Padre Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753-1811), for whom the county of Hidalgo is named, was born near Guanajuato, Mexico, while the country was still under Spanish rule. After being ordained a priest in 1779, he served churches in Colima, San Felipe, and Dolores, where he emerged as a champion of human rights who feared the colonial system would never allow independence and justice for all citizens. A firm believer in economic independence from the mother country, Hidalgo worked toward that goal by teaching farming methods and industrial techniques to Indians and others in his parish. In 1810 Padre Hidalgo, along with military leader Ignacio de Allende, conspired to overthrow the Royalist government. Warned that officials suspected their plot, Hidlago gathered sympathizers in Dolores. Following early mass on the morning of September 16, 1810, Hidalgo made his famous "Grito De Dolores," a call to arms which in effect began the revolt that led to Mexican independence from Spain in 1821. During a battle on the Bridge of Calderon, Padre Hidalgo was captured and later was unfrocked and shot. Considered "The Father of Mexican Independence," Padre Hidalgo continues to be honored for his leadership throughout Mexico and the Southwest. (1983)

Padre Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla is a historical marker in Edinburg, Hidalgo County, dedicated in 1983. It is one of 138 historical markers documented in Hidalgo County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 221 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 26.3022, -98.1622 near Edinburg. The nearest cataloged historic site is Hidalgo County (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include W. L. Lipscomb, El Sal Del Rey, C. S. A., and Hidalgo County Jail, Old.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5215003910. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.