Alamo, TX

Alamo is on U.S. Highway 83 nine miles southeast of McAllen in southern Hidalgo County. Between 1902 and 1909 Peter Ebenezer Blalock and George T. Hawkins accumulated 32,000 acres of land surrounding the townsite and extending fifteen miles north of the Rio Grande. By 1908 they had laid out the town, built shipping pens, and named the railroad depot Ebenezer. The site became known as Camp Ebenezer when a community of prospective buyers housed in temporary dwellings developed. In 1909 the land was sold to the organizers of the Alamo Land and Sugar Company, which moved the town from Camp Ebenezer to higher, better-drained ground. The Alamo Townsite Company was formed by C. H. Swallow and Rentfro B. Creager, who promoted the site to prospective settlers. In 1909 a post office was established. The town was reportedly first called Forum and later Swallow. It may have been subsequently named for the mission in San Antonio. In 1919 the Alamo Progressive Club was formed; it later became the chamber of commerce. The First State Bank of Alamo opened in 1920. After incorporation in 1924 the town grew steadily, and its population was reported at 200 in 1925. In 1936 Alamo had 1,018 residents and fifty businesses. During the 1940s and 1950s the town served mainly as a shipping point for vegetables and citrus fruits. The population was 1,944 in 1940 and 3,017 in 1950. In 1990 it was 8,210 and grew to 14,760 in 2000.