South Texas history

To continue the history lesson (I promise....this is it)....

His son, my grandfather (who I mentioned previously) was raised in what can only be described as a frontier. And being one of the few kids in the area for a while, hung out with one of the other kids his age which happened to be Argyle McAllen (who's dad founded the town of McAllen).

Here's a photo of my grandfather (with his leg on the fence) and Argyle, on the McAllen ranch...working cattle.

 

No need to stop. I find it interesting as hell. I love history.

 

Thats cool. Laredo certainly has had it's issues lately but I still love my city. The hot rod scene here is small but it's trying. The car scene here is all about late model muscle cars and donks.

 

Born in Harlingen lived in San Benito, Los Fresno and Laredo growing up.

 

If you've been in the hotrod scene for any amount of time in the Valley, you either know or have met LeRoy Greek. He's been hotrodding since the 50's with my dad and raced every available kind of motorized racing available in the south Texas until about 15 years ago.

I was raised around him and his kids and he was the first guy I ever saw torch weld two pieces of sheet metal together, then hammer out the weld to where you couldn't feel the seam with your hand.

He also put me to work when I was a little fella, rubbing out black lacquer on a 40 Ford.

I'm glad to report that he's still around, living in Harlingen. He has a shop that he builds hotrods in, but I don't think he's taking outside work....(he's got 3 cars in the works for his kids).

This is a shot from about 1994 or so. He's the guy standing up straight next to the 40 pickup (hand built chassis and tons of body mods) and me bent over, yanking on a small block chevy (don't remember what I was doing).

 

And....I just noticed the early 60's unibody behind me.

You guys would curse me if you knew what we ended up doing with that unibody. It wasn't pretty.....let's just say it didn't survive. (at the time it was just a damned old truck and we country boys didn't like them because they flexed too much for real work).

 

At one point back in the late 50's and very early 60's, Edinburhg had a 1/2 mile drag strip. It was cool, but scary

 

Russ, here's a site for you to look up when you get back down to the valley also

it caters to the local old car happenings and such for the area www.rgvoldcars.com

 

I never stop enjoying my trips to Weslaco, TX. My first stop is visiting my uncle & aunt then to Dickie's store which is right by the traintracks across from WataBurger in Weslaco. We've been going to visit Weslaco since I was born (which I'm '41 now). My uncle owns/operates an old school auto repair shop down a dusty & tar road from where the golf course is at which I think he finally stopped the business recently. Glad for the history of the name "Weslaco" I would have never known.

 

That is correct. They did eventually knock it down to just a 1/4 mile track before it closed. They also had a dirt oval track incorporated with that track location, and it all still exists today, but has sat abandoned for many many many years now. It is closed off and sits back on some private property but some of us have been allowed to go look and see the "ghost town" drag strip and oval track. The oval track looks like they just turned the lights off, locked the gate and walked away one day. Most of the grandstands, poles, lights, speakers, etc. are still there. The drag strip is pretty overgrown and light poles and such have been removed. Would take a lot to get them regoing again and the current owner has no plans to reopen it and no plans to let it go.

During the 50's-60's, the Harlingen drag strip was actually the more popular and bigger race location for the area. A number of other smaller tracks were running around the valley in other towns, but Harlingen was the main one. They actually ran on part of the runway of the airfield that became part of the Harlingen airport property and the track had to close down as they developed that property. This pushed most of the racers to head over to Edinburg track and helped it grow bigger and more popular.

 

If you guys are ever in the mood for live honky tonk type music, stop by my Uncle Bill's place just outside of Harlingen on old highway 83.....it's called Wild Bills.

He's my mom's baby brother. Tell him his nephew Don says hi.

 

I know this is a long shot, but you never know what will happen on the HAMB.

I am posting this for a friend who is not so computer savvy and therefore not on the HAMB.

His name is Bernie Edwards. Some of you may know or remember that name as he was pretty well known in the drag race world back in the 50's-70's. He held and apparently still does hold several records in NHRA. He is probably best known for his demo runs in wheel standers and was one of the most active showman doing exhibitions from Alaska, Canada, through the US, Mexico, Central and South America. Though he was on the road alot, he called South Texas home. (he also has a home in Alaska) So this is in an effort to help him out.

Here is the deal with the car: This had been a car Bernie owned for a number of years and ran, drove, and enjoyed. As you can see in the attached pics, it was a 1934 Ford 3 window coupe. Gold in color. Bernie sold it to a young man in 1969 from San Benito, TX. At the time it was sold, it was running an Olds engine with tri-power set up and a Ford transmission with overdrive. The interior was rolled and pleated in white and gold. And it had Cragar 5 spokes on it when it was sold. If anyone remembers or has seen the car, or remembers or knows any of the history of the car, or where it might be now, if it still exists, Bernie would love to hear from you. He can be reached at (325) 977-1929 or (907) 688-2392.

Thanks for any help
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Here's a couple (poor quality) pics of a couple of Bernie Edwards' cars he ran in the late 60's at Edinburg and Harlingen drag strips as well as across the country.

 

bump

 

I spent a month in Edinburg a few years ago for work. Didn't know anyone or where to go for fun. A local T.V. comercial for the drag strip came on, blew my mind. I made friends with some locals who were crashing the motel pool where I was staying the first night, and one of them rode out there with me, and it was just like decsribed above, complete with a rocket powered Police funnycar! Backed up to the fence with coolers of beer and bbq pits. Kinda like Houston freeway strip was 30 years ago, before the big megaplex Raceway Park, where you wait in line 20 min. and spend $20 for a warm beer and a hotdog. The night at that little strip was the highlight of the summer for me. I need to make another trip down there.

 

I was talking to my dad on the phone today. He said he knew Bernie pretty well.....small world.

 

btt

 

Nice to hear the love you had for him and still do. Tell the ones you love that you love them because nobody knows what's going to happen tomorrow....

 

48, you have a pm. thanks steve

 

guys i dont have anything to add about anywhere in texas but i can tell you i envy you for being where you are. well arizona is starting to get my attention also. ive always love the way the people of texas have a hell of a pride in their state. and they way texas stands on its own .and if they dont like the way feds do things they do it thier own way.cant move there now to old to pack up and go somewhere else. but you all have my heart! lol

 

Any other shots of cars going down the dragstrip at Harlingen Dragways?

 

Nothing more to add than I was born, raised and still in the Rio Grande Valley. Oh and all the RGV HAMBers would like to meet you all soon. Maybe a weenie roast? LOL