Moments in Time is a collection of recovered newspaper briefs and other publications, compiled by local historian, Steve Hathcock, offering a look back at the history of the Rio Grande Valley.
Steve Hathcock is a local historian and a regular columnist for the Port Isabel South Padre Press. He has spent many years collecting and sharing the history of the Rio Grande Valley, as well as treasure hunting and formerly owning an Island-based bookstore.
San Benito
TO THE HERALD. San Benito, Texas, July 25.—Everybody is busy here, and things are moving briskly as usual. The frame work of the new hotel is going up and the building will be pushed to completion, so as to be in readiness for the fall rush. It will be a two-story building with twenty-four rooms. It was intended to build it of brick but owing to inability to secure the brick in time, it was concluded to use lumber. A brick hotel will be erected later on and this building will be used as an annex.
The depot building is well begun. This is to be exactly like the Brownsville depot, except that it will have a twenty-foot freight room added.
A number of land sales have been made lately, and all purchasers will settle here and develop the land.
Quite a number are now clearing and preparing to plant in the fall. As much as 400 or 500 acres of land is already cleared. This land will be planted in sugar, onions, grapes, figs, etc.
(The Brownsville Herald Fri, Jul 26, 1907)
Editor’s Note: the original San Benito Hotel, which was later became known as the Travelers Hotel) was built by the San Benito Land and Water Company. Located on the west side of Old Alice Road this two-story, 24-room lumber framework was thrown up quickly to accommodate the “fall rush” of prospective northern land buyers arriving on rail excursions, the company chose to build with lumber when brick supplies fell through.
A permanent brick structure was built right alongside it a few years later, turning the original wood-frame building into the hotel’s annex as planned.
Park Board Reject Bids On Island Development
The Cameron County Park Board Monday rejected all bids on proposed improvements on Isla Blanca Park.
Two reasons were given for the rejection: Adams Brothers of Brownsville, low over-all bidder, did not sign their bid. To have accepted the bid would have required consent of all other bidders, which was impractical during the period of bid consideration since not all bidding contractors were present. The board would like to have accepted part of one bid and part of another. On closer examination of the specifications, the board found it was required to take bids on an “all or none” basis.
The board ordered new specifications prepared for another bidding. Bids will be accepted on two separate projects, one including all facilities improvements and the other including the restraining wall.
Bids opened Monday were Adams Bros. of Brownsville $74,579, Fred M. Allen of San Benito $77,410 and E. J. Waitman of Harlingen $76,722.
The bids Monday were on a covered walkway with shuffleboard area, eight single-unit overnight shelters, two double unit cabanas, a restraining wall to keep sand from blowing from the beach, and a parking area, together with necessary utilities, walks, paving and grading.
Money for the projects will come from residue of an $850,000 bond issue passed three years ago.
The board agreed to take under advisement a request that the old Padre Island hotel be returned to Mrs. Agnes Dickinson of Brownsville. Mrs. Dickinson’s attorney said the hotel was inadvertently included in a 30-acre tract she included gave to the county for park purposes on Padre Island.
(The Brownsville Herald Apr 12, 1955 ·Page 2)
Editor’s Note: did Mrs. Dickenson get her hotel back you might ask?
The legal fight over the old Padre Island hotel property was short but Agnes Dickinson did not get the hotel back
Historical records from the Brownsville Herald Archives show that in May 1955, the Cameron County Commissioners Court met to resolve the issue.
Mrs. Dickinson’s lawyer argued that including the old hotel when she originally deeded a 30-acre tract of land to the county for park purposes (which became part of Isla Blanca Park), was not her intention. Rather than returning the actual hotel building or carving the property back out of the public park tract, a compromise was reached. The Cameron County Commissioners Court and County Judge Oscar C. Dancy flatly refused to give up the park footprint and refused to consider canceling the deal. Instead, Mrs. Dickinson’s legal counsel formally agreed to settle for only a single acre immediately surrounding the property rather than reclaiming the broader tract which would have hampered the continuous development of the public park spaces.
This cleared the way for Cameron County to push forward with its major bond-funded improvements at Isla Blanca Park and the rest is history.