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Living in Victoria for the last three decades I often wonder if other small "big" towns have a rich history like ours.

Our great community started out as "Guadalupe Victoria" when it was founded in 1824 by Empresario, Martín De León, who named our city to honor the first president of independent Mexico.

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Did you know that Empresario De León is buried in Victoria and visitors can view the plot dedicated to the De León family during normal cemetery hours at Evergreen Cemetery? And maybe I'm biased, but I consider Victoria Texas one of the richest in Texas history.

You can read more about Empresario Martin De León below.

Well it turns out that a tiny Texas town, San Elizario in the county of El Paso about 500 miles from Victoria was just named by USA Today as the Best Historic Small Town in America. Yep, the best in the United States!

Have you ever heard of San Elizario?

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On a side note, they have a bandstand just like we do and they are famous for their early settlements and military history...just like Victoria too!

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The City of San Elizario Facebook page which you can access here offers a thank you to their residents for consistently supporting the city and county in historic preservation, economic development, and tourism.

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Guys, we are sooo close! 

Think of all the great things happening in our downtown area and the lengths our community leaders have gone to put Victoria on the map!

We need a recall! Just kidding. It turns out San Elizario is pretty cool too.

“San Elizario chose to maintain its historic integrity rather than move forward as the railroad became a more prominent means of transportation in the late 1800s. Today, the community features historically significant buildings with the adobe construction and architectural features recognized in the Territorial and Pueblo Revival styles", the article in USA Today offers.

 

Check out the other towns San Elizario beat to get to number one.

Texas rules even if Victoria didn't make the list. Yet.

What is your favorite tiny Texas town? Let us know in the station app or station Facebook posts! 

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