Seniors Enjoy The Streets of Laredo, Texas

 Laredo, on the north bank of the Rio Grande River (Rio Bravo, as it is known in Mexico), has been a well known point for crossing the Río Grande, senior visitors learn. It is big with a population of nearly a quarter million.

Laredo was founded on May 15, 1755. With its location, Laredo has built up a whole lot of history. It was the capital of its own country for a short period of time, The Republic of the Rio Grande, from January 1840 to late fall of that same year. The capitol building still stands and serves as The Republic of the Rio Grande Museum.

Since 1980, the Webb County Heritage Foundation has been dedicated to preserving the distinctive cultural and architectural heritage of Laredo and Webb County, Texas.

San Agustín de Laredo, a colonial city of New Spain founded in 1755, was named for a town in Santander, located on the north coast of Spain. The city is considered the oldest independent settlement in Texas and is the only remaining Spanish colonial settlement on the north bank of the lower Río Grande.

Seniors Learn Of Old Burial Sites And Intl Trade

Laredo is famed for its ancient cemeteries. An archaeological excavation revealed more than 90 burials inside a church foundation perimeter in 1997-1998. It is believed that one of the burial sites is Laredo’s founder Don Tomás Sánchez.

Laredo’s economy is based on international trade with Mexico. Most major transportation companies have a facility in Laredo. Senior travelers find Laredo about 150 miles southwest of San Antonio and 135 miles west of Corpus Christi.

The city’s location on the southern end of I-35 close to the manufacturers in northern Mexico promotes its vital role in trade between the two nations. Nearly half of United States international trade headed for Mexico and 36  percent of Mexican international trade crosses through the Laredo port of entry. Seniors, spend some time in Downtown Laredo where “two nations meet” on the famous Rio Grande.

Marty Robbins sings ‘The Streets of Laredo’

My wife and I would visit Laredo’s famed museums where one can explore the history of this booming border town, the role it played within the expansion of Texas and the United States, as well as its historical and cultural ties to Mexico.

These seniors would walk along buildings that have been around for over two centuries and get a feel for what it’s like to step through time.  And then stroll along San Bernardo Avenue where we  might hear a warm “Bienvenido a Laredo” greeting.

Marty Robbins sings “The Streets of Laredo.” I got to meet him a long time ago at my uncle’s huge dancehall in Illinois, where he sang this song. Enjoy Laredo!  -jeb