TexSun Corporation
Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The citrus industry was an integral part of the Rio Grande Valley economy in the 20th century. Grove development burgeoned in the 1920s and 1930s, but production outpaced early marketing capabilities; in 1932, 17 citrus associations formed the Rio Grande Valley Citrus Exchange. The exchange began production under the labels of TexSun and Tex Maid, and later had a box company, juicing and canning facilities, and a dehydration plant for citrus pulp-based cattle feed. It became a public corporation in 1956 and a subsidiary company in 1971. The plant ceased operations in 1991, but its economic impact on the Texas citrus industry, The Valley and Weslaco was significant. (2004)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Citrus was central to the Rio Grande Valley economy as groves boomed in the 1920s and 1930s — so fast that production outran the means to market it. In 1932, seventeen citrus associations formed the Rio Grande Valley Citrus Exchange, shipping under the TexSun and Tex Maid labels and adding box, juicing, canning, and cattle-feed operations. It became a public corporation in 1956 and closed in 1991, but left a lasting mark on the Texas citrus trade.
Why it matters
TexSun illustrates how growers' cooperatives industrialized a regional crop, turning Valley citrus into a nationally marketed product.
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