History of McAllen: 1931-1940

The 1920's were indeed a boom time for the city of McAllen, it seemed like everything was new.
In the 1930's the Great Depression threatened to slow down McAllen's growth but that wasn't the whole story.
The Undertaker in the back room of the Western Union became a full fledged funeral home with a new large building on South Broadway.
We also got our first public library located in the office space under the bandstand of the gazebo at Archer Park.
The U.S. Post Office opened at Main and Chicago and the School District opened Sam Houston Elementary in 1936 and the Fourth of July of that same year became historic with Rocket Mail.
Small rockets filled with special pre-cancelled post cards were sent into Mexico, one hitting the U.S. Bar and everyone posing for pictures once the rocket was confiscated, making international news and helping the American Legion raise money to construct their own building on South Main.
Towards the end of the 1930's, McAllen's population continued to edge upwards as the threat of war rumbled in Europe and the new Senior High School was built on N. 10th, serving the school district to this day.

[@stevegarcia9098]

I went to Lamar in the mid seventies; It was a junior high by then.

[@whiteknightcat]

I attended 5th and 6th grades at Sam Houston. Now it's gone. Nothing left. :'(

[@cybramir]

Aahhh!! Isn't that last building is Lamar Academy!! I'm a part of the IB program there!! Wow... I can't believe it's that old.

[@whiteknightcat]

Yes. In the 70's it was Lamar Junior High. I attended their arch rivals, Travis JH.

[@madilynneopheliajustice5071]

omg i used to do IB 😭 i left back to mchi tho, too much work 💀