Natalia in Medina County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Natalia
"Queen City of the Southwest"
— 1912 - 2012 —
Photographed By James Hulse, March 1, 2022
1. Natalia Marker
The history of Natalia is inseparably linked with the history of the Medina Valley Irrigation Company Project now known as the Bexar, Medina, Atascosa Water Control and Improvement District No 1. Natalia, named after the daughter of Dr. Fred S. Pearson, the main engineer who designed and built Medina Dam, was destined to be the "Queen City of the Southwest." The town was laid out on the main line of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and the old International and Great Northern Highway, just 28 miles southwest of San Antonio. In August 1912, Natalia was the site of a commissary for the irrigation project; and at the same time, the first parcels of irrigation land and lots in Natalia were open for sale. Twenty-seven lots were sold on the first day. The community, modern in its very design, boasted a $40,000 hotel, macadamized streets, electric lights, and water works. The streets running east and west were named in honor of some of the principal engineers of the Medina Dam Project. In 1931, Griggs Canning Company built a canning plant to accommodate the year round growing season of vegetables grown in the area. The plant employed 500 people and ran 
Photographed By James Hulse, March 1, 2022
2. The Natalia Marker
this page online
Erected 2012 by Medina County Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is August 1912.
Location. 29° 11.525′ N, 98° 51.593′ W. Marker is in Natalia, Texas, in Medina County. Marker is at the intersection of 2nd Street (State Highway 132) and Miller Street, on the right when traveling north on 2nd Street. The marker is located south of the City of Natalia building in a small courtyard area between the buildings. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2048 TX-132, Natalia TX 78059, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Natalia Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Devine Evergreen Cemetery (approx. 3½ miles away); Devine Lodge, No. 590 (approx. 4.3 miles away); Judge Thomas J. Devine (approx. 4½ miles away); First Baptist Church of Devine
Photographed By James Hulse, March 1, 2022
3. The Natalia Marker in between the buildings
Also see . . . Natalia, TX.
Natalia is on the main line of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and Interstate Highway 35, sixteen miles southeast of Hondo in southeastern Medina County. It was founded by the Medina Irrigation Company in 1912 and named after Natalie Pearson, daughter of Fred Stark Pearson, prime motivator of the irrigation project and builder of the Medina Dam. The community has had a post office since 1913; Natalie's name was spelled wrong. After the deaths of Pearson and his wife, who were passengers on the Lusitania when it went down in 1915, the Medina Irrigation Company was forced into receivership. Source: The Handbook of Texas(Submitted on March 5, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Photographed By James Hulse, March 1, 2022
4. The Natalia Marker is at the far left of the building
Credits. This page was last revised on March 5, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 5, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 129 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 5, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
