The first bank was established on the corner of Heywood and Reagan Streets. From the Post Office application for state historical marker by Felicia A. Brown. "The first bank in San Benito was founded in 1908 by two of the city's founding fathers, Alba and W. Scott Heywood with a capital of $10,000. They first opened their doors for business on December 17, 1908, in a small building at 170 S. Sam Houston. Alba Heywood was the first president holding office from 1098 until 1912. From 1912 until 1924 J.L. Landrum served in the head capacity, and his successor, E.H. Downs, was president from 1924 until 1956 when W.W. Housewright took office....On January 13, 1911, the group met again and altered the name to the San Benito Bank and Trust Company, and the by-laws were amended to provide for seven directors over the original five and also two vice-presidents. The name was changed because of the added trust facility which allowed the organization to handle estates, bond issues and other trust forms....When the new bank building was completed in the spring of 1911, the first depositor in the new quarters was Charles E. Barber of the Barber plantation." Center-San Benito Bank. To the left, San Benito Land & Water Co. "Bank Has Served Area for 52 Years," San Benito News, February 27, 1961, page 3.

The first post office was in the Bonner building at the corner of Rowson and Bowie in 1905. It later was located at 186 N. Sam Houston on the corner of N. Sam Houston Boulevard and Stenger St. where the Farmers' State Bank, now the Cameron County Annex stands; then just across the street at 191 S. Sam Houston Blvd.; and finally on Rowson Street in the Agar Building at 181 W. Rowson St. From the Post Office application for state historical marker by Felicia A. Brown. (U.T. Brownsville-TSC Microfilm Library, October, 1931 and April, 1933 Articles: Brownsville Herald "San Benito To Get Federal Building.")

Colonel Samuel A. Robertson was the first postmaster and he served in three post offices in Cameron County. "The town was not yet incorporated when Col. Robertson was commissioned as postmaster of Diaz, Texas on April 16, 1907. On June 18, 1934, Mr. Robertson was appointed postmaster of Del Mar on Brazos Island on the southwestern tip of Brazos Island. This area is more commonly known today as Boca Chica Beach. He had founded the town of Del Mar and served as postmaster there until his death on August 22, 1938" at the age of 71. He is buried at Fort Sam Military Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. Married twice, he had no decendents. From the Post Office application for state historical marker by Felicia A. Brown.

City delivery began in 1925 with two city routes. From the Post Office application for state historical marker by Felicia A. Brown.

"The Fourth of July, 1904, was marked by the citizens of San Benito not only as a legal holiday, but also as the day when the first passenger train chuffed into the station." "First Train Arrives 1904," San Benito News, Feb. 27, 1961.

"According to Guadalupe Aguirre, the first of the Bessie town lots was bought by his father, Eugenio, at 142 Hidalgo. 'Of course, it was all brush then.'" Today the lot is owned by Mr. & Mrs. F. Leonel (Estela Davila) Garcia in whose family (Davila) it has been since the early teens. From Charles M. Robinson, III, A History of San Benito.

The San Benito Light was started by Mr. H. E. Agar. From the Post Office application for state historical marker by Felicia A. Brown.

San Benito City Cemetery

"Joe Callandret was one of the first Negro settlers in San Benito. When the school for Negro children was erected in 1921, they honored Joe by naming the school for him. The project was sponsored by the local Rotary Club who secured the land and donated it to the school district expressly for this purpose." "First School--Traditional 'One-Roomer'--Opened Door in 1908," San Benito News, February 27, 1961.

"On Nov. 16, five days after the armistice, the Light noted the city's first battle death. 'San Benito has given her first soldier to the great cause of democracy on the field of battle, for this son of the Lower Rio Grande Valley city was killed in action. A telegram has been received by Mrs. Micaela Trevino de Garcia that her son, Alejandro Trevino Garcia, was killed in action in France, October 8, 1918. Young Garcia is a nephew of Luis Ramirez, who has several sons on the west front. This makes the third gold star in the city's service flag." From Charles M. Robinson, III, A History of San Benito

Howard Knox, son of Mr. W.L. Knox, Dec. 7, 1941 Brownsville Herald, Dec. 17, 1941 Stanley J. Erwin, son of Mrs. Lois Belle Erwin. Machinest Mate First Class, USS Arizona, Dec. 7, 1941. Brownsville Herald, Dec. 23, 1941

Information not available

Robert Corkill

"Saburo Tanamachi, son of Mr. & Mrs. Kumazo Tanamachi, was one of the first two Japanese Americans to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors." The Japanese Texans by Thomas K. Walls.

Lopez Place at the corner of Travis and Rowson. From Charles M. Robinson, III, A History of San Benito.

The San Benito Ice and Cold Storage company was begun as a community project in 1910 by Stanley Dodds and Sam Robertson. In 1914 the Rio Grande Valley Ice Company became the new owners. They installed the first pre-cooling unit in the Valley and one of the first in the country. At present (1961) the San Benito plant supplies all the clear ice for the entire Rio Grande Valley." "Good, Sturdy Businessmen Helped Found San Benito," San Benito News, February 27, 1961, page 2.

San Benito "Benny" Montalvo

"The first paved road was completed in Brownsville and was a scant 15 feet wide. The concrete span ran from Four Corners west of Harlingen, through San Benito to the infamous 'Dead Man's Curve' so dubbed because of the high toll of accidents which occured at the treacherous bend....Judge Oscar Dancy has long been advocate of good highways and half width concrete roads running north of Los Fresnos and between Rio Hondo and San Benito and a mile at San Maria were poured upon his urging and earned him the title of Oscar "Concrete" Dancy. Cameron County in 1947 held the distinction of having more miles of full width paved roads than any other county in the United States with the exception of Maricopa County in Arrizona and ermillion County in Illinois. At this time (1961) Cameron County has 270 miles of concrete highways. "First Paved Highway Thru San Benito Built in 1921," San Benito News, February 27, 1961, page 7.

"...on April 18, 1912...a department of health was created with Dr. M.A. Gantt, Dr. Vinsant, Dr. de la Fuente, Mr. E.P. Horne and Mr. W.O. King comprising the board." "Pool Table Tax Reduced by 1911 City Commission," San Benito News, February 27, 1961, page 7.

"The first home demonstration club in Cameron County, and one of the first in the entire state, was the Pennsylvania Avenue Club. Originally organized on January 27, 1915, for both men and women with twelve families forming the membership. They were: the Panders, D.D. Williams, R.H. Gerlach, Geroge McCain, J.E. Norris, James Soyars, P.L. Rose, C.C. Hervey, A.G. Ostrum, W.J. Spencer, George Toolan and Jess Elrods. The roads running through the families' area was merely a trail until the men grubbed out the brush and worked it into a passable dirt street. They named it Pennsylvania Aenue since most of the people living aroundwere from that state, hence the club's name, Pennsylvania Avenue Home Demonstration Club." "Womens' Clubs Were Popular in Early San Benito," San Benito News, February 27, 1961, page 5.

1950s at Larry Lightner Inc. Produce. 10 million bags. From oral interview with Glen Housely by Sandra Tumberlinson

Dolly Maria Martinez was the first baby born at Dolly Vinsant Memorial Hospital, on Nov. 13, 1949. Mrs. Dolly Barrera is an assistant manager with K-Mart in Harlingen. Hospital records