Del Rio, Texas – Rio Grande City
Del Rio, Texas, a city steeped in history and brimming with cultural richness, serves as the county seat of Val Verde County. Its story extends far beyond its official establishment, reaching back millennia to the earliest inhabitants of the region. Del Rio, Texas, whispers tales of ancient peoples, Spanish explorers, and the relentless march of progress that has shaped this vibrant border town.
Before the arrival of European settlers, the area surrounding Del Rio was home to prehistoric Native Americans. Archaeological evidence suggests that these early inhabitants thrived in the caves and rock shelters along the Rio Grande and Devils River as early as 11,000 years ago. They were hunter-gatherers, intimately connected to the land and its resources. Later, Spanish explorers encountered Native American groups, likely Jumano bands who, by the 18th century, had largely integrated with Apache groups. The initial Spanish foray into the region occurred in 1690 when Gaspar Castano de Sosa crossed the Rio Grande near present-day Del Rio on an expedition aimed at establishing settlements in what is now New Mexico.
The first attempts at non-Native American settlements in the area were spearheaded by the Spanish. In 1736, they established a small mission complex near the site of what is now Ciudad Acuna, Del Rio’s Mexican sister city. A few Spaniards ventured across the Rio Grande, settling on what would later become Texas soil. However, this initial mission proved short-lived. In 1808, another mission was established about three miles downstream along San Felipe Creek, but it too was abandoned after a brief period.
Despite the presence of readily available water sources, permanent settlement of the area remained elusive for many years. In 1834, James Grant and John Charles Beales established a small settlement on San Felipe Creek, but it was ultimately abandoned due to persistent Indian attacks and a severe drought.
A pivotal moment in the region’s history occurred in February 1849 when the Whiting and Smith expedition traversed the area, surveying Texas’s newly defined southwestern boundary. Soon after, a temporary military post, known as Camp Blake, was established along the San Antonio-El Paso Road on the Devils River. This post, along with others, including Camp Hudson located 21 miles north of Comstock, served to protect settlers and travelers from the constant threat of Indian attacks.
By 1856-57, San Felipe Springs occupied a strategic location at the intersection of the 1,470-mile San Antonio-San Diego mail route and the Chihuahua Road, which was used by wagons transporting silver and gold from Mexico to Indianola, the primary port on the Texas coast. This intersection transformed Del Rio, Texas, into a strategic trading post.
Permanent settlement began to take root in the Del Rio area in 1864. Settlers dug the "Mother Ditch" and other irrigation canals to cultivate vineyards, orchards, and gardens. These efforts led to the establishment of a small settlement known as Las Sapas or El Salto. However, growth remained slow during this period, as many residents were transient, seeking opportunities in more established communities.
The Civil War brought about the abandonment of military camps in the area, leaving the frontier vulnerable to Indian attacks. Following the war’s conclusion, Fort Clark in Brackettville was reoccupied in 1866. From 1869 to 1882, Black Seminole Scouts played a crucial role in defending the Texas border west of Fort Clark against Indian raids.
The community of San Felipe del Rio officially came into existence in 1868 with the establishment of the San Felipe Agricultural, Manufacturing, and Irrigation Company. The company acquired thousands of acres of land surrounding San Felipe Creek and constructed an extensive network of irrigation canals. To encourage settlement, the company offered land as wages to its employees and sold small tracts to newly arriving settlers. By 1871, the company had completed canals to irrigate 1,500 acres of land. These irrigation canals also provided water to the developing settlement. By 1875, the amount of land under irrigation had doubled. Remarkably, some of these original canals remain in operation today.
Local lore suggests that the name San Felipe del Rio originated from early Spanish explorers who celebrated Mass at the site of the nearby springs on St. Philip’s Day in 1635.
One of the earliest businesses in Del Rio was John Perry’s Mercantile, built in 1870. It was reportedly the largest store between San Antonio and El Paso and now forms part of the Whitehead Memorial Museum. It stands as the oldest commercial structure in Del Rio today. More small businesses soon followed.
James H. Taylor, a key figure in the city’s founding, relocated to the area around 1870. He and his wife, Paula Losoya Taylor, built a one-story adobe house that quickly became the center of the community. The oldest home in Del Rio, it still stands today on the southwest corner of Pecan and Nicholson Streets. Taylor, in addition to being one of the owners of the San Felipe Agricultural, Manufacturing, and Irrigation Company, was a merchant, cultivated a significant portion of his land for crops, and operated a grist mill.
The first school in Del Rio was established in 1874, with Judge Kratz serving as the teacher. He began with just 15 students and continued to teach throughout the 1870s.
On September 6, 1876, Camp Del Rio was established on San Felipe Creek on land provided by the San Felipe Agricultural, Manufacturing, and Irrigation Company. Originally known as Camp San Felipe, it served as an outpost of Fort Clark, located approximately 28 miles to the east. It was part of a chain of military fortifications built to defend isolated settlements on the southwestern frontier against Indian attacks and Mexican bandits. The post included officers’ quarters, a hospital, a bakery, a storehouse, and a warehouse. By 1890, Indian raids in the area had ceased, and the troops were relocated to other posts. Camp Del Rio was officially abandoned the following year, and the land was returned to its original owners. Today, only a historical marker remains at the site, located near the northeast corner of Dr. Fermin Calderon Blvd (U.S. 277) and De La Rosa Street, close to the amphitheater.
Upon the death of Del Rio founder James Taylor in 1876, he bequeathed all his property to his wife, Paula. She later married Charles Rivers, but he also passed away in 1879. Paula became a major benefactor for the city, donating land for Camp Del Rio, contributing land for area schools, and assisting in the construction of some of the town’s Catholic churches.
By the time railroads began laying tracks toward Del Rio in 1881, the town’s population was only around 200 people. Both the Southern Pacific Railroad, building west to east, and the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railroad, building east to west, were striving to reach Del Rio. The Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railroad bridged San Felipe Creek in June 1882, and with the arrival of the first train in Del Rio, the population began to surge.
The first railroad depot, constructed of wood, was located at the same site where a newer and much larger brick depot would be built in the 1920s. With the railroad fully operational, the town began to shift and change. Previously, most homes and businesses were situated near San Felipe Creek, but new homes and businesses began to emerge north of the railroad tracks.
By 1882, two gristmills were in operation, harnessing the power of San Felipe Creek. The town boasted several businesses, including the ever-present saloons. The following year, when the first post office opened, the U.S. Postal Department requested that the name be shortened to Del Rio to avoid confusion with San Felipe de Austin. Also constructed in 1883 was one of the city’s most renowned local enterprises – the "Ice Plant." Situated on San Felipe Creek, it also functioned as a gristmill and, later, a power-generating plant.
Initially, Del Rio depended entirely on water from San Felipe Creek, which was hauled into the community in large barrels in wagons. However, in 1883, the railroad constructed the first piped water system. Water was then pumped from the creek to a large wooden tank located north of the railroad tracks. Residents could access the water for $1.00 per month, and it also provided fire protection for the community.
1883 marked a year of significant progress in Del Rio, including the establishment of the Val Verde Winery. Founded by Frank Qualia, originally from Milan, Italy, he initially settled in San Antonio, but most of the good land had already been claimed. Upon hearing about the fertile land and water in Del Rio, he moved there in 1881. In 1883, he married Mary Franke, and the two began planting vineyards to produce wine for family and friends in the old country tradition. He obtained his vintner’s license in 1883 and commenced commercial operations. During Prohibition, the winery faced challenges but persevered by producing non-alcoholic drinks and continuing to make wine for sacramental purposes, which remained legal. Today, it stands as Texas’s oldest bonded winery. Still in operation, it is managed by third-generation vintner Thomas Qualia, who carries on the knowledge and experience passed down through generations. Located at 100 Qualia Drive, the winery welcomes visitors for tours Monday through Saturday.
Another prominent Italian figure in early Del Rio was John Taini, a stonemason. He and his partner, G.B. Cassinelli, worked for the railroad and the U.S. Army, constructing stone buildings for Fort Clark in Brackettville, Texas. Once the fort was completed, the two moved to Del Rio in the early 1880s. Taini contributed to the construction of several prominent buildings, including the Val Verde County Courthouse in 1887, the 1895 Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the 1904 Methodist Church building, and numerous others.
In the early 1880s, local benefactor Dona Paula Losoya Taylor Rivers placed a large cross atop the iconic Del Rio landmark known as Round Mountain. This steep-sided, cone-shaped hill, located south of the city, has been known by various names, including Sugar Loaf Mound, La Loma de la Cruz, and Hill of the Cross.
This artificial-looking mountain is shrouded in legends, including a tale of townspeople who fought a group of Mexican bandits. During the battle, many were killed and buried at the mountain’s base. Dona Paula placed the cross atop the mound to recognize it as hallowed ground. Other legends associated with the mound revolve around treasure and spirits.
In 1884, recognizing that Del Rio’s Mexican Colony lacked an official cemetery, Dona Paula donated four acres of land for the establishment of Cementerio Loma De La Cruz. Three former U.S. Army Seminole Indian Scouts and the Reverend Ramon V. Palomares, the first pastor of Del Rio’s Mexican American Methodist Church, are buried in this historic graveyard. By 1933, the cemetery was full, and no further burials took place.
In the same year that the cemetery was established, Del Rio’s first newspaper, the Del Rio Dot, was founded by Miss Lottie Lyons, with William J. Lyons serving as its first editor. However, the newspaper was short-lived. It would be several years before the next newspaper, the Del Rio Record, was established in 1887. Others followed, including the Daily Mirror in 1895 and the Del Rio Daily in 1906. Today, the city is served by the Del Rio Herald-News, which has been operating for more than 70 years.
By the spring of 1884, a church was built in Del Rio by the Methodist and Episcopal congregations. Prior to the construction of the wood frame building on Pecan Street, parishioners had met in private homes. Unfortunately, shortly after its completion, the building was destroyed by a tornado, leaving the town without a church once again.
The Val Verde County Courthouse was constructed in 1887. Originally, it consisted of only two stories; a third story was added in 1915.
In 1885, Val Verde County was formed from portions of Crockett, Kinney, and Pecos Counties, and Del Rio became its county seat. Early development in the county was dependent on the railroad, the military, ranching, agriculture, and retail businesses.
In 1891-92, the Sacred Heart Catholic Church was built at Mill and Losoya Streets. Before the construction of the beautiful limestone building, services were held in private homes and in a wooden house at the same site. The Gothic Revival structure was enlarged and remodeled in 1929. Today, it continues to serve its parishioners.
By 1901, Del Rio received electric power from the ice plant, which was transformed into an electric light plant. Four years later, the city was officially incorporated in 1905. Officials were appointed and elected, taxes were established, and criminal laws were imposed. In these early years, many of the criminal codes were focused on eliminating any "Old West" mentality from the city. Horse racing in the streets, vagrancy, public drunkenness, and nude swimming in San Felipe Creek were prohibited.
In 1903-04, the Methodists and Episcopalians finally built another church on the same site as the first, which had been destroyed years earlier. With Del Rio rapidly growing during the early years of the 20th century, the congregation would soon outgrow the stone chapel. A much larger Methodist Church was completed in 1931. The beautiful new church is located on Spring Street. The old stone chapel then served as storage for several years. Today, it stands abandoned and in ruins. The Episcopalians also built a new church – the Saint James Episcopal Church, located on Greenwood Street.
Although the city was moving into the future, its frontier mentality was not entirely eradicated. During the Mexican Revolution (1910-1916), several border towns were raided, and in response, Camp Michie was established on the outskirts of Del Rio. This semi-permanent military camp housed soldiers on border patrols out of Fort Clark, who were also tasked with guarding railroad bridges along the border, the High Bridge across the Pecos River, and other strategic points.
By 1914, the city’s population had exceeded 6,000 people and would grow further when Camp Michie once again became an important outpost. With the outbreak of World War I that year, guarding the bridges became even more critical, as the tracks served as a vital link for transporting men and equipment between the Pacific Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.
The post, which housed cavalry and infantry troops, primarily consisted of a tent camp but also included a few permanent structures. It was officially disbanded in June 1921, and in 1924, the land was sold back to its original owner. Nothing remains of the old post today.
In 1933, Dr. John R. Brinkley, a controversial figure who had lost his medical license in the United States for performing goat gland transplants on men suffering from impotence, arrived in Del Rio. After losing his radio license, Brinkley moved to Del Rio, Texas, and established XERA radio, the most powerful radio station at the time, across the border in Ciudad Acuna. He also purchased and expanded what is now known as the Brinkley Mansion in Del Rio.
In 1939, following the signing of various international treaties with the U.S. and the implementation of the Brinkley Act, which prohibited broadcasting studios in the US from being connected to transmitters in Mexico via phone line or other means, Mexico closed its high-power radio station.
Brinkley then opened a new medical practice in Arkansas but maintained his home in Del Rio, traveling back and forth. After further legal troubles, he died penniless in 1942 in San Antonio. The Brinkley Mansion, now a private residence, still stands in south Del Rio at 512 Qualia Drive. The radio station license remained silent until 1947.
Over the years, the government continued to utilize the isolated Del Rio area for various types of military training. With the onset of World War II, the army opened a base near the city in 1943, named Laughlin Army Field, for pilot training and a bombardment school. It was named in honor of Jack T. Laughlin, a B-17 Flying Fortress navigator who became Del Rio’s first WWII casualty when his plane was shot down in the Battle of the Java Sea, Japan, in January 1942. It also became an Army Air Force Auxiliary Field but was closed in October 1945.
However, the base was reactivated in May 1952, becoming Laughlin Air Force Base. Its initial mission was to train F-84 fighter pilots. By 1957, the base had been assigned to the Strategic Air Command and provided a home for RB-57 and U-2 reconnaissance aircraft.
Today, the base is an important Air Training Command center, graduating approximately 500 pilots every year. According to base authorities, the base and the City of Del Rio maintain one of the strongest relationships of any military post in the nation.
While the Air Force base was developing, history continued at Dr. Brinkley’s old radio station building. In 1959, the station, now XERF, was purchased by a Texas corporation formed by famed announcers Ramon D. Bosquez and Arturo Gonzalez. The new company increased the station’s power far beyond what was legally allowed in the U.S., reaching a booming 250,000 watts. This power enabled the AM signal to be heard in all 50 states of the U.S., Canada, and Latin America.
Announcer Bob Smith, who became known as Wolfman Jack with the rise of Rock N’ Roll, joined the powerful radio station from 1962-64. Although Wolfman Jack gained a significant audience and established a name for himself at the radio station, Mexican bandits and corrupt officials resented his success. In the same year that Wolfman Jack began broadcasting, Mexican bandits attacked the radio station, resulting in one fatality. Two years later, the station was attacked again, and two people were killed. The investors and Wolfman Jack subsequently abandoned the station. No one was ever held accountable for the deaths.
In the meantime, Del Rio maintained a steady population, primarily relying on ranching and agriculture for its economy. In the 1960s, the city underwent significant changes with the development of U.S. Highway 90, north of the original townsite. Although numerous businesses benefited from the new highway, it had a devastating impact on Del Rio’s old downtown area.
Del Rio’s growth received another boost with the construction of the Amistad Dam and Reservoir on the Rio Grande in 1969. Built for flood control, irrigation, power generation, and recreation, the lake is located 12 miles north of Del Rio. Owned by both the United States and Mexico, it is operated by the International Boundary and Water Commission. It was named "Amistad," the Spanish word for "friendship," to reflect the cooperation and goodwill displayed by both countries in the project.
With snowbirds, fishermen, and water sports enthusiasts flocking to one of the most beautiful blue lakes in Texas, Del Rio’s population increased to nearly 31,000 people by 1990. The area continues to thrive with a ranching economy primarily centered on Angora goats and sheep, supplemented by tourism, trade with Mexico, and the military base.
Today, Del Rio is home to approximately 35,000 people and remains deeply connected to its rich history. Numerous historic buildings and historical markers are scattered throughout the city, serving as reminders of its vibrant past.