Del Rio, TX news and local guide

In 1868 investors including William C. Adams, Joseph M. Hudson and James H. Taylor formed the San Felipe Agricultural, Manufacturing and Irrigation Company, receiving several thousand acres near the springs and San Felipe Creek from the state in exchange for building canals, and by 1871 they had completed an irrigation network and were selling land along it. Residents called the slowly growing town San Felipe del Rio, and Tejano tradition says the name comes from a mass offered by Spanish explorers on St. Philip's Day in 1635. The San Felipe community was started by the Arteaga family, for whom Arteaga Street and Arteaga Park are named. When residents asked for a post office in 1883, the Post Office shortened the name to Del Rio to avoid confusion with San Felipe de Austin. Val Verde County was organized in 1885 with Del Rio as its seat, and the city was incorporated on November 15, 1911. Ranchers and farmers recruited Mexican workers in the early 20th century, especially during World War II, but after the war the government withdrew visas and deported workers, including some citizens and children born in the United States. Sources Wikipedia: Del Rio, Texas