What’s in a name?
The origins of the naming of the RGV and it’s cities By W.F. Strong When some people first arrive in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, they often ask, “Where are the mountains?” It’s natural. Generally, a valley is between mountains or at least hills. But the Rio Grande Valley is most accurately a delta region, as level as Lubbock. The highest roadway point is the 80-foot summit of the causeway bridge that goes to South Padre Island. So how did a delta become the Valley? Marketing. Back in the early 1900s, when developers were selling beautiful orchard acreage to northerners in New York and Chicago, they found that naming the area the Rio Grande Valley was a powerful selling strategy. It was also marketed as “the Magic Valley” - and I have no problem with the magic part. After all, there are dozens of varieties of exotic birds and butterflies that migrate through here each year. Some species winter here, too. The vibrantly colored birds and butterflies do make it magical. And there are the crops, too. Early on, visitors saw that sugar cane and cotton and citrus orchards, irrigated with
plentiful Rio Grande water, grew like magic in the Magic Valley. The strategy worked. Hundreds of thousands of people came to the RGV from northern states last century, for the subtropical climate and relaxed living. Some came just for the mild winters; they were called “Winter Texans” (and still are). “Winter Texan” was another successful PR term that seemed much more warm and personable than the slightly pejorative, “Snowbird.” From the point of view of a Texan, there could be no greater compliment than to crown visitors a “Texan” for the time they are here. The Rio Grande Valley is comprised of many small and medium-sized cities. Many have interesting name origins. South Padre Island translates to “Father Island.” It was named for a catholic priest - Padre José Nicolás Ballí. He inherited the island from his grandfather, who received it as a land grant from King Charles III of Spain, in 1759.
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