San Benito, Texas
Encyclopedia
San Benito is a city in Cameron County, Texas
, United States. The population was 24,250 at the 2010 census. It is the birthplace of Country and Tex-Mex music icon Freddy Fender
. San Benito celebrated the 100th anniversary of the naming of the city April 3, 2007. The post office was named Diaz from April to May 1907. The San Benito Museum, Freddy Fender Museum and Conjunto Music Museum opened in the same building Nov. 17, 2007.
San Benito may be included as part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville
metropolitan areas.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 11.2 square miles (29 km²), of which, 11 square miles (28.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.87%) is water.
San Benito is also known as "The Resaca City", due to its resaca (a former tributary of the Rio Grande, which has been cut off for irrigation purposes).
of 2000, there were 23,444 people, 7,065 households, and 5,715 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,130.2 people per square mile (822.1/km²). There were 9,120 housing units at an average density of 828.7 per square mile (319.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.16% White, 0.32% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 20.48% from other races
, and 2.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 86.93% of the population.
There were 7,065 households out of which 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 19.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.30 and the average family size was 3.72.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,027, and the median income for a family was $26,415. Males had a median income of $22,097 versus $18,512 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $10,317. About 28.7% of families and 32.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.1% of those under age 18 and 22.8% of those age 65 or over.
of a large irrigation
system.
San Benito was at first named "Diaz" in honor of Porfirio Díaz
, president of Mexico
at that time. The people in the San Benito area were predominantly of Mexican ancestry
. The Anglo settlers came after the completion of the first irrigation system in 1906. Prior to that time, this region was an arid
, mesquite
-cactus
-brush covered wilderness
. Irrigation water touched off the crop production magic in the railroad.
On 4 July 1904, the first passenger train arrived at Diaz. To celebrate the coming of the new railroad, the community leaders renamed the railroad station "Bessie", in honor of Bessie Yoakum. Her father, Benjamin Franklin Yoakum
, was instrumental in the construction of the railroad.
Some time later, when the town site was surveyed, the name was changed to "San Benito" in honor of Benjamin Hicks. He was a pioneer rancher whose charitable attitude endeared him to the population. The name was suggested by Rafael Moreno, the popular 90 year old camp cook of the surveying party. Moreno suggested the name "San Benito" for his beloved "Saint Benjamin" Hicks.
San Benito was a village with a moderate number of homes, businesses, churches, and public schools several years before they were incorporated in 1911. The original map of the townsite was recorded 28 April 1907. The first school was established in 1907 with 48 pupils and Miss Kate Purvis as the teacher. The Post Office was also opened in 1907. In 1927 the city adopted a Commission form of government operating under a Home Rule Charter.
In 1920, when the city was included in the U.S. Census count for the first time, San Benito had become a city of 4,070 people. By 1950 the census count was 13,271. In 1960 the population had grown to 16,422. The present population is estimated at 26,350.
The irrigation district was organized in 1906. As a result of the availability of irrigation water, San Benito and all of the Lower Rio Grande Valley
cities came to serve a newly developing agricultural territory.
The original townsite, created in 1911, contained 1280 acres (518 ha). Since then a series of annexations have increased the incorporated area to 4092.17 acres (1,656 ha).
The mild winter climate in southmost section of the United States has played a dominant role in the growth of San Benito and the other cities of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Crops grow and flowers bloom year-round. The city has become a hotspot for winter tourists and retired people, providing a substantial percentage of the buying power of this community.
operates the San Benito Post Office.
serves San Benito.
In addition, South Texas Independent School District
serves San Benito and many nearby communities by providing several magnet schools. South Texas Academy of Medical Technology
(Med Tech) is located in San Benito.
San Benito Public Library is the city's library.
Cameron County, Texas
Cameron County is the southernmost county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 406,220. Its county seat is Brownsville. Cameron was founded in 1848...
, United States. The population was 24,250 at the 2010 census. It is the birthplace of Country and Tex-Mex music icon Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender , born Baldemar Garza Huerta in San Benito, Texas, United States, was a Mexican-American Tejano, country and rock and roll musician, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados...
. San Benito celebrated the 100th anniversary of the naming of the city April 3, 2007. The post office was named Diaz from April to May 1907. The San Benito Museum, Freddy Fender Museum and Conjunto Music Museum opened in the same building Nov. 17, 2007.
San Benito may be included as part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville
Matamoros–Brownsville Metropolitan Area
Matamoros–Brownsville, also known as Brownsville–Matamoros, or simply as the Borderplex, is one of the six bi-national metropolitan areas along the Mexico–U.S border...
metropolitan areas.
Geography
San Benito is located at 26°8′12"N 97°38′9"W (26.136603, -97.635878).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 11.2 square miles (29 km²), of which, 11 square miles (28.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.87%) is water.
San Benito is also known as "The Resaca City", due to its resaca (a former tributary of the Rio Grande, which has been cut off for irrigation purposes).
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 23,444 people, 7,065 households, and 5,715 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,130.2 people per square mile (822.1/km²). There were 9,120 housing units at an average density of 828.7 per square mile (319.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.16% White, 0.32% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 20.48% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 86.93% of the population.
There were 7,065 households out of which 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 19.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.30 and the average family size was 3.72.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,027, and the median income for a family was $26,415. Males had a median income of $22,097 versus $18,512 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $10,317. About 28.7% of families and 32.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.1% of those under age 18 and 22.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
San Benito, Texas, is known as the "Resaca City." A resaca, 400 feet (121.9 m) wide, flows through the city. As indicated by its Spanish name, the resaca was a dry river bed. It is now the main canalCanal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
of a large irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
system.
San Benito was at first named "Diaz" in honor of Porfirio Díaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
, president of Mexico
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
at that time. The people in the San Benito area were predominantly of Mexican ancestry
Tejano
Tejano or Texano is a term used to identify a Texan of Mexican heritage.Historically, the Spanish term Tejano has been used to identify different groups of people...
. The Anglo settlers came after the completion of the first irrigation system in 1906. Prior to that time, this region was an arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
, mesquite
Mesquite
Mesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
-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...
-brush covered wilderness
Tamaulipan mezquital
The Tamaulipan mezquital ecoregion, in the deserts and xeric shrublands biome, is located in the southern United States and northeastern Mexico...
. Irrigation water touched off the crop production magic in the railroad.
On 4 July 1904, the first passenger train arrived at Diaz. To celebrate the coming of the new railroad, the community leaders renamed the railroad station "Bessie", in honor of Bessie Yoakum. Her father, Benjamin Franklin Yoakum
Benjamin Franklin Yoakum
Benjamin Franklin Yoakum was a visionary railroad executive of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who attempted to join the Frisco and Rock Island Railroads into a great system stretching from Chicago to Mexico...
, was instrumental in the construction of the railroad.
Some time later, when the town site was surveyed, the name was changed to "San Benito" in honor of Benjamin Hicks. He was a pioneer rancher whose charitable attitude endeared him to the population. The name was suggested by Rafael Moreno, the popular 90 year old camp cook of the surveying party. Moreno suggested the name "San Benito" for his beloved "Saint Benjamin" Hicks.
San Benito was a village with a moderate number of homes, businesses, churches, and public schools several years before they were incorporated in 1911. The original map of the townsite was recorded 28 April 1907. The first school was established in 1907 with 48 pupils and Miss Kate Purvis as the teacher. The Post Office was also opened in 1907. In 1927 the city adopted a Commission form of government operating under a Home Rule Charter.
In 1920, when the city was included in the U.S. Census count for the first time, San Benito had become a city of 4,070 people. By 1950 the census count was 13,271. In 1960 the population had grown to 16,422. The present population is estimated at 26,350.
The irrigation district was organized in 1906. As a result of the availability of irrigation water, San Benito and all of the Lower Rio Grande Valley
Rio 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...
cities came to serve a newly developing agricultural territory.
The original townsite, created in 1911, contained 1280 acres (518 ha). Since then a series of annexations have increased the incorporated area to 4092.17 acres (1,656 ha).
The mild winter climate in southmost section of the United States has played a dominant role in the growth of San Benito and the other cities of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Crops grow and flowers bloom year-round. The city has become a hotspot for winter tourists and retired people, providing a substantial percentage of the buying power of this community.
Famous citizens
A list of San Benito's most notable people includes:- Lt. Wilma Roland (Dolly) Vinsant Shea, World War II flight nurseFlight nurseA Flight Nurse is traditionally a specialty where highly trained Registered Nurses provide comprehensive prehospital and emergency and critical care to all types of patients during aeromedical evacuation or rescue operations aboard helicopter and propeller aircraft or jet aircraft.Flight Nurses are...
- General Tom Marchbanks, United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
- King Cruse, aviation pioneer
- Bobby Morrow, 1956 Olympics1956 Summer OlympicsThe 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
100 meter dash gold medalist - Baldemar Huerta (Freddy FenderFreddy FenderFreddy Fender , born Baldemar Garza Huerta in San Benito, Texas, United States, was a Mexican-American Tejano, country and rock and roll musician, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados...
), musician - Charles Pugsley FincherCharles FincherCharles Pugsley Fincher is an American cartoonist and lawyer. His cartoons and comics focus on the law.-Education:...
, American cartoonistCartoonistA cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, lawyer, creator of "Thadeus & Weez" newspaper comic strip
- T. R. FehrenbachT. R. FehrenbachT. R. Fehrenbach is an American author and former head of the Texas Historical Commission. He graduated from Princeton University in 1947, and has published at least 18 non-fiction books, including best seller Lonestar: A History of Texas and Texans and This Kind of War, about the Korean War...
, author - Narciso MartínezNarciso MartínezNarciso Martínez , dubbed early on, El Huracan del Valle , began recording in 1936, on October 21 precisely, and is the father of conjunto music...
, Conjunto musician - Alba Stimson Heywood, Founder of city
- Samuel A. Robertson, Founder of city
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the San Benito Post Office.
Education
The San Benito Consolidated Independent School DistrictSan Benito Consolidated Independent School District
San Benito Consolidated Independent School District is a public school district based in San Benito, Texas .In addition to San Benito, the district serves the incorporated towns of Los Indios and Rangerville as well as the unincorporated communities of El Camino Angosto, Encantada-Ranchito El...
serves San Benito.
In addition, South Texas Independent School District
South Texas Independent School District
South Texas Independent School District is a public school district headquartered in Mercedes, Texas . STISD operates magnet schools that draw students from three counties: Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy...
serves San Benito and many nearby communities by providing several magnet schools. South Texas Academy of Medical Technology
South Texas Academy of Medical Technology
South Texas Academy of Medical Technology, also known as 'Med Tech', is a high school in San Benito, Texas, United States.The School was opened in 2003. The school serves as an alternative to larger high schools of local independent school districts for students interested in pursuing careers in...
(Med Tech) is located in San Benito.
San Benito Public Library is the city's library.
Television
The San Benito area is served by numerous local television affiliates.- KVEO-TV (NBC 23) - Brownsville
- KGBT-TVKGBT-TVKGBT-TV, virtual channel 4 , is a CBS affiliate located in Harlingen, Texas. Its market includes the greater Rio Grande Valley metropolitan area. KGBT is currently owned by Barrington Broadcasting Company. Its transmitter is located in Cameron County, Texas...
(CBS 4) - Harlingen - KRGV-TVKRGV-TVKRGV-TV is the local ABC affiliate television station for the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas . It is licensed to Weslaco, Texas, with studios in Weslaco and transmitter in Santa Maria, Texas...
(ABC 5) - Weslaco - KNVO (Univision 48) - McAllen
- XHRIO-TVXHRIO-TVXHRIO-TV, channel 2, also known as Fox Rio 2 or Fox XRIO, is the local Fox affiliate for the Lower Rio Grande Valley. It is licensed to Matamoros, Mexico, but serves American audiences across the Rio Grande Valley area from studios in McAllen, Texas...
(FOX 2) - Matamoros, Tamaulipas - KTLMKTLMKTLM is a Spanish-language television station in Rio Grande City, Texas, broadcasting locally on channel 40 as an affiliate of Telemundo. The station serves the Rio Grande Valley and is marketed as "Telemundo 40 McAllen"...
(Telemundo 40) - McAllen - KMBH-TV (PBS 60) - Harlingen
- KVTF-CAKVTF-CAKVTF-CA is a low-power television station in Brownsville, Texas, broadcasting locally as an affiliate of the Telefutura network on channel 20....
(Telefutura 20) - Brownsville - KLUJ-TVKLUJ-TVKLUJ-TV is a religious television station in Harlingen, Texas, broadcasting locally on digital channel 34 as an affiliate of TBN. Founded August 1, 1983, the station is owned by TBN, under the license name of Community Educational Television.- External links :*...
(TBN 44) - Harlingen - KNWS-LP (Azteca America 64) - Brownsville
Radio stations
- KBFMKBFMKBFM is a Rhythmic Top 40 music formatted radio station serving the Rio Grande Valley. The Clear Channel Communications station is licensed to Edinburg, Texas and broadcast their format at 104.1 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW....
Wild 104 (Hip Hop/Top 40) - Official Site - KFRQKFRQKFRQ is a radio station broadcasting an active rock format. Licensed to Harlingen, Texas, USA, and broadcast out of McAllen, Texas, the station serves the lower Rio Grande Valley area. The station is currently owned by Entravision Holdings, LLC....
Q94.5 The Rock Station (Classic/Modern/Hard Rock) - Official Site - KKPSKKPSKKPS is a radio station broadcasting a Tejano format. Licensed to Brownsville, Texas, USA, the station serves the McAllen-Brownsville-Harlingen area. The station is currently owned by Entravision Holdings, LLC.-History:...
Que Pasa 99.5 (Tejano) - Official Site - KNVO-FMKNVO-FMKNVO-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Port Isabel, Texas, USA. The station is owned by Entravision Holdings, LLC.KNVO-FM broadcasts a Tejano music format to the Rio Grande Valley area....
Super Estrella (Super Star) 101.1 - Official Site - KVLYKVLY (FM)KVLY is a radio station broadcasting a CHR format. Licensed to Edinburg, Texas, USA, the station serves the Rio Grande Valley area. The station is currently owned by Entravision Holdings, LLC.-History:...
Mix 107.9 KVLY (Adult Contemporary) - Official Site