John Conway founded the city of 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 ....

 in 1907 with J. W. Holt when the two purchased the 17000 acres (6,879.7 ha) La Lomita Ranch from the Oblate fathers. Subdivided parcels were sold to arriving settlers and water was pumped from the Rio Grande

Rio Grande

The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...

 by means of a pumping station called 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...

and distributed to the residents of the Rio Grande Valley through the Mission Canal Co. Irrigation System, also started by Conway and Holt.