San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-11
lLM GROVE IN /
ALLEY MAY Be /.
NATIONAL PARK.
fort Being Made to Have
Beautiful Tract Near 1
| Gulf Accepted.
LEGISLATURE TO ACT
Ie Is Ideal With Tropical
Vegetation Rarely
I Found in U. S.
GISLATURE TO ACT

brownsville, Tex. Feb. 10.-At the
Ii southerly point on the mainland
kthe United States, where the Rio
Einde turns to the northeast before
.btying into the Gulf of Mexico, is
M largest natural palm grove in the
/ sntry-hundreds of acres covered
sh the rare sabal plumosa palms and
Her tropical vegetation. For many
srs this palm grove has been the
.,ca for thousands of visitors, and
has been listed among the botanical
Baks Of the world.
Originally the natural palm grove
k.ered several thousand acres, but the
demand for lands in the
Ever Rio Grande Valley has resulted
the clearing Of hundreds of acres,
III there now remain only few
|Adred acres Of the palms in their
,ural states The largest acreage is
,the ranch of Frank Rabb of Browns
Fac, and this still retains all the
P.uties Of its primitive state.
ia proposition has recently been
smitted to the Texas Legislature to
ksure this palm grove, together with
\ he acreage adjoining, and transfer
10 the federal government for ma
hal park, and Frank Rabb, the own
II has agreed to donate the acreage
his ranch covered with palms for
t't purpose, providing the federal
'ernment will accept and maintain
is national park. A bill with this
I ,ect in view has been prepared and
b ,moters of the plan are optimistic
|, II the outlook for favorable action
Ming this session of the Legislature.
Il Offers Ideal Park Site.
In no part Of the South can a more
lutiful site for a national park be
nd. 1t is in the form of a triangle,
|lnded on two sides by the tortuous
|irse of the Rio Grande, and three
tutiful lagoons traverse its length.
sost is practically unknown in this
Ert OF the Valley and the vegetation
h distinctly tropical, comprising many
|eieties and species which are seldom
|and north Of Tanpico. The sabal
4mosa palms are in themselves quite
and in no other section of
VI. United States are they found in
Beh numbers.
|Nrhere are a score or more national
'rks, but very few of them are located
Plth OF the Mason and Dixon line.
actically all the great national parks,
n as the Yellowstone and Glacier,
&, open only three or four months of
u, year, but the proposed valley ma
|'nal park would be available for
|fIrists twelve months of the year.
\ ere is little variation in the summer
"a winter temperature. During the
INNER months the cool shade Of the
ms and the sparkling waters of the
E.oons would furnish haven of refuge
A the tourists from the north, who are
len surprised. to find that the Val
rs summer maximums are inyariablv
OYER than those of the Dakotas or
lnnesota, and in the winter even the
,asional northers which reach the
Hey find the dense palm growth al
Sst impenetrable.
Connections With Highways.
The Glacier to Gulf Highway As
citation, the Meridian Highway and
Y Old Spanish Trail, all of which
Zach Brownsville have designated the
Ftural palm grove as one of the most
E.eresting points on their respective
ltes, and representatives of all these
|ghway associations are now co-operat-
: with the Valley park committees in
|e effort to secure the designation of
II palm grove as the site of a ma
enal park.
Before next winter improved high
|pys, constructed of concrete, asphalt
caliche, will connect Brownsville
tn San Antonio and ether central
xas cities, and Cameron county has
|mpleted a first-class grade highway
pm Brownsville to the park site, and
II surface this highway with shell,
savel or ealiche in the event the site
\ accepted.
| A few miles below the palm grove is
bca Chica little Mouth) where the
be- Grande flows into the Gulf. pro-
ding the best bathing beach on the
tire Gulf Coast. Cameron county's
ghway improvement program for
R23 includes the construction Of
pod grade road from Brownsville to
pea Chica, and also connecting road
|om the park, forming "a tourist loon
|r all the national highways terminal
Fg at Brownsville.