Gibson Park

During the Great Depression, displaced Midwesterners came to Weslaco and established Hooverville shantytowns. Hoping to improve their living conditions, in 1934, the Weslaco Lions Club worked to establish a park. William Henry Hoge and J.J. Gibson, for whom the park would be named, donated acreage. Weslaco's first municipal trailer park opened in 1936 as a tourist destination for campers and for those living in trailers. It closed as a trailer camp in 1946, later developing into a neighborhood park. Weslaco's ecotourism industry also developed as the city opened the Valley Nature Center on the park's eastern portion. Recreationally and commercially, Gibson Park remains a vital landmark in Weslaco. (2010)

Gibson Park is a historical marker in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, dedicated in 2010. 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 26.1585, -97.9984 near Weslaco. The nearest cataloged historic site is First Christian Church of Weslaco (historical marker), about 0.5 miles away. Others within a short drive include Cortez Hotel, TexSun Corporation, and Weslaco.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507016344. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.