Laguna Seca Ranch
Linn, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Macedonio Vela settled here in 1867 and soon transformed over 4,000 acres of wild brush land into prosperous Laguna Seca (Dry Lake) Ranch. In 1871, his daughter, Carlota, grew the first orange trees in Hidalgo County from the seeds of a fruit given her by a traveling priest. This is now an important citrus-producing area. The ranch had grown to 80,000 acres when a school was built here in 1892. Delfina post office, named for another one of Vela's daughters, was opened in 1893 and a Catholic church in 1894. Laguna Seca Ranch is still owned by the Vela family. (1975)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Macedonio Vela settled this stretch of brush country in 1867 and turned more than 4,000 acres into the flourishing Laguna Seca ("Dry Lake") Ranch, which eventually swelled to 80,000 acres. In 1871 his daughter Carlota planted the first orange trees in Hidalgo County from seeds a traveling priest had given her—an early spark for what became a major citrus region. A school, post office, and Catholic church soon followed, and the ranch remains in Vela hands generations later.
Why it matters
Tejano ranching families like the Velas built the economic and social foundations of the Rio Grande Valley, and this ranch marks the literal seed of South Texas's citrus industry.
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Related people
- · Macedonio Vela
- · Carlota Vela
Themes & tags
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