John H. Shary
Encyclopedia
John H. Shary was an American
farmer
and entrepreneur
.
immigrants who came to America and became pioneer
farmers. John Shary grew up and went to school in Crete, Nebraska
. By the age of eighteen he had worked his way through college to become one of the youngest men certified as a pharmacist
in that state.
When he was twenty-two, he accepted a job as a traveling salesman for a California drug company. His travels took him throughout the United States and Canada. While in Texas, he took notice of the great potential for land development. He first purchased 30,000 acres (120 km²) of land between Corpus Christi
and San Antonio. The sale of this property earned him much profit and inspired him to enter the land development business.
and realized the possibilities of this lush area. At the time it was largely brush and cactus
, but Shary was impressed with citrus
crops that were being grown by early citrus experimenters and felt that citrus was the crop of the future for Texas. Citrus crops needed irrigation and in 1914 Shary purchased the First Lift Station
which pumped life giving water from the Rio Grande to irrigate 15,000 acres (61 km²) of surrounding crops. The chimney from the lift station has been designated a Texas historical landmark and is still standing at the site of Chimney Park in Mission, Texas
. That following year Shary planted the first commercial citrus orchard. His first crops were seeded white grapefruit. His citrus empire would eventually grow to almost 15,000 acres (60 km²) of groves. The first commercial shipments of citrus, packed in onion crates, were shipped from the lower Rio Grande Valley in 1920. By 1922 much of the land had been transformed into citrus groves, and cotton
, onion
, and vegetable fields. Shary took the lead in organizing and building the United Irrigation Company, in order to assure water supplies for future developments.
He purchased 36,000 acres (150 km²) of land near Mission. This area would later become known as "Sharyland
." Also, the south end of Shary's estate, also formally known as "Shary Farms", was bought by Hunt Realty Corporation and developed into a suburban community by the name of Sharyland Plantation.
A landmark that still stands today is the Sharyland school, which he had built to educate the children of the many families who made their home in the area. Shary was President of the Board of Trustees for Sharyland ISD. He served from its formation in 1922 until he retired in 1939.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
.
Early life
Shary's parents were AustrianAustrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
immigrants who came to America and became pioneer
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
farmers. John Shary grew up and went to school in Crete, Nebraska
Crete, Nebraska
Crete is a city in Saline County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,960 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Crete is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
. By the age of eighteen he had worked his way through college to become one of the youngest men certified as a pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
in that state.
When he was twenty-two, he accepted a job as a traveling salesman for a California drug company. His travels took him throughout the United States and Canada. While in Texas, he took notice of the great potential for land development. He first purchased 30,000 acres (120 km²) of land between Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
and San Antonio. The sale of this property earned him much profit and inspired him to enter the land development business.
Life in Texas
In 1912, Shary made his way to the Rio Grande ValleyRio 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...
and realized the possibilities of this lush area. At the time it was largely brush and cactus
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
, but Shary was impressed with citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
crops that were being grown by early citrus experimenters and felt that citrus was the crop of the future for Texas. Citrus crops needed irrigation and in 1914 Shary purchased the First Lift Station
First Lift Station
Dedicated as a Texas Historic Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission in 1985, the First Lift Station in Mission, Texas once provided water for irrigating the crops of the early Rio Grande Valley. In 1907 John J. Conway and James W. Hoit began the Mission Canal Co. Irrigation system, which was...
which pumped life giving water from the Rio Grande to irrigate 15,000 acres (61 km²) of surrounding crops. The chimney from the lift station has been designated a Texas historical landmark and is still standing at the site of Chimney Park in Mission, Texas
Mission, Texas
Mission is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 77,058 at the 2010 census Mission is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.-Geography:Mission is located at ....
. That following year Shary planted the first commercial citrus orchard. His first crops were seeded white grapefruit. His citrus empire would eventually grow to almost 15,000 acres (60 km²) of groves. The first commercial shipments of citrus, packed in onion crates, were shipped from the lower Rio Grande Valley in 1920. By 1922 much of the land had been transformed into citrus groves, and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
, and vegetable fields. Shary took the lead in organizing and building the United Irrigation Company, in order to assure water supplies for future developments.
Legacy
Because of his significant role in the development of the area, Shary was named to the Texas Business Hall of Fame and is remembered as the "Father of the Texas Citrus Industry". He greatly assisted in the establishment of citrus as a productive commercial crop in the Rio Grande Valley. Since 1932, the Texas Citrus Fiesta has been held to commemorate the abundant harvest of the Texas citrus industry. To this day, this area is known for producing some of the sweetest and best quality citrus in the world.He purchased 36,000 acres (150 km²) of land near Mission. This area would later become known as "Sharyland
West Sharyland, Texas
Sharyland is a census-designated place in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,947 at the 2000 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
." Also, the south end of Shary's estate, also formally known as "Shary Farms", was bought by Hunt Realty Corporation and developed into a suburban community by the name of Sharyland Plantation.
A landmark that still stands today is the Sharyland school, which he had built to educate the children of the many families who made their home in the area. Shary was President of the Board of Trustees for Sharyland ISD. He served from its formation in 1922 until he retired in 1939.
External links
- Photographs from the John H. Shary Collection from the University of Texas-Pan American Library Archives, hosted by the Portal to Texas History
- Photographs of Sharyland Excursions from the University of Texas-Pan American Library Archives hosted by the Portal to Texas History
- Google Map of Lands Owned by John H. Shary from the University of Texas-Pan American Library Archives hosted by Google Maps