The first country seat was in Hidalgo, but continous flooding (one courthouse was completely washed away) forced the people of the county to look for a new location. A site about 15 miles from the Rio Grande, owned by John Closner and W. F. Sprague, was choosen. In 1908 Closner and Sprague donated four blocks in the center of the townsite to build the new courthouse and proposed that the town should be named after the incumbent County Judge, Chapin. This however turned out to be an unfortunate choice since Judge Chapin became involved in a murder in San Antonio. Based on these unfortunate cicrumstances the Commissioner's Court decided in 1911 to change the young towns name to Edinburg.
In 1954 the old courthouse was demolished and a new one built on it's site. The old jail building survived the demolition and houses today the historical museum of Edinburg.
Today Edinburg is a thriving town with Industries including food processing, oil, furniture and a vast vegetable and citrus culture. It's main asset, aside from the friendly and hard working inhabitants, is the Univeristy of Texas - Pan Am, and the many Winter Visitors who call Edinburg their home away from home.
Places & useful connections
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