La Lomita Historic District
5 mi. S of Mission on FM 1016, Mission, TXThe focal point of the La Lomita Historic District is the small chapel of the old La Lomita Mission. Besides the architectural charm of the small rural chapel, the Mission served as an important impetus in the settlement of the area. The surrounding 122 acres contained within the historic district include the only hill evident within the area. Due to this geographical feature, owners have adopted the name "LaLomita" for this section of the land since the late eighteenth century. This land is a section of the original porciones inherited by the Oblate Fathers in 1871. Built on top of the "Little Hill" in 1912, St. Peter's Novitiate served as a novitiate training center for student priests until the late 1950s. Together the Mission chapel, farmlands, and novitiate represent not only a tangible reminder of the evolution of the Catholic church in the lower Rio Grande Valley but also document the important role the Oblate Fathers played in settling this southern tip of Texas.
In 1767 by order of King Carles III of Spain, the government began a more just and equal allotment of territory by laying out "porciones." Starting at the banks of the Rio Grande River, narrow tracts of land stretched inward so that each tract would have free access to the river. An average "porcion" consisted of about two-thirds of a mile on the river bank and stretched inland from eleven to sixteen miles. Porcion fifty-five was originally ceded to Jose Antonio Cantu ca. 1770 and he established a large ranch called "Rancho La Lomita", named for the one small hill on the porcion. After the land passed through several owners, Rene Guyard bought the property in 1851. Six years before Guyard had purchased procion fifty-seven. Guyard, a native of France who first settled in Reynosa in 1800, was a devout Roman Catholic. In 1852 he became acquainted with the missionary Oblates of Immaculate who had landed at Port Isabel three years before. Seeking spiritual guidance for those who worked on his extensive ranch lands, Guyard encouraged the priests to travel through his property. As Guyard's ranch became a way station between the Brownsville headquarters and the Roma Mission, the Oblate Fathers built an adobe chapel in 1865 and named it La Lomita Chapel. In 1871 Rene Guyard died and willed porciones fifty-five and fifty-seven to the Missionary Oblates.
The Oblate Fathers retained ownership of the property and rented it to various ranches to receive some economic return. The ranch increasingly became an economic burden and the priests were forced to turn to other means of financing the upkeep of the property. One solution was an agreement with the Wells Fargo Company to rent out a few of their houses and allow the mission to be used as a remount station for the stagecoach. However, the financial burden eventually caused the Oblate Fathers to sell all the land except for the La Lomita Chapel and a few hundred acres surrounding it.
Flood waters eventually deteriorated the first adobe chapel and a new stone structure was built in 1899. A village sprang up around the chapel, which stood at the center of a small plaza. The Oblate Fathers built a rectory, guest house, quarters for the lay brothers, a blacksmith shop, and a buggy shed. In addition, a dozen or more huts were used by families of Mexican laborers gathered in the area. But in 1904 the railroad arrived in Hidalgo County and by 1907-8 the people of the Mission village began to move to the new settlement located along the railroad approximately five miles north of La Lomita Mission.
In honor of the La Lomita Mission, which had helped bring the first settlers to the area, the new town took the name Mission, Texas. In 1908 the post office was transferred from La Lomita to renamed Mission. The town had been founded on the old mission lands originally owned by the Missionary Oblates. The Oblates purchased three plots in the new town and 1910 built Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. However, the chapel was never completely abandoned. Periodic services have continued for the ranch people in the immediate area since that time.
In 1912 the Missionary Oblates chose to build a Novitiate on their land in Hidalgo County. Selecting the most spectacular view, the three-story brick building was located atop the little hill. St. Peter's Novitiate was named in honor of Father Peter Keralum, O.M.I., who tragically died while on a tour of the South Texas Missions in the 1870s. He was one of the early
missionaries to serve the L Lomita Mission and was a founding father of Oblate work in Texas.
The building was used as a Novitiate Training Center for student priests until the late 1950s. Recently St. Peter's Novitiate and 100 acres of farmlands have been leased by the Missionary oblates to the Tropical Texas Center for Mental Health/Mental Retardation (La Lomita Farms) for 50 years. The MH/MR Center will farm the surrounding acres and use the Novitiate for educational and vocational training for the mentally retarded. In addition, one floor of the building will be used as an art museum and community meeting space for the people of Mission, Texas.
La Lomita Historic District was nominated as a district rather than nominating the two individual buildings, for the significance of the buildings is tied so closely to the land. Serving as both a historical and visual link between the two buildings the 122 acres are part of the original lands owned by the Oblate Fathers and used for ranching and farming. La Lomita Mission was first founded to provide religious training and services for the members of the "Rancho La Lomita." When the owner of the ranch died he willed all of this property to the Oblate Fathers. The 122 acres included within the district are a portion of the remaining 300 acres the Oblate Fathers still own. The Mission Chapel was founded as a rural outpost and, as the district's focal point, the chapel retains this rural character.
The other significant structure, St. Peter's Novitiate, represents the evolution of the role of the Oblate Fathers in the region. Built on top of the hill for which "Rancho La Lomita" and "La Lomita Mission" were named, the Novitiate's significance is also tied to the rural surroundings. The site was chosen in 1912 because it was a secluded one and, once again, the rural setting is important in maintaining this ambiance.
The specific boundaries were chosen because these are two parcels of land that the Oblate Fathers have recently leased and on which restoration is taking place. St. Peter's Novitiate and 100 acres of land are presently leased to the MH/MR to adaptivity and restore the Novitiate as a center for the mentally retarded. The remaining lands will continue to be used as farm and ranch land. The Oblate Fathers have also leased an additional 22 acres west of the canal to the city of Mission. The city is planning to restore the chapel and utilize the remaining acres for a park.
In 1767 by order of King Carles III of Spain, the government began a more just and equal allotment of territory by laying out "porciones." Starting at the banks of the Rio Grande River, narrow tracts of land stretched inward so that each tract would have free access to the river. An average "porcion" consisted of about two-thirds of a mile on the river bank and stretched inland from eleven to sixteen miles. Porcion fifty-five was originally ceded to Jose Antonio Cantu ca. 1770 and he established a large ranch called "Rancho La Lomita", named for the one small hill on the porcion. After the land passed through several owners, Rene Guyard bought the property in 1851. Six years before Guyard had purchased procion fifty-seven. Guyard, a native of France who first settled in Reynosa in 1800, was a devout Roman Catholic. In 1852 he became acquainted with the missionary Oblates of Immaculate who had landed at Port Isabel three years before. Seeking spiritual guidance for those who worked on his extensive ranch lands, Guyard encouraged the priests to travel through his property. As Guyard's ranch became a way station between the Brownsville headquarters and the Roma Mission, the Oblate Fathers built an adobe chapel in 1865 and named it La Lomita Chapel. In 1871 Rene Guyard died and willed porciones fifty-five and fifty-seven to the Missionary Oblates.
The Oblate Fathers retained ownership of the property and rented it to various ranches to receive some economic return. The ranch increasingly became an economic burden and the priests were forced to turn to other means of financing the upkeep of the property. One solution was an agreement with the Wells Fargo Company to rent out a few of their houses and allow the mission to be used as a remount station for the stagecoach. However, the financial burden eventually caused the Oblate Fathers to sell all the land except for the La Lomita Chapel and a few hundred acres surrounding it.
Flood waters eventually deteriorated the first adobe chapel and a new stone structure was built in 1899. A village sprang up around the chapel, which stood at the center of a small plaza. The Oblate Fathers built a rectory, guest house, quarters for the lay brothers, a blacksmith shop, and a buggy shed. In addition, a dozen or more huts were used by families of Mexican laborers gathered in the area. But in 1904 the railroad arrived in Hidalgo County and by 1907-8 the people of the Mission village began to move to the new settlement located along the railroad approximately five miles north of La Lomita Mission.
In honor of the La Lomita Mission, which had helped bring the first settlers to the area, the new town took the name Mission, Texas. In 1908 the post office was transferred from La Lomita to renamed Mission. The town had been founded on the old mission lands originally owned by the Missionary Oblates. The Oblates purchased three plots in the new town and 1910 built Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. However, the chapel was never completely abandoned. Periodic services have continued for the ranch people in the immediate area since that time.
In 1912 the Missionary Oblates chose to build a Novitiate on their land in Hidalgo County. Selecting the most spectacular view, the three-story brick building was located atop the little hill. St. Peter's Novitiate was named in honor of Father Peter Keralum, O.M.I., who tragically died while on a tour of the South Texas Missions in the 1870s. He was one of the early
missionaries to serve the L Lomita Mission and was a founding father of Oblate work in Texas.
The building was used as a Novitiate Training Center for student priests until the late 1950s. Recently St. Peter's Novitiate and 100 acres of farmlands have been leased by the Missionary oblates to the Tropical Texas Center for Mental Health/Mental Retardation (La Lomita Farms) for 50 years. The MH/MR Center will farm the surrounding acres and use the Novitiate for educational and vocational training for the mentally retarded. In addition, one floor of the building will be used as an art museum and community meeting space for the people of Mission, Texas.
La Lomita Historic District was nominated as a district rather than nominating the two individual buildings, for the significance of the buildings is tied so closely to the land. Serving as both a historical and visual link between the two buildings the 122 acres are part of the original lands owned by the Oblate Fathers and used for ranching and farming. La Lomita Mission was first founded to provide religious training and services for the members of the "Rancho La Lomita." When the owner of the ranch died he willed all of this property to the Oblate Fathers. The 122 acres included within the district are a portion of the remaining 300 acres the Oblate Fathers still own. The Mission Chapel was founded as a rural outpost and, as the district's focal point, the chapel retains this rural character.
The other significant structure, St. Peter's Novitiate, represents the evolution of the role of the Oblate Fathers in the region. Built on top of the hill for which "Rancho La Lomita" and "La Lomita Mission" were named, the Novitiate's significance is also tied to the rural surroundings. The site was chosen in 1912 because it was a secluded one and, once again, the rural setting is important in maintaining this ambiance.
The specific boundaries were chosen because these are two parcels of land that the Oblate Fathers have recently leased and on which restoration is taking place. St. Peter's Novitiate and 100 acres of land are presently leased to the MH/MR to adaptivity and restore the Novitiate as a center for the mentally retarded. The remaining lands will continue to be used as farm and ranch land. The Oblate Fathers have also leased an additional 22 acres west of the canal to the city of Mission. The city is planning to restore the chapel and utilize the remaining acres for a park.
Bibliography
Doyon, Bernard, O.M.I., The Cavalry of Christ on the Rio Grande, Catholic Life Publications, Bruce Press, Milwaukee, 1956.
Oblate Fathers, The Story of La Lomita Chapel. Booklet published by Oblate Fathers.
Oblate Fathers, The Story of La Lomita Chapel. Booklet published by Oblate Fathers.
Transportation; Exploration/settlement; Architecture; Religion
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
About National Register Listings
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.
Texas is home to the world's largest bat colony. The Bracken Bat Cave, near San Antonio, is home to millions of Mexican free-tailed bats.
About Hidalgo County
Hidalgo County Timeline
Hidalgo County, located in Southern Texas, has a rich history that spans back thousands of years. The region was initially inhabited by various Native American tribes, including the Coahuiltecan, Karankawa, and Caddo peoples. These tribes thrived in the area, relying on agriculture, hunting, fishing, and trade.
In the 16th century, Spanish explorers arrived in the region, bringing new settlers and establishing missions. During this time, the land belonged to Spain and was considered a part of New Spain. The Spanish influence can still be seen today in the names of many cities and landmarks in Hidalgo County.
In the 19th century, Mexico gained independence from Spain and Hidalgo County became part of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. However, with the Texas Revolution in 1836, the region became a part of the Republic of Texas and was eventually incorporated into the United States with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Hidalgo County experienced significant growth due to the expansion of the railroad industry and the development of irrigation techniques. This led to the establishment of prosperous agricultural communities, with cotton being the main cash crop. Over time, the population became increasingly diverse, with a mix of Mexican, Anglo-American, and other immigrant communities.
Today, Hidalgo County is a thriving region known for its vibrant culture, strong agricultural industry, and close proximity to the US-Mexico border. It is home to cities such as McAllen and Edinburg, as well as popular tourist attractions like the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and the International Museum of Art and Science. The county continues to evolve, with a growing population and a dynamic economy driven by healthcare, education, manufacturing, and international trade.
In the 16th century, Spanish explorers arrived in the region, bringing new settlers and establishing missions. During this time, the land belonged to Spain and was considered a part of New Spain. The Spanish influence can still be seen today in the names of many cities and landmarks in Hidalgo County.
In the 19th century, Mexico gained independence from Spain and Hidalgo County became part of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. However, with the Texas Revolution in 1836, the region became a part of the Republic of Texas and was eventually incorporated into the United States with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Hidalgo County experienced significant growth due to the expansion of the railroad industry and the development of irrigation techniques. This led to the establishment of prosperous agricultural communities, with cotton being the main cash crop. Over time, the population became increasingly diverse, with a mix of Mexican, Anglo-American, and other immigrant communities.
Today, Hidalgo County is a thriving region known for its vibrant culture, strong agricultural industry, and close proximity to the US-Mexico border. It is home to cities such as McAllen and Edinburg, as well as popular tourist attractions like the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and the International Museum of Art and Science. The county continues to evolve, with a growing population and a dynamic economy driven by healthcare, education, manufacturing, and international trade.
Hidalgo County Timeline
This timeline provides a glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped the history of Hidalgo County, Texas.
- 1749 - The area that is now Hidalgo County is explored by Spanish explorers.
- 1767 - The Spanish government establishes a settlement called Reynosa in the area.
- 1821 - Mexico gains independence from Spain, and Hidalgo County becomes a part of Mexico.
- 1836 - Texas declares independence from Mexico, and Hidalgo County becomes a part of the Republic of Texas.
- 1848 - The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed, ending the Mexican-American War, and Hidalgo County becomes a part of the United States.
- 1852 - Hidalgo County is officially established as a county in the state of Texas.
- 1909 - The city of McAllen is founded.
- 1944 - The Hidalgo County Courthouse, a historic landmark, is completed.
- 1954 - The Hidalgo County Water Improvement District No. 4 is created to provide irrigation and drainage services.
- 1970 - The population of Hidalgo County reaches over 200,000.
- 2001 - The new Hidalgo County Administration Building opens.