January 4, 2018
Happy New Year!
We arrived in Harlingen December 23 and didn’t see the sun again until January 3. We’re told so much gray is unusual. With the gray comes cold, wind, and mud. We weren’t happy [and one of us complained mightily: We chose the Rio Grande Valley for it’s good weather!] but did begin to get to know Tropic Winds RV Resort and Harlingen.
Jane saw a music jam on the schedule and went to see what it was about. Music jams can be a few people in a circle taking turns suggesting songs for everyone to play and sing or they can be jams like this one: A group of musicians, with amplification, back up the person whose turn it is. Jane was offered three turns and took them all: Black Mountain Rag, Craggy Knob and River. She hadn’t taken any equipment but the dulcimer so the audience (at least 50 people, really–they came for lunch and stayed for the jam) couldn’t hear her instrument. She’ll try again with her instrument cord, microphone and amp for her turn.
The Park offered a New Year’s Eve dinner and we were happy to meet some of our fellow campers and enjoy a holiday meal with others.
Jane checked out morning exercise and beginning line dance.
When the sun finally shone, we headed out for a little exploring. While looking for a Geocache, Dave had learned about Frank Ferree, a local hero who for over thirty years collected food and goods merchants were discarding and distributed them to residents in Mexico. He also established two clinics and arranged for U.S. physicians to perform surgeries across the border. He was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The grave of Frank Ferree is surrounded by houses and is right on the street, but it’s on land that Ferree owned.
We were told there is a nice walking path in the Harlingen Thicket and set out to see if we agreed.
We found some thicket-looking foliage typical of south Texas, a couple of song birds, and a lot of BMX trails.
Dave at the Arroyo Colorado
We also visited the Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum where local groups had not yet taken down their Christmas trees.
Traditional
Buttons and jewelry
From a local wood worker
A stagecoach way station built in the 1850’s was reconstructed on Museum property. At the Paso Real, a customer could book passage from Alice to Brownsville, about 150 miles.
Mail for Harlingen came through the Paso Real.
A general store has been recreated adjacent to the post office.
We wonder if everyone our age remembers the taste of Nabisco saltines out of one of those canisters in the middle of the shelves.
Harlingen’s first hospital has also been moved to Museum property. Two residents established the hospital in former army buildings. There were seven patient rooms, a surgery, reception and storage rooms. Townspeople would watch surgeries from the window.
Surgery table
The first bed pan collection we’ve seen.
The chair in this dental office, with its positioning range, telescoping tubes and roller bearings, revolutionized the dental business.
This x-ray machine helps us appreciate medical advancements.
The Holmgren-Thompson Test for Color Blindness, invented in 1897, was the first successful attempt at standardizing the detection of color blindness. Patients were asked to match colors instead of naming them. The test was applied to railway and shipping employees and so was one of the earliest examples of a psychological test used on a large group of people.
Lon C. Hill was an attorney, store keeper, hotel owner, farmer, sugar mill owner, developer, canal builder, statesman, and visionary. He named Harlingen and in 1904 he built its first house which has since been moved to Museum property.
2 Comments
Joette · January 8, 2018 at 11:18 am
The Christmas trees should have still been up. The 12 Days of Christmas do not end until January 6th.
Laura · January 10, 2018 at 8:09 am
A nice start to your winter adventures I’d say.