Mercedes, TX, United States
Relampago Ranch. Originally part of a Spanish land grant, Relampago (lightning) Ranch community lay along the stage and military route from Rio Grande City to Brownsville. In 1852 Thaddeus Rhodes (1828-1904) acquired acreage here when he came as Hidalgo county clerk. Later he served as commissioner
and judge. He and Jose Maria Mora (1824-1884), who bought adjoining land about 1856, helped bring economic and social stability. Mora and later his son Melchor, a deputy sheriff and Texas Ranger, farm
Listen to the audio guide for Black plaque № 17014 Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off