Soon after Fairfield Female College opened here in 1858, plans were made to have a bell cast. The students gave some of their money and jewelry to give "tone" to the bell and the citizens added several hundred dollars in silver. The bell was made in England, then shipped to Galveston and hauled here by ox-wagon. Because of its great weight, college officials had the bell placed in a special frame on the front porch. When the college buildings were torn down in 1909, the bell was given to the Methodist Church, where it is still in use today.

This congregation traces its beginning to organized religious gatherings led by the Rev. D.O. McAllister in a schoolhouse located on property owned by Mary Buswell in 1893. Early worship services were also held in a public schoolhouse and in the county courthouse. Contributors to the church's initial success include donors of land J.R. Stanford, S.A. Hough, and Dave Elms; organizers of Sunday Schools and church socials J.J. Gill, Ira L. Wheat, and Mrs. J.R. Stanford; and donors of buckets filled with silver dollars, saloon owners Herman Fleischer, Sr., Joe Burris and George Newton. The first church structure was built about 1900. It was used by the entire community for religious worship until other church buildings could be erected. A storm and tornado, so severe as to detach the church bell clapper and deposit it five miles away, ripped through the community in 1927 destroying the church structure and killing First Methodist Church minister H.L. Spires and his wife. The congregation quickly recovered and erected a new building in 1928. The congregation has supported missionary work in many parts of the world, including Korea and Zaire. Church pastors have continued the early practice of serving Methodist congregations throughout the county.

Organized as a Sunday school in 1891, the First Methodist Church of Silverton has grown along with the community. The first pastor was the Rev. W.B. Ford, who conducted services here once a month while also serving other communities in the area. Early worship services were held in a grocery store, a one-room schoolhouse, and the courthouse until the first sanctuary was completed in 1902. The sanctuary was replaced in 1929 using some materials from the original building. Additions later were made to house the growing congregation.

On September 4, 1884, the Rev. W.W. Killough, a visiting pastor, established this Presbyterian congregation. Members worshiped in the Methodist and Baptist churches before erecting their own church building in 1891, during the ministry of the Rev. A.J. Hall. The Rev. Harry W. Hamilton served as pastor from 1909 until his death in 1940. In 1963 the small frame church was destroyed by fire; only a silver communion service was saved. The present structure was dedicated in 1965.

Missourian John Augustus Hulen (1871-1957), citizen soldier and railroad executive, came to Texas with his family in the 1870s. He later attended Virginia's Staunton Military Academy and returned to Texas. He joined a militia unit and later served in the Spanish-American War and then in the Philippines. There he earned a Silver Star and a Congressional Citation. In World War I, he earned a French Croix de Guerre and a U.S. Distinguished Service Medal. After the war, he was instrumental in establishing Camp Palacios in 1925, renamed Camp Hulen in 1930 in his honor. In 1935, he retired from service a Lieutenant General, the highest rank in the militia.

Born in Kentucky. Came to Texas Republic 1839. Colorful Indian fighter. In War against Cherokees 1840. Member Texas Legislature 1853. Comanche agent 1855-57. Delegate from Weatherford, Secession Convention. Commanding detachment of Second Regiment Texas Mounted Rifles occupied, took over supplies, Ft. Bliss. June 1861--during campaign to extend Confederacy westward to the Pacific. Repulsed Federals, Mesilla, N. Mex., July 25. With 200 men took 700 Federals, their transports, arms, ammunition, 200 horses, 270 beeves, four cannon at San Augustin Springs, July 27. With Capitol at Mesilla, organized government, proclaimed Confederate control of Arizona, Aug.1. Baylor became military, civil governor. Sent C.S.A. Treasury $9,500 captured at Ft. Fillmore. Supervised gold, silver mining for C.S.A. Order to kill instead of capture troublesome Apaches incensed authorities against him, had Baylor recalled to Texas, stripped of rank. As private "served guns in hottest of the fight" to recapture Galveston, Jan. 1, 1863. Salvaged U.S. warship parts to make cannon light enough to go into battle on back of mule. 1863-63 in Confederate Congress. Given new command. Made Brigadier-General 1865. Raised, led troops in frontier defense. Fear of his moves pinned down thousands of Federals in California, Arizona. Climaxed war service on Northwest Texas border. Post-war lived in San Antonio. Farmed, ranched Uvalde County. Buried in Montell.

Route of march and troop supply on Texas frontier. Followed in part pre-Columbian Indian trails and "Old Chihuahua Trail" that ran from San Antonio to El Paso and Mexico. In 1840s this was extended to Gulf Coast Port of Indianola where imported goods arrived from the United States and Europe, and were freighted out to be exchanged in Chihuahua for ore of silver and gold, leather goods, and other products.

In 1848 water holes and camp sites were marked as this road was re-charted for use of U.S. troops sent to protect Texas frontiers from Indian invasions. Army posts were built along this road: Fort Clark, between San Antonio and Del Rio, 1852; Fort Davis, in the Davis Mountains, 1854; Camp Lancaster, at this site, became Fort Lancaster in 1856. Camp Hudson and Fort Stockton were founded in 1857 and 1859. With all the army traffic, trail won new name of "Government Road."

Pioneer settlers, adventurers, California-bound gold seekers -- even camel trains in government service -- traveled this road in spite of frequent encounters with Comanches, Apaches, Kiowas, and other Indians. The Army finally stationed troops in continuous picket line from San Antonio to El Paso. However, it was not until 1870 that relatively safe passage was assured.

Architect Alfred C. Finn of Houston drew the plans for this scaled-down replica of the American White House for oil executive Ross S. Sterling (1875-1949). Completed in 1927 on the residential "Gold Coast" stretching from La Porte to Morgan's Point, it stood as a landmark on the Houston Ship Channel. By night its roof deck commanded a view of the lighted industrial plants in this region.

Layers of stone, concrete, air space, and plastered lath form the thick exterior walls. Deeply sunken foundations and huge beams running the length of the structure give it hurricane resistance.

With 21,000 square feet of floor space, this was known as the largest private residence in Texas at the time it was built. It has seven fireplaces, 15 baths, 34 rooms -- including a dining room seating 300 guests. Silver and gold inlaid sconces, fine cared woods, and Tiffany chandeliers form some of the adornments. There were elaborate facilities for recreation and for efficient housekeeping. Sterling and his wife Maude Abbie (Gage) had several children.

Ross Sterling was Governor of Texas 1931-1933. In 1946 he donated his mansion to a civic club and it was used as a juvenile home until 1961.

In the Civil War, at this site, E. Krauskoff, gunsmith, and Adolph Lungkwitz, silversmith, made gun caps. Inventing machinery, they rolled copper thin and cut it to cap-size pieces. Saltpetre and quicksilver went into the caps, to detonate rifle and pistol ammunition. Saltpetre came from nearby bat caves. Quicksilver and copper had to be brought through neutral Mexico or the coastal blockade.

Rifles, cannon, gunpowder and pistols were made at Austin, Houston, Bastrop, Waxahachie, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Burnet, Lancaster, Rusk and Tyler.

The oldest Hidalgo County bank still in operation, this institution opened in 1907 in a frame house on Third Street. Incorporators of the firm were area leaders J.M. Johnson, Sr., who served as the first president, his son J.M. Johnson, Jr., William M. Price and S.P. Silver, all of Mercedes; John Closner of Hidalgo; and Walter A. McNeil of Santa Maria. Sound leadership helped the Hidalgo County Bank and Trust Company survive the economic depression of the 1930s and to become a leader in the development of the Rio Grande Valley area.