Mercedes, Texas
City in the United States in Hidalgo County
About Mercedes
Mercedes is a U.S. city in Hidalgo County, Texas. As of the 2020 census, Mercedes had a population of 16,258. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How Mercedes is governed
Form of government not yet listed.
1 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Mercedes
Registered voters elect the officials below.
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Mayor
Executive
- Oscar D. Montoya Sr. per Wikidata
The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.
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City Manager / Administrator
Executive
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The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).
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Police Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the police department.
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Fire Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the fire and emergency services department.
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Public Works Director
Administration & departments
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Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.
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Finance Director
Administration & departments
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The budget, taxes, and city accounts.
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Planning & Zoning Director
Administration & departments
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Land use, zoning, building permits.
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Parks & Recreation Director
Administration & departments
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Parks, programs, and public facilities.
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City Council
Legislative
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The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.
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City Clerk
Administration & departments
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Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.
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City Attorney
Administration & departments
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The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.
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Boards & Commissions
Legislative
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Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.
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Municipal Court
Judicial
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Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.
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Municipal Judge
Judicial
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Presides over the municipal court.
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- Website
- mercedes-benz.com.vn
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Population over time
From 15,570 in 2010 to 16,258 in 2020 (+4.4%).
Show the numbers
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 16,258 |
| 2010 | 15,570 |
History
Mercedes is known as "The Queen City of the Valley" or "La Reina del Valle". Mercedes was founded September 15, 1907, by the American Rio Grande Land & Irrigation Company, and was incorporated March 8, 1909. It is one of the oldest towns in the Rio Grande Valley, and the city celebrated its centennial in 2007.
The city was located in Capisallo Pasture, part of Capisallo Ranch owned by Jim Welles. This location was known as the Pear Orchard because of the vast numbers of prickly pear cactus growing there at that time.
The origin of the city name - Mercedes - is not clear. A common claim is that the first name given to the city was "Diaz" in honor of Porfirio Diaz, then president of Mexico. Later it was supposedly renamed "Mercedes Diaz" in honor of the president's wife, and from that, Mercedes became the Queen City. This story, however, is historically inaccurate, given that neither of Diaz's two wives were named Mercedes.
During President Woodrow Wilson's administration, Camp Llano Grande was founded in 1916 southwest of Mercedes. Today, its location is in Weslaco, Texas, a town that didn't exist in 1916 and Mercedes was the nearest town. The National Defense Act called for the establishment of several National Guard camps, including Camp Llano Grande, to counter cross-border attacks led by Pancho Villa.
Soldiers from Indiana, Minnesota and North Dakota were stationed at the camp from 1916 - 1917. Upon the onset or World War I, the camp merged with Camp Mercedes to train soldiers for service in France.
General John J. Pershing chose Mercedes as the site for a permanent training camp when the United States entered WW1 in 1916. Construction of Camp Mercedes on an 80-acre tract southeast of town was completed in early 1917. Until the WWI recruits arrived, a 16th Cavalry training cadre occupied the camp. The soldiers who later arrived for WWI training specialized in the management of horses for service in France. At its peak, Camp Mercedes hosted 16 officers, 700 enlisted men and 600 horses. After the armistice, the camp was demobilized and closed in 1922.
The old Toluca Ranch still stands east of the International Bridge at Progreso, the sister city to the south. This ranch was close to the river and a prized target for the bandidos during the days of Pancho Villa. It was built with many secret rooms and passages, and had heavy wooden shutters on the windows to protect its residents.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.