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Mercedes, Texas is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas. The population was
17,649 at the 2000 census.
Mercedes is known as the "The Queen City of the Valley" or "La Reina del Valle."
The city of Mercedes was founded September 15, 1907 by the American Rio
Grande Land & Irrigation Company, and was incorporated March 8, 1909. It is one
of the oldest towns in the Rio Grande Valley, and the city celebrated its centennial
in 2007.
The city was located in Capisallo Pasture, part of Capisallo Ranch owned by Jim
Welles. This location was known as the Pear Orchard owing to the vast numbers
of prickly pear cactus growing there at that time.
Some sources state that the original name given to the city was Diaz in honor of
Porfirio Diaz, then president of Mexico. Later it was renamed Mercedes Diaz in
honor of the president's wife and from that, Mercedes became the Queen City.
This story, however, is historically inaccurate, given that neither of Diaz's two
wives were named Mercedes.
General Zachary Taylor's headquarters was to the southeast of Mercedes near
the river. There the old Rabb Ranch was famous for its stagecoach stop and
riverboat landing for the riverboats that plied up and down the Rio Grande River
carrying supplies to the settlements and military installations.
The old Toluca Ranch still stands east of the International Bridge at Progreso, the
sister city to the south. This Ranch was close to the river and a prized target for
the bandidos during the days of Pancho Villa. It was built with many secret rooms
and passages and heavy wooden shutters on the windows to protect its residents.
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Mercedes Business Directory
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