Mercedes, Texas
Encyclopedia
Mercedes is a city in Hidalgo County
, Texas
, United States
. The population was 15,570 at the 2010 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen
metropolitan areas.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²), of which, 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.69%) is water.
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
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.
of 2000, there were 13,649 people, 4,170 households, and 3,348 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,591.2 people per square mile (614.2/km²). There were 5,455 housing units at an average density of 636.0 per square mile (245.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.42% White, 0.36% African American, 0.89% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 16.95% from other races
, and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 90.01% of the population.
There were 4,170 households out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples
living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.7% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.27 and the average family size was 3.75.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,064, and the median income for a family was $25,339. Males had a median income of $19,945 versus $18,387 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $8,658. About 30.4% of families and 36.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 49.4% of those under age 18 and 30.3% of those age 65 or over.
, opened November 2, 2006. The city is roughly the geographical center of the Rio Grande Valley urban agglomeration and is located on U.S. Highway 83
, which connects the major urban centers of Brownsville
, McAllen
and Harlingen
. (2) The city is located near a major U.S.–Mexican border crossing making it accessible to the growing middle class population of Nuevo León
and Tamaulipas
.
operates the Mercedes Post Office.
Eastern Mercedes is in the Mercedes Independent School District
.
Western Mercedes is in the Weslaco Independent School District
.
In addition, South Texas Independent School District
, which is headquartered in Mercedes, serves magnet students in many Rio Grande Valley
communities, including Mercedes.
The Science Academy of South Texas
and South Texas High School for Health Professions
, schools of STISD, are in Mercedes.
Hidalgo County, Texas
Hidalgo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, Hidalgo County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States, and is the seventh most-populous county in Texas. Its population in 2010 was 774,769, a 35% increase from 2000...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 15,570 at the 2010 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen
Reynosa–McAllen Metropolitan Area
Reynosa–McAllen, also known as McAllen–Reynosa, or simply as Borderplex, is one of the six bi-national metropolitan areas along the Mexico–U.S border. The city of Reynosa is situated on the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, while the city of McAllen is located in...
metropolitan areas.
Geography
Mercedes is located at 26°8′58"N 97°55′7"W (26.149315, -97.918675).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²), of which, 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.69%) is water.
History
Mercedes is known as "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
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
, 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
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
'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
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
carrying supplies to the settlements and military installations.
The old Toluca Ranch still stands east of the International Bridge at Progreso
Progreso
Progreso or Progresso may refer to:Argentina* Progreso, Santa FeMexico* Progreso, Baja California* Progreso, Coahuila* Progreso, Chihuahua* Progreso, Puebla* Progreso, Sinaloa* Progreso, Sonora* Progreso, Veracruz* Progreso, Yucatán...
, the sister city to the south. This Ranch was close to the river and a prized target for the bandidos
Bandidos
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club, also known as the Bandido Nation, is a "one-percenter" motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate with a worldwide membership. The club was formed in 1966 by Don Chambers in Texas. Its slogan is We are the people our parents warned us about. It is estimated to have...
during the days of Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa
José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals....
. It was built with many secret rooms and passages and heavy wooden shutters on the windows to protect its residents.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 13,649 people, 4,170 households, and 3,348 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,591.2 people per square mile (614.2/km²). There were 5,455 housing units at an average density of 636.0 per square mile (245.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.42% White, 0.36% African American, 0.89% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 16.95% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 90.01% of the population.
There were 4,170 households out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.7% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.27 and the average family size was 3.75.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,064, and the median income for a family was $25,339. Males had a median income of $19,945 versus $18,387 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $8,658. About 30.4% of families and 36.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 49.4% of those under age 18 and 30.3% of those age 65 or over.
Shopping
The Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets, owned by Chelsea Property Group which is a brand of Simon Property GroupSimon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an American commercial real estate company, ranked #1 in the United States as the largest real estate investment trust. Simon is a fully integrated real estate company which operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers, The...
, opened November 2, 2006. The city is roughly the geographical center of the Rio Grande Valley urban agglomeration and is located on U.S. Highway 83
U.S. Route 83
U.S. Route 83 is one of the longest north–south U.S. Highways in the United States, at . Only four other north–south routes are longer: U.S. Routes 1, 41, 59 and 87. The highway's northern terminus is north of Westhope, North Dakota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as...
, which connects the major urban centers of Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
, McAllen
McAllen, Texas
McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. It is located at the southern tip of Texas in an area known as the Rio Grande Valley and is part of the . Its southern boundary is located about five miles from the U.S.–Mexico border and the Mexican city of Reynosa, the Rio...
and Harlingen
Harlingen, Texas
Harlingen is a city in Cameron County in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, United States, about from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The city covers more than , and is the second largest city in Cameron County and the sixth largest in the Rio Grande Valley...
. (2) The city is located near a major U.S.–Mexican border crossing making it accessible to the growing middle class population of Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
and Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Mercedes Post Office.
Primary and secondary schools
Mercedes is divided between two school districts.Eastern Mercedes is in the Mercedes Independent School District
Mercedes Independent School District
Mercedes Independent School District is a public school district based in Mercedes, Texas .In addition to Mercedes, the district serves the unincorporated communities of Heidelberg, Indian Hills, and Relampago....
.
Western Mercedes is in the Weslaco Independent School District
Weslaco Independent School District
Weslaco Independent School District is a school district headquartered in Weslaco, Texas . WISD serves the city of Weslaco, a western portion of the city of Mercedes, and several unincorporated communities in Hidalgo County...
.
In addition, South Texas Independent School District
South Texas Independent School District
South Texas Independent School District is a public school district headquartered in Mercedes, Texas . STISD operates magnet schools that draw students from three counties: Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy...
, which is headquartered in Mercedes, serves magnet students in many Rio Grande Valley
Rio Grande Valley
The Rio Grande Valley or the Lower Rio Grande Valley, informally called The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas...
communities, including Mercedes.
The Science Academy of South Texas
The Science Academy of South Texas
The Science Academy of South Texas, also known as 'SciTech', is a high school in Mercedes, Texas, United States, as part of the South Texas Independent School District....
and South Texas High School for Health Professions
South Texas High School for Health Professions
South Texas High School for Health Professions, also known as 'Med High', is a high school in Mercedes, Texas in the United States. The school serves as an alternative to larger municipal high schools for students interested in a medical profession. Open enrollment has been the school's policy for...
, schools of STISD, are in Mercedes.
Public libraries
Mercedes Memorial Library serves Mercedes.Radio stations
- KQSA 93.5FM
- KFRQKFRQKFRQ is a radio station broadcasting an active rock format. Licensed to Harlingen, Texas, USA, and broadcast out of McAllen, Texas, the station serves the lower Rio Grande Valley area. The station is currently owned by Entravision Holdings, LLC....
94.5FM - KKPS 99.5FM
- KNVO 101.1FM
- KVLYKVLY (FM)KVLY is a radio station broadcasting a CHR format. Licensed to Edinburg, Texas, USA, the station serves the Rio Grande Valley area. The station is currently owned by Entravision Holdings, LLC.-History:...
107.9FM - KTEX 100.3FM
- KHKZKHKZKHKZ is a radio station broadcasting an Hot Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Mercedes, Texas, USA. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses, Inc..-History:...
106.3FM - KJAVKJAVKJAV is a radio station licensed to serve Alamo, Texas, USA. The station is owned by Border Media Partners and the broadcast license is held by BMP RGV License Company, LP....
104.9FM
Notable persons
- J. E. "Buster" BrownJ. E. "Buster" BrownJames Edward Brown, known as J. E. "Buster" Brown , is an attorney and lobbyist in Austin, Texas, who served from 1981 to 2002 as a Republican member of the Texas State Senate from District 17, based in Brazoria, Fort Bend, and part of Harris counties, south and west of Houston...
, RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
State SenatorTexas Senate, District 17District 17 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Senator Kyle Janek announced his resignation on May 29, 2008. Governor Rick Perry called for a special...
from Texas Senate, District 17Texas Senate, District 17District 17 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Senator Kyle Janek announced his resignation on May 29, 2008. Governor Rick Perry called for a special...
(Lake JacksonLake Jackson, TexasLake Jackson is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of a 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city population was 27,614....
) from 1981 to 2002, was born in Mercedes in 1940.
- Jeff WentworthJeff WentworthEarl Jeffrey "Jeff" Wentworth is a Republican member of the Texas Senate since 1993. He succeeded Republican Cyndi Taylor Krier , who instead became the Bexar County judge...
, Republican State Senator from Texas Senate, District 25Texas Senate, District 25District 25 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Comal, Guadalupe, Hays and Kendall counties, and portions of Bexar and Travis counties in the U.S. state of Texas...
(San AntonioSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
) since 1993, was also born in Mercedes in 1940.