Dolores is on Farm Road 1472 and a private road called River Road, on the Rio Grande in northwestern Webb County. It originated before 1860 as a Mexican village called San José. In 1882 the Cannel Coal Company opened mines along the Rio Grande. Charles B. Wright, president of the company, built the Rio Grande and Eagle Pass Railroad to ship coal from the town and renamed the San José station for his daughter Dolores. The post office began service in 1913 and was discontinued after 1930. In 1914 Dolores reportedly had a population of 1,000 and a general store run by the coal company. Thomas Gardner, Jr., was a leading local cattle breeder. The mines had declined by 1920 and were closed in 1939. In 1936 Dolores had a school, a mine, one business, and a population of twenty. The population was reported as twenty from 1958 to 1990, and the populace supported two businesses. In 1983 Dolores had two cemeteries, an inactive mine, and a few houses.
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The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry.
Karen Gratke,
“Dolores, TX,”
Handbook of Texas Online,
accessed June 26, 2022,
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/dolores-tx.
Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
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Original Publication Date:
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1952
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Most Recent Revision Date:
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April 8, 2021
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Linked Data from the Texas Almanac:
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Place
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Dolores
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Currently Exists
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No
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Place Type
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Town
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USGS ID
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1334469
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Town Fields
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Has post office:
No
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Is Incorporated:
No
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Associated Names
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San Jose
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Coordinates
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Latitude:
27.68890130°
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Longitude:
-99.73254780°
