Dunlap House
La Feria, Cameron County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Rio Grande Valley developer W.E. Stewart began construction of this adobe brick and stucco residence in 1912. Before it was completed, he sold the house to his employee Bailey H. Dunlap (1886-1957), a native of Illinois. Dunlap started La Feria's first bank, the Cameron County Bank, and was involved in real estate dealings throughout the valley. He served as La Feria's first mayor in 1915 and participated in numerous civic and religious organizations. In the 1920 and 1930s, the structure was enlarged and remodeled by W.E. Strickland, the original contractor.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Valley developer W. E. Stewart began this adobe-brick and stucco house in 1912 but sold it before completion to his employee Bailey H. Dunlap, an Illinois native. Dunlap founded La Feria's first bank, dealt in real estate across the Rio Grande Valley, and served as the town's first mayor in 1915, and the home was enlarged over the following decades.
Why it matters
The Dunlap house marks the boom era when developers and bankers rapidly transformed the Rio Grande Valley from ranchland into a network of farm towns.
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Related people
- · W. E. Stewart
- · Bailey H. Dunlap
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Site of First Bank in La Feria
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La Feria's first bank opened in this building soon after its 1912 founding, just as the Rio Grande Valley's railroad-fed farm boom was drawing settlers and capital south. Founded by Illinois-born Bailey H. Dunlap — who became the town's first mayor in 1915 — it won a state charter, was rechartered as a national bank in 1925, and moved to new quarters by 1927.
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