San Benito, Texas
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San Benito is a city in Cameron County, in the US state of Texas, United States. Its population was 24,861 at the 2020 census. On April 3, 2007, San Benito celebrated the 100th anniversary of its naming. The post office was named "Diaz" from April to May 1907. The San Benito Museum, Freddy Fender Museum, and Conjunto Music Museum opened in the same building on November 17, 2007. On October 25, 1975, on the television show ''
Hee Haw ''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired from 1969 to 1993, and on TNN from 1996 to 1997. Reruns of the series were broadcast on ...
'',
Freddy Fender Freddy Fender (born Baldemar Garza Huerta; June 4, 1937 – October 14, 2006) was an American Country and Tejano singer, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados. His signature sound fused cou ...
saluted his hometown of San Benito, population 15,177. San Benito is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas.


History

San Benito is known as the "Resaca City". The Resaca de los Fresnos, wide, flows through the city. As indicated by its Spanish name, the ''resaca'' is a dry river bed. It is now the main
canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
of a large
irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...
system. San Benito was at first named "Diaz" in honor of
Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915) was a General (Mexico), Mexican general and politician who was the dictator of Mexico from 1876 until Mexican Revolution, his overthrow in 1911 seizing power in a Plan ...
,
President of Mexico The president of Mexico (), officially the president of the United Mexican States (), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Constitution of Mexico, the president heads the executive branch of the federal government and ...
at that time. The people in the San Benito area were predominantly of Mexican ancestry. The Anglo settlers came after the completion of the first irrigation system in 1906. Prior to that time, this region was an
arid Aridity is the condition of geographical regions which make up approximately 43% of total global available land area, characterized by low annual precipitation, increased temperatures, and limited water availability.Perez-Aguilar, L. Y., Plata ...
,
mesquite Mesquite is a common name for some plants in the genera ''Neltuma'' and '' Strombocarpa'', which contain over 50 species of spiny, deep-rooted leguminous shrubs and small trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. Until 2022, these ge ...
- and
cactus A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...
-covered
wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plurale tantum, plural) are Earth, Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human impact on the environment, human activity, or any urbanization, nonurbanized land not u ...
. Irrigation water touched off crop production, supported by the
railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
. On July 4, 1904, the first passenger train arrived at Diaz. To celebrate the coming of the new railroad, the community leaders renamed the railroad station "Bessie", in honor of Bessie Yoakum, whose father, Benjamin Franklin Yoakum, was instrumental in the construction of the railroad. Some time later, when the town site was surveyed, the name was changed to "San Benito" in honor of Benjamin Hicks. He was a pioneer rancher whose charitable attitude endeared him to the population. The name was suggested by Rafael Moreno, the popular 90-year-old camp cook of the surveying party. Moreno suggested the name "San Benito" for his beloved "Saint Benjamin" Hicks. San Benito was a village with a moderate number of homes, businesses, churches, and public schools several years before the town was incorporated in 1911. The original map of the townsite was recorded 28 April 1907. The first school was established in 1907 with 48 pupils and Miss Kate Purvis as the teacher. The post office also opened in 1907. San Benito (Benny) Montalvo was born on September 20, 1907, to Ismael and Francisca Esparza Montalvo. On the night he was born, the city of San Benito was having a celebration in honor of its new name. Upon learning of Benny's birth, Col. Sam Robertson suggested to Ismael and Francisca Montalvo to name their new son San Benito, which is how Benny got his name. In 1927, the city adopted a commission form of government operating under a
home rule Home rule is the government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governan ...
charter. In 1920, when the city was included in the U.S. Census count for the first time, San Benito had become a city of 4,070 people. By 1950, the census count expanded to 13,271. In 1960, the population had grown to 16,422. The irrigation district was organized in 1906. As a result of the availability of irrigation water, San Benito and all of the Lower
Rio Grande Valley Lower Rio Grande Valley (), often referred to as the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas, is a region located in the southernmost part of Texas, along the northern bank of the Rio Grande. It is also known locally as the Valley or the 956 (the ...
cities came to serve a newly developing agricultural territory. The original townsite, created in 1911, contained . Since then, a series of annexations has increased the incorporated area to . The mild winter climate in this southmost section of Texas has played a dominant role in the growth of San Benito and the other cities of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Crops grow and flowers bloom year-round. The city has become a hotspot for winter tourists and retired people, providing a substantial percentage of the buying power of this community.


Geography

San Benito is located west of the center of Cameron County at (26.136603, –97.635878).
Interstate 69E Interstate 69E (I-69E) is a north–south Interstate Highway running through South Texas. Once complete, the freeway will begin in Brownsville and head northward before terminating near Victoria as both I-69W and I-69E merge into I-69 t ...
passes through the city, leading northwest to Harlingen and southeast to Brownsville. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, San Benito has a total area of , of which , or 2.12%, is covered by water. San Benito is also known as "The Resaca City", due to its ''resaca'' (a former tributary of the Rio Grande, which has been cut off for irrigation purposes).


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, dry summers and generally warm winters. According to the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, San Benito has a semiarid, borderline tropical savannah climate, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 24,861 people, 7,535 households, and 5,472 families residing in the city.


2000 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, 23,444 people, 7,065 households, and 5,715 families were residing in the city. The population density was . The 9,120 housing units averaged 828.7 per sq mi (319.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 76.16% White, 0.32% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 20.48% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 86.93% of the population. Of the 7,065 households, 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 19.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were not families. About 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.30, and the average family size was 3.72. In the city, the age distribution was 33.3% under 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,027, and for a family was $26,415. Males had a median income of $22,097 versus $18,512 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $10,317. About 28.7% of families and 32.7% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 42.1% of those under age 18 and 22.8% of those age 65 or over.


Government

The
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
operates the San Benito Post Office.


Education

The San Benito Consolidated Independent School District serves San Benito. The district has two high schools (Veterans Memorial Academy and San Benito High School), and three middle schools (Riverside, Berta Cabaza, and Miller Jordan). In addition,
South Texas Independent School District South Texas Independent School District (STISD) is a magnet school district headquartered in Mercedes, Texas ( USA). STISD operates magnet schools that draw students from three counties: Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy. STISD covers an area o ...
serves San Benito and many nearby communities by providing several magnet schools. South Texas Academy of Medical Technology (Med Tech) is located in San Benito. San Benito Public Library is the city's library. IDEA Public Schools also has a school in San Benito.


Notable people

* Charley Crockett, musician * T. R. Fehrenbach, author *
Freddy Fender Freddy Fender (born Baldemar Garza Huerta; June 4, 1937 – October 14, 2006) was an American Country and Tejano singer, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados. His signature sound fused cou ...
(born Baldemar Huerta), musician * Charles Pugsley Fincher,
cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...
, lawyer, creator of ''Thadeus & Weez'' newspaper comic strip * Narciso Martínez, ''
conjunto The term ''conjunto'' (, literally 'group', 'ensemble') refers to several types of small musical ensembles present in different Latin American musical traditions, mainly in Mexico and Cuba. While Mexican conjuntos play styles such as '' norteño' ...
'' musician *
Bobby Morrow Bobby Joe Morrow (October 15, 1935May 30, 2020) was an American sprinter who won three gold medals at the 1956 Olympics. He has been called "the dominant sprinter of the 1950s" and "the most relaxed sprinter of all time, even more so than his ...
, winner of three gold medals in the
1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December ...
*Col. Sam A. Robertson, founder, railroad pioneer, first postmaster, World War I recipient of Distinguished Service Medal * Charles M. Robinson III, author, history scholar * Robert Salaburu, professional poker player, eighth-place finisher in the Main Event of the 2012 World Series of Poker * Armando Torres III, a former U.S. Marine kidnapped in Mexico * Wilma Vinsant, combat flight nurse killed over Germany


See also

* La Calle Stenger


References


External links


City of San Benito official website
*
Assembling Piper Cubs at San Benito
* * {{Authority control Cities in Cameron County, Texas Cities in Texas