Reprint from the Progress Times - January 18, 2008
©Progress Times 2008 - All Rights Reserved

The Early Years

Fiesta roots run deep in city's history

 

By Mendi Brunson

In the 1930s, the Texas Citrus Fiesta was born, its roots established deep with the advent of the citrus industry. The development of the industry we know today occurred simultaneous to the beginning of Mission’s now 100-year history.

Its beginnings were planted with citrus seeds brought by the Oblate Fathers to the original La Lomita site which lies south of Mission. With the sale of a 17,000-acre tract by the Oblates to land developers, La Lomita received its name change to Mission in 1908 when an official post office was established following the addition of a railroad spur connecting Mission with the rest of the world. The city was later incorporated in 1910.

Some might say the citrus industry’s roots were coincidental to Mission’s founding—others might call it providential. All can now look back and see how the hard work, tenacity, ingenuity, and community spirit changed the area from mesquite and scrub to green fields and orchards of fruit-bearing trees lining many miles of dirt roads.

The founding years brought far-sighted investors settling the area. Their vision soon included the planting of citrus to create a strong economic foothold in the agricultural goldmine called the Rio Grande Valley. Its rich delta soil and an abundance of year-round sunshine created just the right mix for what has become known as the sweetest citrus this country could offer. When a single acre of citrus has the ability to produce a higher per-acre yield over traditional crops, planting citrus made good sense in a developing area.

By the 1930s, citrus trees were producing well, despite a few minor setbacks. More settlers were heading south for sunshine and opportunity, and the Valley was on its way to better times. It was a time to celebrate, despite the stock market crash of 1929, and celebrate is what Mission did. The first decade of the Texas Citrus Fiesta established many traditions, which continue today.

The first official Texas Citrus Fiesta sprouted in December of 1932 with Paul Ord of the Young Men’s Business League as chairman. It offered a parade down a citrus tree-lined street, contests, and even a football game, all in spite of inclement weather.

Marguerite Daniel was crowned as the first Queen Citrianna with William D. Toland as King Grapefruit. The title seemed fitting since Mission was already known as "Home of the Grapefruit" by this time. The king’s title was later changed to King Citrus.

At its inception, the selection of Fiesta royalty began a tradition of selecting a citrus industry leader as king and a queen from the Valley. Duchesses represented the other Valley communities and one of the other Valley agricultural products or industry.

The Queen’s Ball in 1932 was held at the Sprowl Fruit Plant in Mission, and admission was by invitation with an admission of $1.65. The packing plant choice was by default—no other venue was large enough to house the event

In 1933, no Fiesta was held due to a hurricane. The Fiesta has been held every other year to date, with the exception of 1942-46 due to World War II.

Each year it was scheduled for December, but in 1937, it was moved a month later to January in 1938. Inclement weather was a recurring issue in December; January usually offered better conditions, and Fiesta planners found more winter visitors were in the Valley during January even in 1937. This gave the event a larger national audience to go home and tell their friends. In supportive fashion, optimum conditions prevailed in 1938, making January the popular choice to the present date.

A golf tournament was added in 1934, and a separate children’s parade was held before the official parade. Cold weather and reluctant children made for a less than stellar outcome. The children’s participation was later incorporated into the main parade. The Fiesta offered an added bonus for children—they were given a day off from school to help prepare for the Fiesta. Parade of Oranges attendance in recent years has been known to exceed 100,000 people coming from across the Valley, state, nation, and northern Mexico.

Floats were decorated with Valley product brought out by the competitive spirit of civic groups and churches. Simple designs in the early years evolved into merchandized floats with moving parts. Parade goers in later years began to look forward with anticipation to the next surprise as clubs tried to out shine one another for the coveted first place prize. The Mission Lions Club most often prevailed.

In the mid-1930s, the Fiesta took on a state and national presence. Community leaders were aggressive in publicizing their success, and the 1935 Fiesta offered opportunity for enhanced publicity on this larger scale. Then Governor James V. Allred made the official proclamation for the "First Annual Texas Citrus Week." He led a special radio program in recognition of the event, and news stories were carried by the national news services. Newsmen came to town and reported a thorough coverage of the events, which coincided with the official opening of Shary Municipal Airport and the introduction of "air mail" to the area.

A popular Fiesta feature was the Product Costume Show. Its cash prizes were the focus for many as they tapped their creative juices to design costumes covered with Valley citrus, produce, flowers, and foliage. Costume design and execution has come a long way from its rudimentary use of whole leaves, slices of fruit, and complete flowers to the pulverized, dried, and refined version of product used to cover the garments today.

Costumes in the 1930s took an average of two days to complete and were covered with fresh produce and other products. Today, the garments take hundreds of hours and months to execute. Technology may have brought change, refinement, and more aesthetically designed creations, but the spirit is still the same.

Costumes from the 1938 show took to the road with a request by Joske’s department store in San Antonio to present them to the public there. The very next year in 1939, the costume show broke records and published reports putting attendance at 4,000. Since that first decade, the Fiesta costumes have now traveled across the country and most prestigiously to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

By 1939, the Texas Citrus Fiesta included fruit packing contests; craft, vocational, floral, and 4-H exhibits; home demonstrations; and music concerts.

The Fiesta’s presence was now known, its evolution a work in progress—and continues so to this day. Its foundation and fruition stands as a unique testament to the power of a community with a "Can Do" attitude.

(Article Sources: The History of Mission, Hidalgo County, Texas: An Historic Lower Rio Grande Valley City, Dick D. Heller, Jr., Mission, TX, self-published, 1994 and 2003; Various early and mid-1900s Mission Times newspaper clippings, Unknown Dates, Mission Historical Museum archives; and a feature on Mission, Texas, The Handbook of Texas Online, Dick Heller, Jr., www.tshaon line.org/handbook/online/articles/MM/hem5_print.html.)