Archer Park
McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This one-block-square tract of land was deeded to the city of McAllen for use as a public park in 1917, six years after the town was incorporated. The donor, Mayor Oliver Percy Archer (1869-1930), was a prominent local businessman and civic leader. The site was officially named for him in 1933 by the McAllen Board of City Commissioners. From 1936 to 1949 the McAllen Public Library was housed in the basement area of the bandstand. The site of many community activities and celebrations, Archer Park serves as a reminder of the early days of McAllen. (1981)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This one-block park was deeded to McAllen in 1917, only six years after the town incorporated, by Mayor Oliver Percy Archer, a leading local businessman and civic figure. Named in his honor in 1933, it hosted countless community celebrations, and from 1936 to 1949 the public library operated out of the basement of its bandstand. The green square remains a reminder of McAllen's early days.
Why it matters
Archer Park reflects the rapid town-building of the lower Rio Grande Valley in the early twentieth century, when civic-minded boosters shaped brand-new communities from farmland.
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Related people
- · Oliver Percy Archer
Themes & tags
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