Del Rio, Queen City of the Rio GrandeDel Rio's roots grew in the sandy soil by San Felipe Creek along with the myths and dreams of the old Wild West, where the mighty Rio Grande dances through the dusty lands of the Lone Star State. Ancient nomads left their mark in the riverside canyons of this border country long before the springs at Del Rio became a lonely waystation providing water and rest to travelers, merchants, and soldiers marching the long, hot, and dry San Antonio-El Paso Road. When the products of ranching began riding the rails to eastern markets, Del Rio's population exploded and the town became known as the Wool and Mohair Capital of the World.Del Rio: Queen City of the Rio Grande tells tales of the starry nights and shimmering sunlight of the storied Texas frontier, with vivid images detailing the gripping drama and unique memories chronicled here. From the U.S. Army's experimental Camel Corps to the world's most powerful radio stations in the 1930s and the U-2 spy planes involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Del Rio, seat of one of the largest counties in Texas and sister to the thriving Mexican border city Ciudad Acu±a, has played a part on the world stage. Those stories and more, including the little known "Italian Colony" of West Texas and landmark civil rights court cases, are told here. |
Contents
Acknowledgments | 6 |
Water on the Road | 7 |
An Oasis in the Wilderness | 13 |
The Italian Colony | 30 |
Steel Wheels | 37 |
The City of Del Rio | 44 |
A County for the County Seat | 59 |
Soldiers of the Frontier | 66 |
Outlaw Air | 81 |
Blue Skies | 97 |
The Land of Amistad | 111 |
Schools Apart and Schools Together | 128 |
Main Street | 139 |
| 154 | |
| 159 | |
Neighbors Across the Way | 72 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Air Force Base aircraft American Amistad Dam Army began border border blaster boundaries Brinkley Brinkley's broadcast building built Canal canyon charter Ciudad Acuña commissioners construction county courthouse County Historical Commission court crossing Del Rio Devil's River DRISD Eagle Pass early east election Farm laborer Mexico federal Felipe Del Rio flood floodwaters Garza goats Griner Hispanic inches Italian June Kallinger Keeping house Mexico Kinney County known land Langtry Laughlin Laughlin Air Force Losoya Main Street mayor Mexican government miles operation Paso Pecan Pecos River pilots plane President Presidio Qualia Queen City radio railroad recorded Rio's Rioans Rose Dawn San Antonio San Felipe Creek San Felipe neighborhood San Felipe Springs segregation soldiers Southern Pacific station Taini Texas town tracks trains United Vacas Val Verde County Verde County Historical Villa Acuña vote Warren Studio Whitehead Memorial Museum Wolfman XERA XERF