Benavides Texas. (original) (raw)
History in a Pecan Shell
The wide median that bisects the town leaves no doubt that the town was born with the arrival of the railroad. The namesake of the town was Placido Benavides who had served in the Confederate army. After the Civil War he devoted himself to raising cattle and his ranch became one of the largest in Duval County. He generously allowed a depot to be built on his property in 1880 and the following year donated 80 acres for a townsite.
| In 1882 Archer Parr moved to Benavides and in time became the "Boss" of Duval County. He set into place a corrupt dynasty with his son and grandson continuing his legacy of creative bookkeeping, voting fraud and outright assassination. For anyone interested in how corrupt and totally controlled a place can be and still be in the United States - The Fall of the Duke of Duval by John E. Clark, Eakin Press, 1995 is recommended. | | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
By 1884 Benavides was Duval County's second largest town.
By 1914 Parr attempted to form a new county with Benavides as the seat of government. It was to be called Pat Dunn County after the State Legislator who was introducing the bill. A clause in the State Constitution prohibited the act - depriving Parr of another County Treasury to loot.
The estimated population of Benavides had dropped to 250 but by the mid-1920s had risen to 1,897.
A bank was established in 1928, when the population was about 1200 people. By the 1940s the town was prospering with 80 businesses and a population just over 3,000.
In 1950 Benavide's businesses did $2,084,000 in sales. The population began a decline that lasted until the 80's when it rose to just over 2,000 people.
Benavides Texas Landmarks/Photo Gallery
Merchants Exchange Bank Building Sign
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, September 2011
Former Merchants Exchange Bank
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, September 2011
Buffalo, an architectural detail from the bank
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, September 2011
Another bank architectural detail showing the nickel
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, September 2011
L - The Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church in Benavides
R - A relic of better years
TE Photos, 2001
L - The Old Benavides Bank
R - A former business
TE Photos, 2001
Benavides, Texas Forum
- Subject: Church in Benavides
I happen to grow up in San Diego Texas and came across your website today. The information was interesting except for a photo of the church. The church you placed under San Diego, TX is the wrong Church. The church you have pictured is actually the church of a near by town, Benavides, TX. Their church's name is Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church. The church in San Diego is Saint Francis de Paula Catholic Church. You can find it on Victoria St. in San Diego. It is a really beautiful church with lots of history itself. Thank you, Elaine Montemayor-Gonzalez, April 17, 2006
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