, 1935-05-06
Began Law Practice

Began Law Practice
He started a small store in Manor
and operated 1t for years, finally
being forced into bankruptcy be-
cause OF failure Of the town to grow.
A typical phase OF his character is
shown In the fact that after he came
10 the Valley and was successful Ia
several ventures here, ne sent money
back 70 Austin and paid every cred
itoT Of his little Manor store-even
though according TO law he was not
obligated to do so.
From Manor he went TO Beeville
and there he entered the practice
Of Law. He studied law in the office
OF Judge George Poindexter in Aus
tin and passed the state bar exam
ication.
But the pioneering blood was part
OF Mr.. Hills nature, and in 1900 ne
came TO the Valley TO look Ii over.
He became convinced Of its pos
Slbilities. and In 1903 he headed a
wagon train OF people who came
here.
That little group Of four families
has done much 70 shape the deStin-
les OF the Valley.
There was Mr.. Hill and his fam
ily, DR.. 3. II. Bell and his family,
Thomas L. Jones and his family.
and Ebenzer Blalack and his fam
lily.
One OF these pioneers. Mr.. Jones.
died only last week. and news OF
his death was a shock to Mr.. Hill.
While Mr.. Blalack organized a
sugar cane growing corporation and
built the huge sugar mill az
Brownsville, Lon Hill and associates
went into the growing Of rice.
Tremendous crops rewarded their
early effort, but the story Of the
sailing of the land and ruin Of the
industry here Is well known.
Moved 10 HarIlngen
From Brownsville Mr.. Hill moved
with his family 70 Harlingen In
1905.
He acquired the land on which
Harrington Is now located, and also
much OF the surrounding land, and
plated the town OF Harlingen. He
formed the Harlingen Land a. Irri-
cation company, which built canals
and a pumping plant, and sold land
il the section that Is now the Har-
lingen Irrigation district, the home
which he built at Harlingen was the
iIrSt there and still stands at the
Valley Fair grounds.
He also was interested In sugar
cane growing. and had an interest
a. tha crYyor mill ~ uarfgnuoD urhFwh
burned down In 1911. He gaze up
his connections with these ventures
after the failure OF the sugar cane
industry generally In the Valley.
During the years that followed
Mr.. Hill was active with other VAL
ley people in combating the ban
dts who narrowed the border pop
ulation. working with the vigilantes,
soldiers, rangers. and others In
checking operations OF these border
hands.
After the border trouble when
peaceful days came again to tine
Valley he settled down TO the quiet
OF his farm near Harlingen. Since
he was. essentially, an outdoor man
he devoted much of his time In his
latter days to hunting and fishing
and was well known by the VAL
ley's sportsman for his companion
able personality on these trips.
People Of Harlingen in 1888 de-
cided TO pay a tribute TO Mr.. Hill
during his lifetime, and the Har-
lingen Founders Day celebration
wes the result In this celebration
the wagon train which brought the
Hill and other families from Bee
vile 70 the border here was re-
produced as faithfully as possible
and Lon G. Hill Sr.. the stern-faced
rugged pioneer. sat In the front OF
bis wagon. driving his team as ne
had back in 1893 when he brought
lis family here to help develop this
country