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A brief history of the City of La Joya and surrounding communities on the United States border with Mexico. Brief History A brief history of the City of La Joya and surrounding communities on the United States border with Mexico. Chapter 1: Native Peoples to Spanish Explorers Native Peoples Settle Rio Grande Valley From the beginning, La Joya has been defined by its rich, fertile agrarian lands, its rolling hills and the lakes and river which gives it life. The Rio Grande Valley of South Texas was home to Coahuiltecans for thousands of years. These native peoples included tribes such as Aranamas, Bobole, Carrizo, Katuhanno, Kesale-Terkodams, Oregons, Pachal, Payayas and Tamiques. They lived off the land before the initial encounter with Europeans and Africans. North America’s “first” Settler are Spanish -- and African Before Pilgrims were forced to land on Plymouth Rock (1620), before Jamestown’s fort was established (1607), before Roanoke Colony failed (1590), before San Agustin (1565) was founded in La Florida, there was Penitas (1520) . The settlement, approximately three miles east of La Joya, has been largely lost to history due to its diminutive size and its unsanctioned status by Spain. It consisted of Father Zamora and five military officers and their enslaved Africans who abandoned the Pánfilo de Narváez to live along the native Calero people. Spanish Ancestors Defend “their” New Lands The first Europeans to travel through the area were Spaniards defending Nueva Espana from foreign invaders. In 1638 Jacinto García de Sepulveda and his party travelled along the Rio Grande, past the future side of La Joya and to the Gulf of Mexico in search of a Dutch expedition. It was never found. In 1687 Alonso DeLeon also followed the Rio Grande searching for French explorer, René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, whose expedition had landed accidentally in Matagroda Bay in 1685 and attempted to establish a French colony. DeLeon discovered the remnants of the colony in 1689. The colony was decimated by the local native peoples who were defending their lands against the invading Spanish. This was a struggle destined to fail for the natives peoples who had lived in North America and along the Rio Grande for thousands of years. Though not recorded in history, the river crossing and adjacent ford at Los Ebanos, Texas was used by natives to traverse the river long before the first recorded use by Spaniards. Next

A brief history of the City of La Joya and surrounding communities on the United States border with Mexico. Brief History A brief history of the City of La Joya and surrounding communities on the United States border with Mexico. Chapter 2: Spanish Colonizers to Revolutions Spanish Ancestors Colonize the Region More than 100 years after the Dutch threat, in 1747 Blas de la Garza Falcon lead a Spanish expedition from what is now Laredo to the Gulf of Mexico, mapping the northern bank of the Rio Grande. This recon was part of the larger effort by Spain to colonize El Seno Mexicano, with Jose de Escandon as the leader. I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Escandon established several settlements or colonias along the Rio Grande, including Reynosa, Tamaulipas on March 14, 1749. Reynosa included the establishment of Los Ejidos de Reynosa on the river’s northern bank. These communal lands would be used by Reynosa residents for subsistence farming. In 1767, Spanish King Carlos III granted tracts of land along the Rio Grande River, from the Gulf to Laredo, to notable settlers. At this time, a large tract generally south of U.S. Highway 83, from Jara Chinas Road (FM 2221) east to Abrams Road, was designated as Los Ejidos de Reynosa. Another large tract, Porcion 46, was granted to Jose Matias Tijerina, who established a settlement naming it Havana . In 1802 Reynosa was moved downstream to avoid flooding plaguing the original townsite (now present-day Reynosa Diaz). It was at this time that Francisco de la Garza, a descendent of the founders of Reynosa, and other Reynosa residents founded Tabasco on the western part of the Ejidos de Reynosa, instead of moving to the new Reynosa. In time the Ejidos would be called Los Ejidos de Reynosa Viejo. Mexicans, Texans & Otros Revolt Tabasco and Havana residents would witness the tumult of Mexico’s fight for independence from Spain in 1821, followed by the succession of Texas from Mexico in 1836. Tabasco and Havana residents were subjects of the Spanish Empire, then Mexican nationals before becoming citizens of the new Republic of Texas . The times were turbulent. In January 1840 they became residents of the nascent Republic of the Rio Grande , but this republic collapsed by November. It did allow Tabasco and Havana resident eventually to claim status under seven, rather than six flags. By 1846 Texas and the United States incorrectly claimed Texas extended to Tamaulipas territory north of the Rio Grande River, making Tabasco and Havana disputed territory. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo settled the Mexican-American War, granting American citizenship to Mexican nationals living in newly annexed areas and guaranteeing title to their lands. Previous Next

The City of La Joya is nature's jewel. Western Hidalgo County is where urban areas meet agricultural lands, plains turn into gentle hills, surround by lakes and the Rio Grande Valley meets the future. Tourism La Joya is the destination for nature and history. Join us for the day or weekend. Ecotourism Just 15 minutes west of the McAllen metro area are thousands of acres of parklands and wildlife management areas. In La Joya, Texas, rich farmlands along the Rio Grande River meet gentle rolling hills and lakes and attract birds and other native wildlife. Visitors are able to fish and hunt, explore trails and enjoy nature throughout the year. These lands are managed by federal and state agencies as well as private land-owners. To the east are the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas and the World Birding Center at Bentsen State Park . Additional recreational opportunities are available at the Lower Rio Grande Wildlife Refuge (operated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area (WMA) (operated by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department). The City of La Joya’s Parks & Recreation Department also manages three municipal parks with several recreational opportunities. Heritage Tourism La Joya is centerally-located along the Caminos del Rio Heritage Corridor which runs from Laredo to Brownsville. The corridor highlights this section of the Texas-Mexico border’s history and architecture. The Texas Tropical Trail also runs through La Joya between Laredo, Corpus Christi and Brownsville. Much of this trail includes U.S. Expressway 83 which is designated as the Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. La Joya traces its history to the 1767 establishment of Havana and the 1802 establishment of Tabasco. La Joya’s original townsite was just north of Tabasco and included it in the 1926 municipal incorporation. Havana residents joined La Joya as part of the 2016 annexation. Notable historical sites in La Joya include: La Joya Cemetery Nellie Leo Schunior School Los Ejidos De Reynosa Vieja Five minutes to the east of La Joya is the first settlement of Europeans and Africans in North America (Penitas, Texas ). South is the historic Tabasco Cemetery , located on private land, south of the historic Military Road. West of downtown La Joya are: Spanish colonial settlement of Havana, Texas and its private historic cemetery; Ghost town of Sam Fordyce, Texas ; Ancient Native Peoples’ Rio Grande River crossing and now Los Ebanos International Ferry; and Historic town of Rio Grande City, Texas in Starr County. Details on the history of La Joya and its neighboring communities is on our History page . Left: Charles Schunior Jr Building in Sam Fordyce, Texas, where U.S. Post Office was located. (Photo by Ame Gorena-Walsh) More Info... Hidalgo County Historical Commission Museum of South Texas History (MOST) Texas Historical Commission (THC) University of Texas-RGV Special Collections & Archives

As a public entity the City of La Joya shares public information that is available to our community. Information that may be or is expected to be private will be protected. Privacy Policy All human beings have three lives: public, private, and secret. Ga briel García Márquez This Privacy Policy complies with local policy and privacy regulations such as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Information Collected The City of La Joya may receive, collect and store any information you enter on our website or provide us in any other way. In addition, we may collect the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Internet; login; e-mail address; password; computer and connection information and purchase history. We may use software tools to measure and collect session information, including page response times, length of visits to certain pages, page interaction information, and methods used to browse away from the page. We also may collect personally identifiable information (including name, email, password, communications); payment details (including credit card information), comments, feedback, product reviews, recommendations, and personal profile. Collection Methods When you conduct a tr ansaction on our website, as part of the process, we may collect personal information you give us such as your name, address and email address. If collected, your personal information will be used for the specific reasons stated above only. Collection Purpo ses We may collect suc h No n-personal and Personal Information to: Provide and operate the Services; Provide our Users with ongoing customer assistance and technical support; Be able to contact our Visitors and Users with general or personalized service-related notices and promotional messages; Create aggregated statistical data and other aggregated and/or inferred Non-personal Information, which we or our business partners may use to provide and improve our respective services; and/or Comply with any applicable laws and regulations. Information Storage, Usage & Disclosure Our website is hosted on the Wix.com plat form. Wix.com provides us with the online platform that allows us to sell our products and services to you. Your data may be stored through Wix.com’s data storage, databases and the general Wix.com applications. They store your data on secure servers behind a firewall. All direct payment gateways offered by Wix.com and used by us adhere to the standards set by PCI-DSS as managed by the PCI Security Standards Council, which is a joint effort of brands like Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. PCI-DSS requirements help ensure the secure handling of credit card information by our store and its service providers. Communication with Visitors We may contact you to notify you regarding your account, to troubleshoot problems with your account, to resolve a dispute, to collect fees or monies owed, to poll your opinions through surveys or questionnaires, to send updates about us, or as otherwise necessary to contact you to enforce our User Agreement, applicable national laws, and any agreement we may have with you. For these purposes we may contact you via email, telephone, text messages, and postal mail. Using Cookies Wix uses cookies for important reasons, such as to: Provide a great experience for our visitors and customers; Identify your registered members (users who registered to our website); Monitor and analyze the performance, operation and effectiveness of Wix's platform; and/or Ensure the Wix platform is secure and safe to use. Types of Cookies In general, the cookies wh ich are initially placed on our Wix website may be categorized as essential cookies. However, considering that the Wix platform gives us the ability to add multiple components, codes, third-party applications...and so on, our website may include other types of cookies which might require specific settings. Withdrawing Consent If you don’t want us to p rocess your data anymore, please contact us at cityoflajoya@aol.com or send us mail to: City of La Joya 701 E Business 83 La Joya TX 78560-4051 Policy Updates We reserve the rig ht to modify this privacy policy at any time, so please review it frequently. Changes and clarifications will take effect immediately upon their posting on the website. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated, so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it. Contact Us If you would like to: access, correct, amend or delete any personal information we have about you, you are invited to contact us at info@lajoyatx.gov or send mail to address below.

The La Joya Public Works Department mission is to maintain all municipal facilities. Public Works Dept. The La Joya Public Works Department mission is to maintain all municipal facilities. Department Description Quick Facts The Public Works Department is charged with maintenance and repairs of all municipal facilities. This includes: Municipal Buildings & Grounds Public Infrastructure (within public rights-of-way) Public Utility System (Water Distribution & Wastewater Collection) News Public Works Services Buildings & Grounds The Public Works Department maintains all municipal buildings and property owned by the City, such as parks. Public Infrastructure Public Works is charged with maintaining and repairing municipal streets, sidewalks and alleys as well as storm drains. This includes state roads within the City Limits. As per the Tree Ordinance, the Department maintains trees in public rights of way, but does not provide brush collection services. Limited brush collection service is provide by the City's solid waste collection company or by residents' private brush trimming contractors. Public Utilities Public Works also assists the Public Utility Department (PUD) with connecting, maintaining and repairing water distribution and wastewater collection systems. Department Docs More information regarding our Department. None Department Forms These forms will improve service delivery. Download, complete and return. None External Links Learn more about government regulators, funders, professional associations and partners: American Public Works Association

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A brief history of the City of La Joya and surrounding communities on the United States border with Mexico. Brief History A brief history of the City of La Joya and surrounding communities on the United States border with Mexico. Part 3: Soldiers Go West & Southerner Joins Union Soldiers & Priests Go West The Mexican American War created a need for the U.S. Army to regularly move troops and supplies along the international boundary from east to west. This dusty route was established as the Military Road connecting U.S. Army forts along the newly established United States-Mexico border. The road passed through Tabasco and Havana on its way west to U.S. Army Fort Ringgold in Rio Grande City . Beginning in 1849 Havana residents would be visited by the Oblates on their travels from Port Isabel to Laredo. A small schoolhouse was constructed from rock and adobe in Havana to teach children from Abram-Perezville (Ojo de Agua), Penitas, Tabasco, Havana, Los Ebanos and Cuevitas. The weathered stone of a simple one-room building remain in Havana today. Its use unknown. The dilapidated structure arguably remains the oldest building in Hidalgo County. Inter-Racial Family Finds Freedom In 1857 Nathaniel Jackson, wife Matilda Hicks, their inter-racial children and formerly enslaved people fled Alabama to the Rio Grande Valley in search of freedom from racial discrimination. They ranched and farmed land near Pharr, Texas and helped enslaved people along the lesser-know, southern branch of the Underground Railroad to Mexico. Jackson descendants would be among the founders of La Joya. A Southerner Fights for the North When the U.S. Civil War broke in 1861, Texas joined the Confederacy and most locals followed or acquiesced in the state’s official action. Patricio Perez was defiant. The Havana resident rode to Brownsville and enlisted in the U.S. Army’s Second Regiment of the Texas Cavalry when it arrived in 1863. Sergeant Perez would serve in Brownsville and later in New Orleans before he was discharged in 1865. Previous Next

The Parks & Recreation Department mission is to provide facilities and programs for fun! Parks & Rec. Dept. The Parks & Recreation Department mission is to provide facilities and programs for fun! Vacant Director Department Description Quick Facts La Joys is a natural jewel, surrounded by thousands of acers of farms, wilderness and lakes. The Parks & Recreation Department provides facilities and programs focused on Seniors and Youths. We operate three parks and two community centers. Come play with us. Come enjoy a day outside. News Parks & Recreation Services Park Facilities The Parks & Rec Department has two community parks and one neighborhood park. Our outdoor facilities include: Baseball field Basketball courts (2) Football field Gazebos & BBQ pits Play stations (3) Soccer fields (2) Walking trails (3) Indoor facilities include our Senior Center and Youth Center. Senior Programs Senior have a home away from home at our Senior Center, which hosts a variety of events throughout the year. We also operate a regional Meals on Wheels Program with our partners Amigos del Valle . Drop by... everyone is welcomed. Youth Programs We offer little Texans in La Joya a variety of activities throughout the year, such as: Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Volleyball For more enrollment and other information, call us at: 956.581.7002 Department Docs Mor e information regarding our Department. Senior Center Programs Youth Basketball Spring Schedule, 2024 Youth Center Reservation Policy Department Forms These forms will improve service delivery. Download, complete and return. Enrollment Form Park Rental Form External Links Learn more about government regulators, funders, professional associations and partners: National Recreation and Parks Association Texas Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area Texas Recreation & Parks Society U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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