Texas Historical Marker #17323
Laredo's First International Bridge. #17323
Water Street & Convent Avenue, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #15598
Villa De Laredo, Original Site of. #15598
?, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #15175
Poblacion De Dolores. Poblacion de Dolores, oldest Spanish settlement on north bank of the Rio Grande. Founded August 22, 1750 by Jose Vasquez Borrego, Lieutenant of Jose de Escandon. #15175
?, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #13678
San Bernardo Avenue. San Bernardo Avenue, which began as a commercial road in Laredo, became known as the San Antonio Highway by 1938, replacing the earlier route along Santa Maria Avenue. Due to the anticipated increase in tourism, San Bernardo Avenue property started to be developed even earlier for travel-related businesses, including motor courts and filling stations. The city marketed itself as a gateway to Mexico, and San Bernardo Avenue soon provided the most accessible route. Other tourism-related businesses also grew in correlation with the strip's increasing importance. Many entrepreneurs opened motels, restaurants and other businesses along the strip to serve visitors. These modern structures along the path often featured architectural detailing representing earlier Western and Spanish themes, which sometimes differed considerably from other building designs within Laredo. The exaggerated designs catered to out of town visitors and their concepts of the region. Advertising along the highway also reflected these themes. The new businesses and emphasis on tourist attractions were vital for Laredo's early commercial growth and development, helping to expand the city's economy. Today, the San Bernardo commercial strip is still a vibrant part of the city as Laredo continues to be a popular tourist destination. Its architecture evokes an era of early auto tourism, an integral part of the area's history in the twentieth century. (2006) #13678
2400 San Bernardo Ave, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #13665
Laredo's Washington's Birthday Celebration. In 1897, Laredo's local lodge of the Great Council of Texas of the Improved Order of Red Men decided to organize a celebration of George Washington's birthday. On February 21, 1898, the Red Men held a two-day festival featuring a mock battle, parade, concert, reproduction of the Boston Tea Party and fireworks. The lodge held the next celebration two years later in 1900, beginning the annual observance of this tradition. In 1902, the City of Laredo and the Chamber of Commerce became involved. In 1923, the Washington's Birthday Celebration Association of Laredo formed and began overseeing the festival. Several events have become an annual part of the celebration, including galas, parades, luncheons and a bridge ceremony whose purpose is to unite the cultures of Mexico and the United States in festivity. Started in 1900 with the meeting of the mayors of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, the bridge ceremony has grown more elaborate as time has passed. It has often included important political officials, such as Texas governors, U.S. Senators and Representatives, and Cabinet members. Other events added through the years have also sought to promote a positive relationship between the United States and Mexico. Today, the celebration continues to grow in scope and influence, lasting as long as three to four weeks each year and bringing millions of dollars into the city. It remains a vital part of Laredo's tradition and economy. (2006) #13665
500 Flores Ave, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #12290
Leyendecker House. John Z. Leyendecker, a German immigrant who settled in the Texas Hill Country in 1845, came to Laredo between 1848 and 1850. A prominent merchant, Confederate army officer and civic leader, he built this house in 1866. His first wife was Maria Andrea Benavides, daughter of a prominent Laredo family. After her death he married her sister, Juliana. The house remained in the family until 1995. Designed in the "Mudejar" (Moorish) tradition, its features include a concrete cornice, arched doorway and flared pilaster base. The asymmetrical plan features patios (corredores) and arcades (galerias). Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1999 #12290
204 Flores St., Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #12289
Laredo Fire Department. The first Laredo fire company was organized in 1883. It was known as the Gate City Volunteer Fire Department and initially was comprised of only two men, O. P. Reid and Mauricio "Frenchy" Didieu. Reid and Didieu worked with two independent hose carts and only nine miles of water pipe in the city. They eventually took on more men and acquired a steam engine, but without city support the endeavor did not survive. Major fires during a period of city growth in the 1890s made Laredo citizens increasingly aware of the need for a fire brigade. Eugene Christen reorganized the city's firefighters and became fire chief. The firemen continued to operate as volunteers, with very little city support, until 1912. The city of Laredo then began to pay its firefighters. The position of fire marshal was created in 1915. The first motorized pumper was purchased in 1922. An enlarged fire station opened in 1928, and a few months later a second location opened. With city support, modern equipment, and a strong fire chief, the department grew steadily. By special arrangement, the Laredo and Nuevo Laredo Fire Departments agreed to assist each other in cases of extremely dangerous fires. By 1998, the Laredo Fire Department had nine fire stations, a regional fire training academy, six ambulances, a hazardous materials response team, an arson investigation unit, and fire prevention outreach services. The Laredo Fire Department has evolved with the city, continuing to serve Laredo citizens as it has for more than a century. (1999) #12289
912 Matamoros Road, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #12288
El Barrio Azteca. One of the earliest residential neighborhoods in Laredo, this area was first divided into lots in the 1870s and 1880s. Residents worshiped at San Augustin Catholic Church and "La Iglesia Presbiteriana Sinai," which was established in 1895. The Mexican revolution that began about 1910 induced many Mexicans to emigrate to the United States. By 1911 "La Escuela Amarilla" (the Yellow School) and the water well in "La Plaza De la Noria" were the center of the self-sufficient community. A theatre, the "Teatro Nacional," opened in 1922. The Laredo Coffee Company and a bottling works were in operation by 1925. The "Teatro Nacional" was renamed "El Azteca" in the 1930s. The neighborhood soon adopted the theater's name. The Iturbide Theater opened in 1935, calling itself the "Home of Spanish Vaudeville." At various times El Azteca has boasted bakeries, tortilla factories, food stores, funeral homes, blacksmiths, barber shops, doctors' offices, a boarding house, a boys' orphanage and a private men's school. Area structures have been flat roofed stucco sandstone structures, stylish Victorian cottages, shotgun houses, board-and-batten box houses and brick storefronts. The Juarez-Lincoln Bridge, also known as International Bridge Number Two, was constructed in 1976. Thirteen city blocks of historic housing were destroyed to build the bridge. The U. S. border station was completed in 1982. Azteca Economic Development and Preservation Corporation was founded in 1982 to foster neighborhood revitalization and encourage preservation-based economic development. El Barrio Azteca remains a thriving district. (1999) #12288
?, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #05963
Zuniga House. Roberto Zuniga moved to Laredo in 1916 from Monterrey, Mexico and established a custom brokerage business in 1918 with his brother Alfonso Zuniga. Roberto and Elvira Zuniga hired the local John O. Buenz Lumber Company to build this house in 1923 in the fashionable Heights neighborhood. The Prairie School style house features stucco over brick construction, box columns on the porch, and a flat roof with parapet. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1996 #5963
902 Market Street, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #05734
Webb County. Formed from Nueces county; created January 28, 1848, organized March 16, 1848. Named in honor of James Webb, 1792 - 1856, attorney general and secretary of state of the Republic of Texas 1838-1841. Laredo, the county seat founded in 1755 by Tomas Sanchez. #5734
Del mar & I-35 interchange, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #05435
The Texas Mexican Railway. Leading merchants in Corpus Christi began planning the Corpus Christi and Rio Grande Railroad in the 1850s to boost the south Gulf Coast as a center for commerce. Lack of funding and an economic slump prevented progress until 1875 when Uriah Lott became president of the railroad. Lott recruited major investors such as Richard King and Robert Kleberg to finance the construction of a narrow gauge rail line from Corpus Christi to San Diego. The lucrative valley market was sought by other rail companies who were vying for its control. Lott engineered the sale of the Corpus Christi and Rio Grande Railroad to a syndicate in the 1880s. The new owners were granted a charter with the name of the Texas-Mexican Railway Company. Laredo emerged as a major rail trading center and its population tripled in the 1880s. Over time the Texas Mexican Railway remained competitive by upgrading its system. Improvements included converting to standard gauge track by 1902, switching its locomotives to diesel electric in 1939, placing trailer on flatcars in the 1950s, and expanding operations into Houston and Beaumont in 1996. (1997) #5435
1200 Washington, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #05029
San Augustine Church. N/A #5029
San Augustine Square, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #04589
Santos Benavides. Santos Benavides, son of Jose Jesus and Marguerita Benavides and great-great grandson of Laredo founder Tomas Sanchez, was born in Laredo on November 1, 1823. He married Augustina Villareal in 1842. Benavides, appointed procurador (administrative agent) of Laredo in 1843, openly cooperated with the forces of Mirabeau B. Lamar which occupied Laredo during the Mexican War (1846-48) in an effort to pacify the region. He was elected mayor of Laredo in 1856 and 1857 and chief justice of Webb County in 1859. During the Civil War Benavides raised a company of cavalry at Laredo which defeated Juan Cortina in the Battle of Carrizo in 1861. He became a colonel in command of his own regiment known as Benavides' Regiment. On March 19, 1864, his regiment successfully defended Laredo with only 42 men against a Union force of more than 200 men. During the late 1860s and 1870' Benavides engaged in mercantile and ranching activities with his brother Cristobal. He served in the Texas Legislature during the 1880s and in 1884 was appointed Texas Commissioner to the world's Cotton Exposition. Benavides helped found the Guarache party, a faction of Laredo's Democratic Party. He died in Laredo on November 9, 1891. Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845-1995 #4589
Saunders Street, Catholic cemetery, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #04483
Saint Peter the Apostle Catholic Church. This congregation, the second Catholic church organized in Laredo, began in 1897 as an English speaking parish to serve non Spanish speaking families who arrived in Laredo during the 1880s. The church structure, designed by German craftsman Heinrich Postcheller, was built in 1897 and has undergone numerous alterations. Nuns of the Ursuline Order established a neighborhood school at St. Peter's about 1899. In 1939 Monsignor Dan Lanning founded the society of Martha Washington, which integrated women into activities of the renowned Washington's birthday celebration. (1993) #4483
1500 Matamoros, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #04271
Rio Grande and Eagle Pass Railroad (Pecos and Rio Grande Railroad). Alexander Cameron Hunt, former territorial governor of Colorado, built the Pecos and Rio Grande Railroad northwest from Laredo to the coal mining region along the Rio Grande. Construction of the narrow gauge line began in March 1882 as 100 men cleared the brush with picks and shovels and built a bridge over Santa Isabela Creek. Col. W. W. Hungerford was hired as general manager of the rail line, and by September trains were running to the coal mines. By June 1883, Hunt began to lay a third rail. Standard gauge coal cars were then connected to the International and Great Northern Railway and avoided costly reloading of coal at Laredo. Hunt overextended the financial resources of the company, and by 1885 had declared bankruptcy. Charles Barstow Wright, president of the Northern Pacific Railroad, purchased the reorganized Pecos and Rio Grande. By 1895 the line was renamed the Rio Grande and Eagle Pass railroad. Improvements to the line were made in 1910 totaling $132,000. Carloads of vegetables were also shipped on the line in the 1920-40s. By World War II the coal mines closed, and in 1947 the Rio Grande and Eagle Pass abandoned the line and tore up the track. (1997) #4271
FM 1472, NW of Laredo, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #04249
Republic of the Rio Grande. In January 1840 Senor Antonio Canales and other Federalists met near Guerrero to found the Republic of the Rio Grande. Canales and friends were loyal to the Mexican constitution of 1824, which had been set aside by Centralists in Mexico City. The Republic was to govern northern Mexico and the part of Texas south of the Nueces. Jesus Cardenas was president; Francisco Vidaurri y Villasenor, vice president; and Juan Francisco Farias, secretary. The capitol was established at 1000 Zaragoza Street, on this plaza in Laredo. Centralist General Manuel Arista brought an army here to crush the Republic. In March he took Laredo without a fight; then after a battle at Morelos, he captured and killed Federalist leader Antonio Zapata. Mexican and Anglo-Texan Federalists counterattacked, and recaptured Laredo and several other towns; but confronted by a large Centralist force at Saltillo, the Anglo-Texans found themselves and some Carrizo Indians making a lone stand. Many comrades had fled. After a bloody battle, the Indians and Texans escaped to the north of the Rio Grande. Canales, deserted by his army, surrendered to Arista near Camargo, and in a few days Cardenas gave up Laredo. The Republic of the Rio Grande had lasted 283 days. (1976, 1994) #4249
St Augustin Square, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #04230
Refugio Benavides. A native of Laredo, Jose Del Refugio Benavides was a descendant of Tomas Sanchez, who founded the city in 1755. As a member of one of Laredo's most celebrated families, he was instrumental in the city's development during the 19th century. He was elected to the office of alderman in 1850 and mayor in 1859. During the Civil War Benavides and his brothers were active in defenses along the Texas-Mexico border. Rising to the rank of Captain, Refugio Benavides commanded a company in the 3rd Texas cavalry. His actions in defending the border against invasions by union troops and Mexican raiders led by Juan Cortina helped retain the valley's important role as a vital cotton-exporting site for the Confederacy. In 1873, following Reconstruction, Refugio Benavides was again elected mayor of Laredo and served three successive terms. Among the accomplishments of his political career were improved public schools, city sewage systems, and the revision of the city charter. Married twice, Benavides was the father of six children. He died in 1899 and was buried in the old Catholic cemetery. He was reinterred here during World War II. (1990) #4230
Saunders St. in Catholic Cemetery, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #03037
The Laredo National Bank. Villa de San Agustin de Laredo, founded here by area rancher Tomas Sanchez in 1755, was an agrarian-based community for its first 125 years. The convergence of three railroad lines here in the 1880s significantly expanded business activity in Laredo and attracted many new European and Mexican immigrants to this area. These events heralded a shift to a mercantile economy and prompted San Antonio merchant John King Beretta to open a privately-owned bank in 1892. The bank prospered and was chartered by the U.S. Treasury as the Laredo National Bank in 1895. The bank's initial success was sustained by Mexican trade, local Bermuda Union production in the 1890s, and commercial activity associated with the production of oil in the area during the early 1900s. The bank continued to prosper during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1917), due partially to increased U.S. military activity in the area. By 1922 Laredo National Bank boasted $2 million in assets. Sound fiscal policies allowed the bank to emerge from the 1930's depression on solid ground. In 1979-1983 this building (former site of the Robert E. Lee and Plaza hotels) was renovated for use as the bank's headquarters. Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845-1995 #3037
?, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #03036
Laredo Election Riot, 1886. Annual elections for city officials, held here since 1767, were followed by rioting in 1886. Citizens were divided among two rival parties. The Guaraches, named for the Mexican Indian sandals, were led by Dario Gonzales. Raymond Martin, a French immigrant, led the Botas (boots). Shortly before the April election, a Bota city councilman was killed. Sheriff Dario Sanchez, a Bota, appointed several special deputies, and Guarache resentment flared. The April 6 election was peaceful. Bota candidates won all places except two. Against the advice of party leaders, the Botas planned a mock funeral for their defeated opponents on the evening of April 7. The humiliated Guaraches determined to stop the procession. They fired their ceremonial cannon, filled with nails and scrap iron, into the Bota parade. Both sides began shooting, and a battle ensued. U.S. soldiers, dispatched by Col. R. F. Bernard, commander at Fort McIntosh, ended the fighting. Martial law was imposed. Casualties were estimated higher than the 11 known dead. Col. Bernard blamed the violence on factions in both parties, and on lawless outsiders and renegades gathered on both sides of the border in the days preceding the election. (1976) #3036
?, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #02742
Jarvis Plaza. New York native Samuel Matthias Jarvis (1822-1893) received an engineering degree from Columbia University and joined General Zachary Taylor's army when the United States declared war against Mexico. After the war Jarvis worked in Vallecillo, Nuevo Leon, where he married Inocencia Flores. Their family settled in Laredo following the Civil War. Jarvis held several public offices in both Laredo and Webb County including county surveyor. He was responsible for surveying streets and parks in the city, and produced a map of Laredo that was officially adopted by the City Council in 1869. He expanded the traditional Spanish town plan laid out in 1767 by Juan Fernando de Palacios. Jarvis served as mayor of Laredo from 1868-72. He donated land for this plaza and it was referred to as Jarvis Plaza as early as 1881. The plaza was the center of a second business district and the Post Office/Customs house, and nearby hotels were constructed in the early 1900s. Jarvis was instrumental in the development of Laredo and Webb County, spurred by the arrival of the railroads in the 1880s. The plaza continues to serve the citizens of Laredo as it has for more than a century. (1997) #2742
1301 Farragut, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #00874
City Hall and Market House. In the early 1880s several railroad lines were built into Laredo from both the United States and Mexico, resulting in a major economic boom for the city. Laredo's population tripled in size with the arrival of U.S. and Mexican immigrants, and city leaders began planning for larger municipal offices to replace a smaller facility on the south side of St. Augustine Plaza. The construction of this city hall and market house complex in 1883-84 led to a rapid shift of community activity away from St. Augustine Plaza and toward this site. The city hall housed offices of the mayor and other city officials, city council chambers, and an auditorium. Later public uses of the building included a skating rink, library, and temporary quarters for Laredo High School in 1916-17. The adjacent market house provided indoor retail space to merchants who had previously operated from open-air stalls on the site. By 1930 it was converted into office space and an arena for local athletic events. Although the city hall and market house complex has been significantly altered over the years, it remains an important landmark and link to Laredo's late 19th-century development. (1990) #874
?, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #00746
Casa Vidaurri. On grant from Spain. Built 1874 by Texas military leader Santos Benavides. Sold 1883 to Eulalio Benavides. Still owned by descendants. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1964. #746
202 Flores Ave., Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #00744
Casa Ortiz. On King of Spain's grant to Don Jose Reyes Ortiz, merchant and go between for Mexico and Texas. Home to 5 Ortiz generations. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1964 #744
915 Zaragoza St, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #00704
Capitol, Republic of the Rio Grande. Federalists opposed to regime of Santa Anna in Mexico City were headed by Jesus Cardenas as president. Recruited aid in Texas, won victories in Mexico, after 2 years made peace with Centralists. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1965 #704
1000 Zaragoza & San Agustin St., Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #00544
Bruni Plaza. When Juan Fernando de Palacios, Governor of Nuevo Santander, New Spain, designated Laredo as a villa in 1767, he laid out a central plaza as an integral part of the city's plan. During the era of Spanish colonization, the plaza functioned as a place for public meetings, readings of decrees, and corrals for cattle roundups. The land for this park was set aside in city plats by the Laredo City Council in 1870, and designated as a public plaza. From about 1900, it was known locally as Juarez Plaza, named for the organization Sociedad Mutualista Hijos de Juarez that met west of this block. In 1931 the plaza was renamed Bruni Plaza in tribute to prominent Laredo citizen Antonio Mateo Bruni. Born in Italy in 1856, Bruni came to Laredo in 1877 and established a mercantile business. A civic leader, Bruni was elected to the City Council in 1886, and to the County Commission in 1894. His other enterprises included holdings in real estate and ranching. Bruni contributed to the beautification of the plaza, and after his death in 1931, his will provided funds for its care. The site continues to serve as a community gathering place. (1997) #544
900 Washington Street, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #00419
Bishop Peter Verdaguer. Born in the Cataluna region of Spain, the most Rev. Peter Verdaguer de Prat studied in the United States. He was ordained (1862) in San Francisco and ministered at Catholic Indian missions in California. While serving at Our Lady of the Angels Church in Los Angeles, he was nominated for the Vicariate of Brownsville. Consecrated a Bishop in Barcelona in 1890, he sailed to Corpus Christi and in 1891 took up residence in Laredo. Entrusted with the care of 42,500 Catholics, Bishop Verdaguer faced two severe problems: the extreme poverty of the Vicariate and the mobility of the many Mexican-Americans among his flock. The great drought of the early 1890s aggravated the situation. Bishop Verdaguer spent much of his time traveling on horseback from Laredo to Victoria and Brownsville, baptizing, marrying and confirming the faithful on South Texas ranches. Despite hardship, three new churches were built in Laredo from 1896 to 1909. During the tenure of the most Rev. Verdaguer, the number of Catholics in the Vicariate rose to 82,000, and the number of churches, schools and clergy increased significantly. After his death, the Vicariate continued to exist until 1913, when the Diocese of Corpus Christi was established. (1978) #419
US 59, Laredo Catholic Cemetery, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #00405
Biggio-Kowalski-De La Garza House. Chester C. Biggio, a railroad official and the city's first fire chief, had this home built in 1909 for his family. He died in 1923, and in 1938 his widow Laura Blossman Biggio sold the house to Louis and Dorothy Kowalski. They lived here with their six children until 1948. Leonor de La Garza bought the house in 1965; her sister Fidela inherited it in 1973. The house is a good example of the American foursquare form. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1996 #405
1620 Farragut, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #00367
Benavides Brothers. Members of a prominent Laredo family, the three Benavides brothers were the descendants of Tomas Sanchez, who founded the city in 1755. Santos (1823-1891) and Refugio Benavides (b. 1824) and their half-brother Cristobal (1839-1904) were best known for their service in the Confederate army during the Civil War (1861-1865). Santos commanded a regiment in the 33rd Texas Cavalry and rose to the rank of colonel, the highest rank achieved by a Mexican-American in the Confederate army. Both Refugio and Cristobal earned the rank of captain. Stationed along the Texas-Mexican border, the brothers encountered both bandits and Union forces. In May 1862, they defeated a large raiding party led by Juan Cortina at Carrizo (now Zapata). In March 1864, although their troops were badly outnumbered, they defended Laredo against an army of Texas unionists. Their victory helped insure continuation of the vital Confederate cotton trade between Texas and Mexico. The Benavides brothers also distinguished themselves as political, commercial, and social leaders in Laredo. Santos and Cristobal operated one of the city's most prosperous mercantile companies. Santos also served in the state legislature, 1879-1884. (1976) #367
St. Augustin Plaza, Laredo, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #00234
August C. and Julia Richter Mansion. A native of San Antonio, August C. Richter (1863-1940) moved to Laredo in 1888. He acquired full ownership of an early fixed price department store, "El Precio Fijo." His wife, Julia, played a major role in the city's cultural and educational circles and introduced music to the Laredo public schools. This classical revival home, built for their family in 1906, features Ionic columns and first and second story wraparound porches. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1985 #234
1906 Houston St., Laredo, TX, United States