Progreso, Hidalgo County
The agricultural boom that marked the early development of this area was due in large part to the San Benito & Rio Grande Valley Railroad. Begun in 1912 by Missouri native Sam A. Robertson (1867-1938), it was called the Spiderweb Railroad because of its intricate network of lines and spurs. The railroad built a station here in 1926 as the hub of a community and citrus production center planned by the Progreso Development Co. Through early valley shipping centers such as Progreso, local produce was first transported to markets nationwide. (1982)