Jim Hogg County Historical Commission members and community are trying to correct or update Jim Hogg County history after years of research and with cooperation of its members, family ranchers and community history lovers. We hope we can attain the updated corrections in time for our Jim Hogg County 100th anniversary book in 1913 and contact people's "Internet Hebbronville/Jim Hogg articles" that need to be updated. We have also contacted The Handbook of Texas for updates/corrections.
Please be advised of the following needed updates:
I. Hebbronville (Jim Hogg County, original county seat since 1913) was platted in 1894 and was at the
time located in Duval County. Its first post office was established in 1895. Per Mr. C. W. Helen
family 1938 documents which during the celebration of Jim Hogg County 25th anniversary. Also see the
General Land Office (GLO) 1893 map whereas there is no indication of Hebbronville, only Peņa Station.
II. Peņa Station was part of the Texas Mexican Railway depot from 1881-1894 (see map)
and continued as a community in the 1900s. People tend to forget that Peņa Station played a very integral
part in south Texas history and needs to be mentioned in our history books for its Texas longhorn cattle
shipping records.
III. Please include that our county's namesake, Mr. Jim Hogg was the first native born Texas governor.
The county was named after him in 1913. This was the last year the legislature agreed to add counties
to Texas which today still stands at 254 counties.
IV. Thru the years, the Jim Hogg County area was partly or wholly in the following counties:
Nueces (whole), Starr (whole) Duval (part) Zapata (part) Encinal (part) and Brooks (whole 1911-1913).
No part of Jim Hogg was ever in Live Oak nor Hidalgo county jurisdictions per General Land Office (GLO)
and Corpus Christi historian Mr. Murphy Givens. We are still researching the exact years that Jim Hogg
was part of these counties.
V. Randado, Texas was the largest community when Jim Hogg County was established in 1913. The family
of Mr. Bernardo De La Garza (Randado Ranch owner) has a sign at the entrance to Randado dated 1767
which was a Spanish land grant.(See pic)
VI. Agua Nueva existed since 1740 according to Texas GLO maps and must be included in this article.
Therefore, the statement that "The earliest on record was made in 1805 by the Spanish government to
Xavier Vela and covered what later became south central Jim Hogg County" is incorrect.
Some of the Spanish land grand documents have not been located due to different circumstances such as
old wars, legal issues and lack of extensive research. We are unable to personally check historical
documents at San Luis Potosi, Monterrey and Monclova, Mexico considering today's current events and
lack of funds. Here are other noted Jim Hogg County historical facts.
VII. The eastern Jim Hogg was part of an old Native American Indian trail that connected to the Shawnee
Trail to Illinois. This was from current day Mier, through Agua Nueva, San Diego, San Patricio, Goliad,
Nacogdoches and so forth which was later call El Camino Real-Kings Highway. (see pic below)
All Spanish roads were called King's Highway just like Interstate highways today. Alvar Nuņez
(Cabeza de Vaca) and his three companions (1530s) came down thru this south Texas area during Indian
cactus prickly pear festivals and later cross the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo) close to Falcon, Texas.
VIII. Mirando City, in Webb County and Thompsonville which was in Jim Hogg County were proud to be part
of the first oil boom south of San Antonio in the 1920's which was earlier than the East Texas Oil boom.
IX. The Jim Hogg County educational school history is being pieced together from R.J. Molina's
Hebbronville historical booklet which is constantly updated using input from historical documents
and community factual input. (Part of educational facts listed below are from Mrs. Graciela Gonzalez,
Quita Mitchell and JH County 50th anniversary book.) Also, please indicate that Colegio Altamirano
was established by American Hispanic (Mexican American descent) ranchers in 1897 and later closed in
1958. Colegio Altamirano's first professor was Mr. Rosendo Barrera.
1. Jim Hogg County ISD (1947-Present) One room school houses existed on
historic ranches since the mid-1700s until regulated by the County School
Board (1913-1921). Hebbronville ISD (1921-1946) was renamed Jim
Hogg County ISD in 1947. The first Hebbronville public school was a sillar
(limestone block) building built in what is now the Homero Martinez family
home at 410 E. Santa Clara. A one story wooden school house was built
where Piggy Wiggly once stood. Later a three story wooden schoolhouse was
built behind the old Piggy Wiggly at 104 E. Galbraith.
If you need more information, please email me or contact our Jim Hogg County Historical Commission members.
We thank you for your productive historical endeavors.
Sincerely American Tejano,
R.J. Molina
Jim Hogg County Historical Commission member
submitted by AMTEJANO@aol.com