THE RATTLER PART II: TRAIN CARRIES ITS FIRST FREIGHT FROM BROWNSVILLE

 

The passenger trains ate up the distance of 141 miles between Brownsville and Robstown in just ten hours as shown in the given timecard.

There were three regular trains each way per week, and on the intervening days, the passenger trains picked up and handled any carload freight offered.

This new mode of transportation not only allowed faster travel in and out the Valley, but contributed to the economic growth of local businesses as they now were able to ship their products to northern destinations in bundles and at a faster pace.

One of those that took advantage of this method of transport was Milton H. Cross from Matamoros. He made the first shipment of freight out of the Valley, consisting of 52 bales of Mexican cotton and some dry hides. 

The shipment constituted the entire cotton movement for the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railway for the year 1904.

Cross started the ball rolling and others followed. 

Since this region was predominantly agrarian, the rattler soon was carrying mother loads of farm products.

The first carload of vegetables leaving the Valley were shipped out by the McDavitt Brothers of Brownsville. 

But it was not until about one year after the line was opened that the shipment was made.

The car was loaded with onions from the Buena Vista truck farm and was billed out of Brownsville consigned to Albert Miller & Company of Chicago.

The car bore a streamer on each side announcing in flaming letters: 

“First Car of Straight Vegetables Ever Shipped from Brownsville.”

Note: excerpts and information were taken from the book, “Gringo Builders,” by J.L. Allhands, copyright 1931.