Selected Lower Rio Grande Valley ( Primarily the Harlingen Area)
Cotton History Highlights

Compiled by Norman Rozeff, Harlingen Historical Preservation Society
April 2006

1896 Cotton is being grown in the Valley but on a small scale. It is very likely that the country's first bale of cotton is produced here.

1903 The first major irrigation canals are started in the Brownsville area and rice is promoted as the crop to grow. Farmers soon learn that flooding the land results in bringing to the surface deleterious sub-surface salts which negatively impact the rice growth.

Although a sizeable rice mill is constructed in Brownsville (where the county courthouse now stands) it is soon abandoned when sinking production is coupled with lower prices for rice in April 1905. Sugarcane is then pushed as the region's future, however acreage of it never measures up to the capacity of the large mills built to process it. The last of four major mills built is to close in Donna in 1922. Meanwhile cabbage does well and periodically corn and even broomcorn, but in the long run it is cotton which is to become the staple crop of the LRGV.

8/1903 Thomas L. Jones buys what will become Primera area land from the county school land program. Jones reportedly obtains $13 an acre when he later sells the tract to Dr. Pierre Wilson of Dallas and Frank W. Kibbe, an aggressive Brownsville real estate promoter who will also be president of the La Feria Townsite Company and the La Feria Land and Irrigation Company, in November 1908. Wilson had expressed an interest in building a sanitarium on part of the land though having retired from his medical practice in Dallas. Wilson was originally from Hennepin County, Minnesota possibly coming to Texas via Lawton, OK. In a land sales brochure he is advertised to have planted 108 acres of cotton in the spring of 1911 and raised 125 bales from it. The first 100 bales brought him $5,776.20 and the other 25, $1,250.

This year sees the latest date ever--8/7/03-- for the Valley's first bale of cotton.

6/11/04 Lon C. Hill buys the season's first two bales of cotton. He sends one to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis in order to publicize the area and give the U.S. an indication of the earliness of Valley cotton. He sends the second bale to the Houston Cotton Exchange for the same reason but also for the first bale produced in the year in Texas and the United States to be auctioned. This establishes a tradition.

1/10/1906 The first Brownsville-area cotton bale of the previous season is publicized by P. E. Blalack, president of the Brownsville Men's Club.

12/1/06 W.O. Coleman, mechanical engineer and builder of cotton see oil mills, announces his presence with an ad in the Brownsville Herald.

3/9/07 Five miles of the Mercedes Canal are completed by this date.

5/18/07 Fifteen miles of the San Benito Canal have been completed with a total projected completed date set for July.

9/7/07 Harlingen pumps set to start for first time to supply water to the Harlingen Canal.

4/20/11 This season's cotton acreage is put at 3,500-4000 acres compared to 5,000 for 1910. Its value is put at between 1 and 1.5 million dollars. Harlingen interests purchase a cotton compress costing $35,000.

5/9/11 The labor supply is short and the San Benito Sugar Co. seeks to secure 150 men to work the 800 acres of sugarcane and 1,200 acres of cotton.

6/11/11 The first Valley bale of cotton comes from the south of San Benito farm of Ernest Matz. It breaks the previous record early date by 10 days. Sent to the Houston Cotton Exchange, it is sold to a New York buyer for $1,015, an unheard of price, breaking all world records according to the Brownsville Herald. On top of this it receives a $125 bonus from Gohlman, Lester and Company. The Matz farm was said to have produced 60 bales on 40 acres last year.

7/10/11 The Harlingen Compress processes its first bale.

10/10/11 John J. Conway's Mission Land Improvement Company runs an ad promoting its land. It states: "Mr. John Wagner came to Mission from Ipswich, South Dakota March 13, 1910 and the next day started to plant 35 acres to cotton on land rented from Mssrs. Jones and Engles. He finished planting April 5 and ginned his first bale by July 27. Mr. Wagner picked 37 bales from this field and never saw cotton grow before. We give below an itemized statement of the yield and expenses. Receipts 37 bales, average 500 lbs., avg. price received 13 cents= $2,405.00; 16.1 tons cotton seed at $21/ton= $338.50 for a total of $2,793.50. Expenses: seed $39.70, cultivation six times $85, irrigation three times $116.34, picking at 52 cents per 100 $96.20, ginning @ 80 cents per 100 $148.00 for a total cost of $485.24 leaving him a net profit of $2,308.26. While in the Valley don't fail to make a personal examination of Mission property. We can show you farm developments on our tract that will thoroughly convince you of the advantages to be enjoyed in locating with us."

2/10/12 An announcement is made that the largest gin in all the world will be erected in San Benito. It is to have 16 stands, for long staple cotton, and include four presses. At this point in time the San Benito area is to have 16,000 cotton acres.

7/10/13 The country's first bale of cotton for the year is produced from a Lyford farm. It is sent to Houston and later to the cotton exchange in New York City.

From the latest farm census we learn that Cameron County farm land is worth on average $13.75 an acre, up $9.22/acre over a decade.

10/21/13 Ginning figures are released. Cameron County in 1912 ginned 7,467 bales and in 1913 5,179 while Hidalgo County produced 5,060 bales in 1912 and 1,573 in 1913.

8/21/13 Area has its best corn production year with 3,000 acres grown around Brownsville, 15,000 near San Benito, 11,00 Harlingen, and 1,000 elsewhere in the county. Production is up here because of a mid-west drought and higher prices.

7/4/14 The Lyford area once again produces the country's first bale of cotton.

8/20/14 With drought conditions still prevailing in parts of Texas the Valley is said to ship 1 ½ million bushels of corn out of a total production of 3 million to North Texas.

9/19/14 Cotton prices are severely depressed due to overproduction. A local promotion is instigated. It is the Buy-a-Bale movement where Valleyites are asked to buy a bale for $50 or approximately 10 cents per pound.

10/23/14 The Federal Government steps in to aid cotton farmers. It sets up a $13 million program to begin cotton loans at 4-6 cents per pound.

5/26/15 The Pharr area has 16,000 acres in corn and zero in cotton.

11/17/15 The USDA establishes an experimental farm in Mercedes to be staffed by six experts.

5/8/16 The San Benito area has considerable cotton acreage this season and the rest of the Valley has at least 6,000 acres in the crop.

6/8/16 Lyford gins the country's first bale of cotton for this year and breaks last season's record by seven days. Grown by R. F. Deyo on a farm worked by Mexican tenants, it was forwarded to William D. Cleveland and Sons, Houston. June 15 was the previous record.

6/27/17 Valley cotton growers are shocked when the Federal Government proposes to stop all cotton growing in the Valley in order to prevent the pink boll worm moving from Mexico into other parts of Texas and the country. Later lobbying by Valley Congressman John Nance Garner short circuits this idea.

11/28/18 The Cameron County cotton crop for this season is 7,474 bales versus 7,085 for 1917.

1919 Frank Lawrence Crown arrives to become a farmer with extensive holding both north and south of Harlingen. One farm will later be subdivided by John McKelvey into the Laurel Park-Parkwood area, another will take the name Crown Heights, and a third will contain the Beck-Williams Addition. From Morrison IL the first Presbyterian will die here at age 71 on 10/25/61, leaving his wife Ina of Harlingen but no others here.

5/15/19 The Cameron County Council of Agriculture and Home Economics is formed at Harlingen meeting.

This same year Wiley Edgar and Adella Carey arrive in Harlingen with their 20 year old son James Edmond (Ed) Carey. The following year Ed returns to Throckmorton, TX to marry and bring his bride, Monterey McCay, to Harlingen. He then builds and furnishes for her a two story California style house where Ed Carey Drive now meets Expressway 77/83. He plants 200 acres of citrus in the area and later also grows cotton and vegetables. His first attempt to operate a service station located at North Commerce near the old jail ends in failure. Later however he will successfully own and operate two or three service stations around Harlingen

This year two cotton gins operating within the town of Harlingen are the C.S. Reynold Cotton Gin west of the railroad tracks along North Commerce, and the Gregory Gin Company on Washington Street near Commerce.

1920 It is this year when the Valley Gin Company is organized by G.C. Henson, John T. Lomax, and H.P. Boyd and based in San Benito. It grows until 22 gins are in the organization. In the 30s it attempts to go into bankruptcy, but this is denied by Judge T.M. Kennerly, and the $200,000 corporation company goes into the hands of new stockholders, W.P. Lincoln, pres., Claude Carter, sec.-treas., Lloyd Stiernberg, Isaac M. Williams, and Mrs. S.W. Sibley. Its offices are moved to Harlingen.

5/21/21 The earliest bale produced in the country this season is credited to the Valley and seemingly it is the earliest production date since 1896.

1922 Coming this year to the Briggs-Coleman area is Forrest Garling who initially purchases 20 acres. He is a native of Bellefontaine, OH having been born there 10/4/05 to L.F. and Lou Hammond Garling. By 1938 he will have expanded his farming to 1,500 acres primarily in corn, cotton and vegetables. After producing a daughter, Betty Jean, he will be divorced from his wife Grace Wheeler Garling of McKinney, TX whom he married 3/15/34.

1923 Otha Alton Wyrick, around 18 years old, arrives here. This native of Emerson, AK is to become a citrus grower and cotton farmer. Over the years he is deeply involved in civic endeavors including boy scouting, serving on boards, and with the Church of Christ. When he dies in April 1986 at age 81 he leaves his wife Anna Mote, son Michael of Harlingen, and two daughters. On 12/28/05 Mrs. Wyrick, 95 years old, is to die after having lived at 822 Taylor for 60 years. Born in the Oklahoma Indian Territory she had moved to Harlingen in 1924. A member of the First Christian Church for over 75 years, she was known for her flower and gardening prowess.

This same year B. F. Morrow, a native of Nola, Arkansas, takes up farming in Rangerville. In time he will be very active in ag-related endeavors. These include Farm Bureau director 1938-1950, Producers Gin director 1942-46, organizer and president of the Rangervile Co-op Gin 1947-68, on board of directors of Abilene Christian College 1956-66, associate director Production Credit Association in the 1950s, and director of the Cameron County Water Control and Improvement District. This Rangerville Church of Christ elder is to die at age 76 on 12/23/83. He left behind his wife Lucille and three sons, one of whom is Bobby Morrow, Olympic Gold Medals recipient in track events.

This year approximately 75,000 acres are planted to cotton.

6/9/23 On this date Leonard Pierce Simmons (b. 8/26/96 in Lebonen, TX) marries Dora Mae Van Burkleo (b. 3/6/03 in Greer County, OK) in Brownsville. Leonard came to the Valley after serving in the Balloon Corps of the Army in World War I. His parents had migrated to the Valley because of poor farming conditions in West Texas. He was a sharecropper for a number of years, worked for the WPA during the Depression in the 1930s, and eventually through government loans, became an independent farmer between Harlingen and Rangerville. Leonard, who was to die of lung cancer at age 56 on 9/25/52 and Dora, who will die at 64 on 10/12/67, had nine children, one of whom died before one year of age. While Cecil Randall Simmons (b.10/10/34) became a physician who practiced in San Benito, Leonard Pierce (L.P.) Simmons, Jr., who was born 7/27/30 in the Valley Baptist Hospital, continued farming and enlarging the complex in which his sons Leonard Simmons III, Sam Edwards Simmons, and son-in-law Thomas McLemore play an important role in this and other farm operations. L. P. was to die at home at age 75 on November 18, 2005. Survivors are his wife Dolores (Dodie) Barnes Simmons, his sons and two married daughters. The Simmons family was to raise much cotton over the years and become involved with the Rangerville Coop Gin.

1925 The greatest cotton crop yet in Valley history begins to be ginned. By October untimely rains have dampened the estimated yields. Still by the October completion, Harlingen's three gins handle 11, 569 bales, Rangerville, 2,280, Combes 2,120, and Adams Garden 1,600.

11/25 A new gin is to be constructed at Palmetal by the People's Gin Co. Another is to go up north of Botts Produce on Commerce. Principles for the latter are C.L.Webb of Hugo, OK and T.A. Henderson of Harlingen. Botts Produce is this month to be succeeded by the Fruit Produce Exchange.

It is 1925 in which the four-county Valley cotton growers exceed 100,000 bales for the first time. The production is Cameron, 45,746; Hidalgo, 56,716; Starr, 3,453; and Willacy, 8,451 for a grand total of 114,366 bales. Over the years production would rise and fluctuate but would never exceed 146,000 bales until 1946.

1926 8/11/26 Harlingen's only cotton compress facility burns down. The three acre building and 4,000 bales burned up were worth $500,000 according to J.K. Cain, president of the Aransas Cotton Compress Co., and its superintendent R.M. Loving. On 1/14/27 plans are told to rebuild the compress for $100,000.

Sometime around 1926 or earlier the Harlingen Gin Co. came into existence at 321 West Jefferson Avenue. In May 1927, the partnership of Davis Wade of San Benito, Fleming Newton of Jacksonville, TX, and Jesse N. Elrod, Harlingen purchased the facility, and it became the Wade-Newton-Elrod Gin Co. By 1935 it was simply the Elrod Gin Co. In 1937 produce shipper Louis Cullen purchased a 1/3 share in the gin from the San Benito Bank and Trust which had acquired it when Wade defaulted on a loan. In 1942 Cullen and his son-in-law and partner S. Eugene (Gene) Thompson purchased Elrod's 1/3 share. Cullen and Thompson had become large buyers, brokers and shippers specializing in onions, cabbage, corn, and tomatoes under the Rio Grande's Best Brand label. They were also land owners and growers in the area north of the airport. Newton's 1/3 share was conveyed to Horace Etchinson of McAllen in 1943. The Elrod Gin was to cease operations in 1960.

10/8/26 To-date Harlingen has ginned 12,780 bales for the season, largest of any Cameron County city. San Benito is next at 11,730 out of a total of 48,700 for the county.

1927 J. R. Roberts is president of the Valley Cotton Mill, Harlingen when, in mid-1927, it issues stock certificates of $100 value. James Dishman purchases 10 shares.

7/12/28 The season's first bale of cotton is ginned in Edcouch and sold by William Wolff for 25 cents per lb.

8/21/28 75,000 bales ginned so far in the Valley with Harlingen gins accounting for 8,000 and San Benito ones for 7,000. The final season total may exceed over 100,000 bales. The five gins operating in Harlingen are the Farmers Co-operative Gin Co., Wade-Newton-Elrod, Valley Gin, Farmers Gin, and People's Gin.

9/25/28 Harlingen's Valley Cotton Mill now under construction to be in operation at least by the end of the year. Eventually it would handle the 1929 crop.

6/27/30 CPL conducts an industrial survey and finds among the industries in Harlingen:

5 cotton gins and 1 cotton compress.

1931 Jack Funk's father had come here in 1923 and bought 40 acres of at Stuart Place on

Palm Drive. It required clearing and was then used to raise vegetables. Three years after his 1931 arrival Jack graduated Stuart Place High School along with his future wife Loyce. He worked for the Producers Gin Co. on Commerce Street in 1937, enlisted in the navy, and after the war commenced farming east of Lyford before investing in the Sebastian Cotton Gin Co. His two sons Jerry and Tommy became successful cotton and sugarcane farmers and ginners. Tommy was recognized across the country as president for some years of the National Cotton Council.

9/5/33 Hurricane No. 11, 1933 comes ashore north of Brownsville. This Labor Day storm subsequently drops or damages 90% of the citrus crop in the Valley. A less severe hurricane here a month earlier had negatively impacted the cotton crop which was enjoying a 9 cent a pound return versus 5 cents for last season. While 55,000 bales were eventually harvested, growers estimated that they had lost 20,000 bales due to rainy weather late in the growing season.

9/6/36 Sam Robertson appears before the Cameron Country commissioners to appeal for the lowering of farm land valuations in an effort to alleviate financial difficulties for depressed farmers.

The Aransas Compress Company in town has processed 42,000 bales to-date and has 2,600 more to go. The Valley total of 69,000 bales is the highest in some years.

9/10/36 A tropical storm forms in the Bay of Campeche, makes landfall at Brownsville on 9/13, then moves up the Valley all the way to Del Rio. Coupled with an exceptionally wet August, the cotton harvest is negatively impacted.

1937 By this year Harlingen is down to four cotton gins with two more at Rangerville and one in Combes, however two major cotton oil mills are established.

About this time W. A. Hext becomes a tenant farmer living at 2 Miles Briggs-Coleman Road. This is currently that portion of FM 507 running north from FM 508. This would put the farm site in the Agua Dulce Farms Subdivision of the Ojo de Agua Grant and not too far north of the Briggs-Coleman Gin. This gin was owned by Forrest Garling, Sr., a good friend of Walter Archelaus Hext. It was in this gin that Walter likely had his cotton processed. By 1938 the Hexts have moved considerably closer to town. Their new address is 1-8 Mile Grimes Road. Forrest Garling, Jr. remembers their wooden frame house as being set back on a lot not too far from the current intersection of Grimes and 77 Sunshine Strip (Business 77). He believes that they either owned or farmed a large parcel of land extending from Grimes north to Rio Hondo Road. This area is presently all residential, but a large part of it is covered by the Harlingen High School complex and playing fields erected on Marshall Street in 1957. The family is listed at the Grimes address in available directories through 1946. In 1948, and maybe sometime during 1947, the Harlingen Gin Company comes into existence with its gin at the intersection of Grimes and Air Base Road (later to be called Morgan Blvd.). Being adjacent to his farm land this would have been the most convenient place for Walter to have his cotton crop ginned. By 1961 the Harlingen Gin Co. will have been relocated to the Port of Harlingen area along FM 106.

In 1961 is found the first listing for W. A. Hext and Sons Gin, Inc. It is located near the southwest corner of intersection, HWY 107 and Business 77, Combes. Walter, Sr. is listed as owner of the firm, Gordon as president, and Dallas as vice president. Combs area farmer E. J. Billings says Mr. Hext went broke in the 1960s.

1939 Parke T. Moore, a native of Cherokee, OK, comes to the area. He will become involved in governmental agencies such as the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, and Federal Land Bank. In 1946 he will be a founder of the Valley Co-op Oil Mill in Harlingen just prior to its construction and in 1948 become its president and general manager until his retirement in 1978. This Rotarian and First Presbyterian member will die 9/28/86 leaving his wife Mabel and two sons, Parke T. Moore, Jr. and Richard, both of San Benito.

1940 B. F. Bearden produces the first bale of cotton this year. It is ginned at the Edcouch Gin Company.

8/2/45 The Producers Gin Co. experiences a fire in which 63 cotton bales are lost. This and other damage is valued at $15,211. Fire and losses are a regular feature at the gins, hull facilities, cotton seed plants, and cotton rail loading facilities.

1946 Production reaches a landmark when it rises above 200,000 bales for the four-county area and will stay above this level in most years through 1984.

6/24/47 Forrest Garling of Harlingen delivers the country's first bale of the season to the Houston Cotton Exchange. He is paid the record price of $1,825 or 3.565 cents per lb.

1/49 Sam Gerard commences publication of The Border Scope, an agricultural magazine first issued in Harlingen but whose offices later move to La Feria.

As the decade drew to a close the cotton industry in Harlingen was likely peaking. Cotton gins within the city and nearby were the:

Briggs-Coleman Cooperative Gin, Hardin Ranch
Briggs-Coleman Cooperative Gin, Briggs-Coleman Road
Clark Cotton Company, 409 Commerce
Elrod Gin Company, 321 W. Jefferson
Farmer's Gin Company, 307 N. Commerce
Hargrove Gin, 1 ½ Mile Combes Highway (N. Commerce)
Harlingen Gin Company, 1 Mile Grimes Road, Airbase Road/corner Grimes
Hub Gin Company, 1 mile North Combes Highway (North Commerce)
Midway Gin
Producers Gin Association, 516 W. Washington
Rangerville Coop Gin, 5 ¾ Rangerville Road
Sandlin Cotton Gin Company, 1121 N. Commerce.
 

Cotton oil mills were:

South Texas Cotton Oil Company, Fair Park Blvd.
Southwest Cotton Oil Mill, end of S. Commerce
Swift and Company, Wilson Road
Valley Co-op Oil Mill, Wilson Road.

Compresses were:

Harlingen Compress Company, Combes Highway
Valley Compress and Warehouse Company, 721 N. Commerce

Other:

Kullin-Russell Cotton Seed Sterilizer

July 1, 1951 Season's first bale of cotton is ginned. Saw the single biggest advancement in cotton history. It was the introduction of the one-row mechanical cotton picker. Grower "Chilly" Hext was so enthused about it that he purchased 11 units from Aldridge-Washmon.

1953 (spring) Harlingen receives permission from the Houston Cotton Exchange to purchase the country's first bale of cotton of the year. At a meeting at the Little Creek Motel the Harlingen Chamber of Commerce agrees to take over the first bale contest. The Special Cotton Committee of the C of C guarantees the grower of the first bale $2,500. It has done so from this year and then auctioned it. The cash prize rises to $3,000 by the 1990s and then to $5,000 by 2003.

In 1953 the Algodon Club is also organized to publicize and promote the cotton industry through social activities. The Maid of Cotton was chosen each year for many years then this ended in the 1970s.

7/30/53 On this date the cotton futures price was 32.92 cents per lb. or nine points lower than the government loan rate. 1953-54 supplies were forecast to be 11% higher than last year and the largest supply since the 49-50 season.

6/25/54 Hurricane Alice makes landfall 20 miles south of Brownsville then sweeps northwest following the river. Falcon Dam, completed in 10/53, is filled with this major rainfall event. Normally projected to take 3 to 4 years to fill to capacity, the water level rises from 252' to 292' with this one storm. Drought-stressed farmers now have sufficient water for irrigating their crops.

In 1954-55 Donald Stone purchased the La India and the Little Four tracts from the Armendaiz family of Mexico. They had ranched it from the 1890s. Jack Funk, his two sons, Tommy and Jerry, all of whom resided in Harlingen, bought 15 to 16,000 acres of the old ranch near San Perlita. In 1974-75 the Funks were to buy the balance of the estate. Much of the newly cleared land went into cotton production.

1956 Texas Courts this year took over all RG River water rights and commenced a 15 year period to adjudicate 3,500 claims. After the final judgment 1,400 landowners were parceled water rights, cities guaranteed at least a minimum amount, and a watermaster appointed to run the system.

1958 Vernon Murphy is one of many Harlingen cotton merchants, since the city is the hub of Valley cotton movement. E.D. Griffin is co-owner of Frank Grimsell Seed Co., a supplier to cotton and other growers.

1959 A record production of 467,093 bales is established.

9/14/61 Hurricane Carla causes $1,183,000 in losses to Valley citrus and vegetables. While it hit closer to Corpus Christi, Harlingen had strong winds and a September rainfall total of 8.3". The storm occurred six weeks after heavy rains caused a 25 to 35% loss in the cotton crop being harvested. Harlingen's August rainfall totaled 4.52".

1960s (late) As the decade drew to a close one of the issues which impacted the economic viability of smaller gins was the instituting of EPA regulations regarding cotton gin emissions into the air. Many gins discovered that it would be uneconomical to make the necessary capital expenditures necessary to bring the gins into compliance. Closure was the next logical step.

1970 116,500 acres harvested produce 187,362 bales.

1971 Despite a decline of 13,000 acres from the previous year Valley production rises to 265,179 bales. This indicates the important influence of timely early rains, good harvesting conditions, and lower boll weevil levels.

6/72 The Chamber of Commerce honors 29 existing Harlingen companies. Included are: Harlingen Compress Co., South Texas Cotton Oil Co., Rio Grande and Valley Coop Oil Mills, and the Palmetal Gin Co.

1977 This is a banner year with 425,284 bales being produced from 185,000 acre. It also marks the beginning of a steady decline in Valley acreage planted to cotton. Statistics show a drop from 138,000 in 1978 to 68,000 in 1983. Low prices and some conversion of acreage into sugarcane play a role.

1979 423,368 bales are produced Valley-wide.

6/23/81 Oscar Mayfield and Sons deliver to the Harlingen Police Station a 555 lb. bale of cotton ginned at the Harlingen Gin. It is the country's first bale of the year and is awarded a $2,5000 prize by the Chamber of Commerce.

In 1981-82 17 out of 21 existing Cameron County gins operate.

1983 208,679 bales are produced.

1992 Mexico first goes into deficit in providing the annual 350,000 acre feet of Rio Grande River water to the United States but has a five year period to comply. By 1992-97 the deficit rises to over one million and then by 2002 to 1.5 million acre feet. Valley farmers are stressed for available water as the physical drought continues and proves worse than the early 1950's one. It will not be before 9/05 that Mexico drops its deficit to 100,000 acre feet.

2002 River reservoir level drop to record lows since the dams were constructed as the year proves to be the driest ever noted.

8/25/04 A lawsuit against the government of Mexico is brought by 17 irrigation districts, 29 water rights owners, and the North Alamo Water Supply Corp. They claim $500 million in economic damages since 1992 when Mexico failed to live up to its part of the water treaty. In 1992 the two river reservoirs were 100% full, but a drought ensued and in the years 1994 through 2003 the levels ranged from 31.425 to 66% and averaged 42.17%. On October 9, 2004 the levels had risen to 81.26% of capacity but the law suit was going forth as Mexico still owed the U.S. 800,000 acre-feet. The year would prove to be the third wettest on record. Eventually the two dams reach over 94 % of capacity.

3/11/05 With its northern reservoirs overflowing, Mexico now agrees to pay back its water debts to the U.S. The 13 year wait is about over. On 9/27/05 Mexico completes the transfer of the remaining balance by 9/30. The U.S. totals behind the two reservoirs will now stand at 97.1% of capacity.

6/14/05 Antonio Rodriguez of Santa Rosa and his sons, Lorenzo and George bring in the first bale load of cotton of the season. The Harlingen Gin Co. ginned the 526 lb. bale.

1/1/06 The area, after experiencing a moderately wet late winter that allowed good dryland cotton and grain sorghum yields, then entered a drought which continued to extend into the new year. Harlingen's total 2005 rainfall was 16.79" versus its historical average of 28.03".

3/31/06 Area dryland farmers were planting cotton and grain sorghum into parched soil knowing full well that germination failure would ensue. Crop insurance regulations dictated this action. The year 2005 was a drought one in the lower Valley and 2006 to-date has continued that trend. Pastures and hay are in short supply. Climatologists attribute the drought here to "La Nina", a phenomenon where the Pacific Ocean waters cool.

9/12/06 Final Valley cotton harvest figures revealed how devastating the spring drought was. Of 252,000 acres planted, only 125,000 were harvested yielding a total of 112,063 bales or an average of .9 bale/acre. This compares with the last four years of 2005 154,369, 2004 328,571, 2003 230,310, and 2002 90,764.

9/4/07 The cooperative Lyford Gin Association with its gin that opened in 1939 processes its one-millionth bale of cotton. It is one of two gins the association operates. Cotton acreage in 2007 was severely down from past years as growers opted instead to plant corn and grain sorghum with higher returns. Cotton acreage was about 100,000.

12/16/07 The Valley this season produced about 125,000 bales from 100,000 acres planted in cotton. This crop was valued at $31.2 million. Cotton acreage was reduced as growers switched to growing grain sorghum as grain prices were higher related to ethanol production. This year cotton prices hovered around 48 cents per lb. rising in futures to the upper 50cent range in December. Cotton acreage is not expected to rebound in 2008 due to unfavorable economic conditions. The drought-ridden 2006 crop only yielded 112,000 bales.

In 2008 the number of gins operating in the Valley had shrunk to fifteen. These were:

In Cameron County:

Brownsville Coop Gin, Los Fresnos; Harlingen Gin Co., Harlingen; La Feria Coop Gin, La Feria; Rangerville Coop Gin, San Benito; RGV Gin, Rio Hondo; Tri-County Cotton & Grain Co., Combes;

In Hidalgo County:

Frisby-Bell Gin Co., La Villa; Hargill Growers Gin, Hargill; Progreso Coop Gin, Inc.,Progreso; Ross Gin Co., Ltd., Mercedes; Valley Growers Gin and Supply (last year), Weslaco;

In Willacy County:

Lyford Gin Association, Lyford; Willacy Coop Gin, Raymondville; Sebastian Cotton & Grain Corp., Sebastian; Willamar Gin, Raymondville.

The number is expected to drop to twelve in 2009. This is in sharp contrast to the late 1940s when the Valley had over one million acres in cotton, and this justified the operation of 138 gins.

As cotton prices dropped and water and irrigation costs rose the percentage of irrigated cotton acres was to decline. This was to be exacerbated by rising grain prices and diversion of acreage into corn and grain sorghum. Corn prices rose to record levels as a considerable volume was being diverted to ethanol production. A ten-year summary for Lower Rio Grande Valley cotton production provides the vital statistics.

Total Cotton Acreage –000-

Total Cotton Production (Bales)

Over the years the production of the first bale has varied depending upon the planting date and weather. The earlier bale was ginned on 5/21/21 while the latest on came in on August 7, 1903.

Some of the first bale dates are as follows for those not already noted above:

1955 ….ock and Wallace, Edinburg; paid $2500
1956 G. A. Bingham and Bill Burke, Mission; paid $2500
1959 Jack Armstrong, Mission; paid $2500
1962 Ray Barrick, Mission Gin Co.
1964 -------, planted February 5, ginned June 18
1965 C. C. Crowe, Brownsville; paid $2500
1966 Noel Ramirez, Fronton; paid $2000
1967 P.L. Geistman, Rio Hondo; paid $1500
1968 Noel Ramirez, Fronton; paid $1500
1971 -----, Merris Farmers Gin
1980 Mayfield and Sons
1992 Vanderpool Farms, Starr Gin Co., Rio Grande City; paid $3000
1993 Vanderpool Partners, " " " " " " " "
1994 Vanderpool Farms, Farmers Gin of San Juan; paid $3000
1996 Deonicio Valdez II, La Feria Gin Coop
1997 Deonicio Valdez II, Hargill Growers Gin; paid $3000
2000 Scott Vanderpool, Elsa Gin Coop; paid $3000
2005 Rodriguez Bothers, 6/14/05
2008 BVB Partners with principals Bruce and Vickie Shields, Wayne, Judy and Becky Bonham, 6/17/08, Hargill Growers Gin; paid $3000 for 533 lb. bale.

Grain sorghum prices set a record when market prices reached $10.71 for a hundredweight in June 2008. Cotton would still be grown however since it is a good rotational crop allowing grass weeds to be eradicated. At 70 cents per pound receipts, the cost of production at 72 to 73 cents for dryland cotton was still below breakeven.

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