First Lift Station

Dedicated as a Texas Historic Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission in 1985, the First Lift Station in Mission, Texas once provided water for irrigating the crops of the early Rio Grande Valley. In 1907 John J. Conway and James W. Hoit began the Mission Canal Co. Irrigation system, which was instrumental in the early agricultural growth of the area. Here they built the first pump station out of hand made brick from Madero. The chimney is 106 feet tall and 6 feet in diameter. At the top is a double row of bricks that form a partial design.

There is some mystery as to why the top of the chimney was never completed, but whatever the reason the design was never finished, the boilers began operation in 1907 and the lift station started to pump life giving water from the Rio Grande. The 106 ft chimney carried smoke from wood-fired boilers which produced steam to drive the pump. Wood was used in units of 2 to 3 cords (7 to 11 m³) and a crew of 26 men with teams of mules was kept busy night and day to keep the boilers fed.

Los Ebanos Ferry Last hand operated ferry on the Rio Grande River

The Los Ebanos Ferry, formally known as the Los Ebanos-Diaz Ordaz Ferry, is a hand-operated cable ferry that travels across the Rio Grande between Los Ebanos, Texas and Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Tamaulipas. It is the last of its kind along the entire stretch of the Rio Grande. The city of Los Ebanos was named after the Texas Ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) that anchors the ferry.

La Lomita Historic District

Fort Brown

Fort Brown was a military post of the United States Army in Texas during the later half of 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. In 1845, the U.S. Army began construction of a new fort (then known as "Fort Texas") on the northern side of the Rio Grande River. The next year, the fort played a role during the opening of the Mexican-American War. During the Siege of Fort Texas, two Americans were killed, including Major Jacob Brown. In honor of the fallen major, General Zachary Taylor renamed the post Fort Brown. In 1849, the city of Brownsville, Texas, was established not far from the fort's grounds.

Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site

Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park near Brownsville, Texas preserves the grounds of the May 8, 1846, Battle of Palo Alto. It was the first major conflict in a border dispute that soon precipitated the Mexican-American War. TheUnited States Army victory here made the invasion of Mexico possible. The historic site portrays the battle and the war, and its causes and consequences, from the perspectives of both the United States and Mexico.

Resaca de la Palma

At the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, one of the early engagements of the Mexican-American War, United States General Zachary Taylor engaged the retreating forces of the Mexican Ejército del Norte ("Army of the North") under GeneralMariano Arista on May 9, 1846.

Rancho de Carricitos

USMC War Memorial

The Marine Corps War Memorial (also called the Iwo Jima Memorial) is a military memorial statue outside the walls of the Arlington National Cemetery and next to the Netherlands Carillon, in Arlington, Virginia, in the United States. The memorial is dedicated to all personnel of the United States Marine Corps who have died in the defense of their country since 1775. The design of the massive sculpture by Felix de Weldon was based on the iconic photo Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal.

The memorial features the Marines and Sailor who raised the second flag over Iwo Jima: Sgt Michael Strank, Cpl Harlon Block, PFC Franklin Sousley, PFC Rene Gagnon, PFC Ira Hayes, PM2 John Bradley.

Museum of South Texas History Originally the County Court House and Jail, built in the late 19th century

The Museum of South Texas History is located in Edinburg, Texas. It features exhibits on the history of the Rio Grande Valley, as well as the rest of South Texas.

The museum now owns more than a city block, located on the square in Edinburg. The Museum opened in 1970 as the Hidalgo County Historical Museum. It was originally housed in Hidalgo County’s Old Jail, a Texas National Landmark, built in 1910. The Museum has since expanded to three main buildings, and gives visitors a full understanding of regional history from prehistoric times and following through to the 20th century.

Collections include a giant prehistoric mosasaur and ice age mammoth, and follow to Coahuiltecan Indians, the Spanish exploration and colonization, the Mexican War, the U.S Civil War, the Steamboat era, and the Cattle Kingdom.

In November 2007, the final installment to the exhibits was unveiled, River Crossroads. The final stop on the tour, Crossroads takes the visitor through the prominence of the “Citrus Era,” the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution, and ends the journey with most recent area history.

The Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives house the Valley’s largest collection of historical photographs, plus documents and maps, available for research in the expanded quarters.

The Museum Store offers the largest selection of South Texas history books and memorabilia in the Rio Grande Valley.

Battle of Palmito Ranch, location of the last battle of The Civil War

The Battle of Palmito Ranch, also known as the Battle of Palmito Hill and the Battle of Palmetto Ranch, was fought on May 12 – May 13, 1865, during the American Civil War. It was the last major clash of arms in the war.

The battle was fought on the banks of the Rio Grande about twelve miles east of Brownsville, Texas. In the kaleidoscope of events following the surrender of Robert E. Lee's army on April 9, Palmito Ranch was nearly ignored.

The Brownsville Raid, the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, the construction of the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, and the Pharr police riots all took place in The Rio Grande Valley.

Information found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande_Valley