Old Hidalgo Pumphouse Museum

La Feria, TX 78º overcast - humid.
  Yesterday we drove the 32 miles to Hidalgo, TX and went to the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse Museum.  http://www.hidalgotexas.com/pumphouse/pumphouse.htm 

Even though the wind was really blowing, we did the 4.5 miles on the bike trail.  It was paved and smooth, but with the wind blowing it was an adventure.  One area when we were going with the wind we did 7.5 mph for some distance without pedaling; think the wind was blowing?

We rode by big holding ponds (more like lakes).

We went some distance down one of the main ditches which runs north to McAllen where it is raised another 11 feet with a secondary lift pump to push it further north.

This shows the gates letting water out of the holding lake into the main canal.

Heading back towards the old pump house we pass several Border Patrol vehicles near where a chunk of the tall fence ends.  It was about 12:30 noon when we got off the trikes and back to the Museum.  We got a personal tour by Viola.  She gave us the history of the pumps from when they ran on steam to changed to natural gas and today have been replaced at a nearby location with electric pumps.

Though this picture above is a bit fuzzy, it shows the huge pipes and the actual pumps.

 Photo above shows the huge Worthington Natural Gas powered engine that was installed in 1948 and took over from the steam power up to that time.

This was quiet as we walked, but at the time the pumps were running and the steam or natural gas powered engines were running it was one noisy place.  Of course, it was manned 24/7 for many years.

Outside again, we walked some of the grounds; here is a map of Hidalgo way back when, worked into the bricks including the Rio Grande River running along the south side.


By the time we got back up to McAllen and stopped to eat Linner (guess that is combination of Lunch and Dinner as it was 3:30 pm) and then went to Office Depot and Home Depot to get some things.  Was a good day.  Phyllis went up to the Rec Hall to sell some more raffle tickets on Christmas Quilts for the Care and Share at the Bingo session.  I rode another 4 miles or so around the park.

Till later, Lynn