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McALLEN,
TEXAS
Hidalgo County,
South Texas
Highway 83
West of Highway 281
16 miles W of Weslaco
30 miles W of Harlingen
Population:
106,414 (2000) 84,021 (1990)
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For
some reason, this town seems to stand out as the Hub of the Valley.
West of here are the smaller towns that become known to true connoisseurs
of the Valley. Edinburg
is technically connected, but they haven't merged like Bryan-College
Station although they might have by the time you read this. Traffic
is noticeably more congested but still not as bad as back home. It's
the only city we know where the busiest street is 10th. One has to
feel for early residents who bought on this street thinking it would
be far away from Main Street hustle and bustle.
Since the tallest building in the Valley is here (visible from Mexico)
it's not easy to get lost in McAllen. At the foot of this building
is an arch from the old McAllen High School (NE corner of the parking
lot). |
The
stone arch of the front of the McAllen High School preserved at the
corner of 12th street and Austin Ave. Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, March 2008
See Texas
Schoolhouses |
Other outstanding architectural points of interest include the old
Southern Pacific Railroad Station on Bicentennial. After passenger
service dropped off, the building has been vacant, has headquartered
the Police and other city departments, and is currently home to a
law firm.
To show their appreciaton of their winter guests, McAllen has monthly
picnics honoring them state by state. A few Iowans have been known
to show up at the Illinois picnic, but this was only in retaliation
for the ugly 1938 incident which we will not discuss here.
© John
Troesser |
Street
Name Trivia by
Joe Foster
"A set of McAllen avenues are named alphabetically for trees...,
flowers, and birds..." more |
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Even
gargoyles are colorful in McAllen
This one adorns a former Elementary School
TE photo |
McAllen
Chamber of Commerce
1-800-250-2591
10 North Broadway.
www.mcallen.org
For our readers that are interested in Demographics (and who isn't)
the chamber has a US Map in lieu of a guest book. Visitors are encouraged
to insert a map tack into their city of origin. |
| McAllen
Vintage Postcard Images |
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"City
of Palms"
McAllen, Texas
Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/
~txgenweb// postcards/Index.html |
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Main
Street, McAllen, Texas, 1922
Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/
~txgenweb// postcards/Index.html |
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1940s
Main Street, McAllen, Texas
Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/
~txgenweb// postcards/Index.html |
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McAllen,
Texas street scene
Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/
~txgenweb// postcards/Index.html |
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U.S. Post
Office
Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/
~txgenweb// postcards/Index.html |
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