, that was an exaggerated sale pitch, but as time progressed, it became a reality.
Aside from carrying passengers, the train also loaded freight.
One of the first cargo orders made by a Brownsville store owner may have included cotton dresses, baseball equipment, pots and pans and beer.
What do you think was the first load of freight?
Part II will answer the question.
Note: Quotes and excerpts were taken from the Valley Morning Star of 1944 and photo from the Brownsville Herald
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