Relampago Ranch

Originally part of a Spanish land grant, Relampago (lightning) Ranch community lay along the stage and military route from Rio Grande City to Brownsville. In 1852 Thaddeus Rhodes (1828-1904) acquired acreage here when he came as Hidalgo county clerk. Later he served as commissioner and judge. He and Jose Maria Mora (1824-1884), who bought adjoining land about 1856, helped bring economic and social stability. Mora and later his son Melchor, a deputy sheriff and Texas Ranger, farmed, ranched and had the only general store in the area. Descendants still live on the property. (1980)

Relampago Ranch is a historical marker in Mercedes, Hidalgo County, dedicated in 1980. It is one of 138 historical markers documented in Hidalgo County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 236 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 26.0862, -97.9196 near Mercedes. The nearest cataloged historic site is Relampago (cemetery), about 0.4 miles away. Others within a short drive include Rosario, El Horcon Tract and Rio Rico, and Don Florencio Saenz Homestead.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5215004239. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.