[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 150 (Monday, September 19, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PORT OF HARLINGEN, TX

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MAYRA FLORES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 19, 2022

  Mrs. FLORES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Port of 
Harlingen, Texas, as it celebrated its 70th anniversary this year.
  On February 27, 1952, John Fullbright, the President of the 
Intracoastal Canal Association of Louisiana and Texas, stood in front 
of a crowd and said, ``Port Harlingen is now open for business!'' For 
70 years, the Port has served a major role in the growth and 
development of those in the Rio Grande Valley and throughout the 
country.
  In 1926, Mr. Lon C. Hill, the first Mayor of Harlingen, envisioned 
that the newly formed city would be a vital port for the Arroyo 
Colorado River. He was right. Soon after, he and several other 
colleagues began the process of creating the Port. From 1926 to 1941, 
the commissioners worked to secure the funding for the Port of 
Harlingen and in 1938, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers approved the 
building of the channel. Not long after, construction began. For the 
next nine years, construction workers tirelessly worked to build the 
Port. Finally, the Port of Harlingen was finalized. On February 27, 
1952, the Port was officially opened as it discharged its first cargo 
shipment of steel pipes.
  Initially, the Port was responsible for transporting steel, fuel, a 
variety of seafoods, and gasoline. Later, it quickly began to be a 
transporter of fertilizer and liquid bulk. This meant that the Port 
could serve as a means of transporting the goods local farmers produced 
as well as means of receiving the needed assistance to increase their 
production. The Port of Harlingen continued to expand. In 1979, the 
construction of the Administration Building began, and in 1983, it 
officially changed its name to ``The Port of Harlingen Authority''.
  It also serves as the starting point of the Gulf-Intracoastal 
Waterway and has become a critical port for the South Texas as well as 
the rest of the country. The RGV would not be the area like we know it 
without the Port of Harlingen. It is an essential part for the people 
of the Valley as it employs just over 4,600 jobs for individuals 
directly and indirectly.
  It is for these reasons and our history that I congratulate the Port 
on its 70th anniversary and look to the future as it will continue to 
impact the RGV.

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