Candelaria, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Candelaria, Texas
Unincorporated community
Nickname(s):  Cadelaria, Texas
Candelaria, Texas Location in Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Presidio
Elevation	2,858 ft (871 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	79845
Area code	432
GNIS feature ID	1377164

Candelaria (pronounced KAN-dih-LAIR-ee-uh) is a small, unincorporated community in Presidio County, Texas, United States. An unincorporated community means it's a place with a shared identity but no local government of its own. About 75 people live there.

About Candelaria

Candelaria is located in the Chihuahuan Desert. It sits on the north bank of the Rio Grande river. Right across the river is a small Mexican town called San Antonio Del Bravo.

For a long time, a bridge connected these two towns. This bridge was important because it allowed people from San Antonio Del Bravo to easily buy groceries and supplies in Candelaria. Some children from Mexico even went to school in Candelaria. However, in 2008, the U.S. Border Patrol removed the bridge. Even after the bridge was gone, local people sometimes crossed the river to get supplies. This was because there weren't many services available right where they lived.

History of Candelaria

Early Days and Growth

It's not clear exactly when Candelaria was first settled. We know that Native Americans lived in this area before farmers arrived. These farmers started growing crops on the flat land near the Rio Grande. The town was first called Gallina, which means "chicken" in Spanish. Later, its name was changed to Candelaria.

In 1868, a businessman named William Russell came to the area. He started a farm and hired local people to work there. He sold the crops, like grain, to the US Army at nearby places like Fort Davis and Fort Stockton. Cotton was also an important crop grown here.

As more people moved to Candelaria, the town grew. By 1893, it became one of the main school districts in Presidio County. By 1911, Candelaria had two stores, a church, and a school. The school district had 307 students, and the general population of the area was 1,842 people. However, only a small number of these people actually lived right in the town itself.

Challenges and Decline

Because Candelaria was in a remote area, people worried about its safety during the Mexican Revolution. To help protect the town, the US Army set up a military post called Camp Candelaria in 1916. Soldiers stayed there until late 1919.

After this time, Candelaria's fortunes began to change. The town had poor transportation links. It was connected to Presidio by a 50-mile dirt road, which made it hard to get goods in and out. The small farms in Candelaria couldn't compete with the much larger, industrial farms along other parts of the Rio Grande.

Because of these challenges, the population of Candelaria started to shrink. It went from 250 people in 1925 down to just 75 by 1940. By the late 1980s, the town was much smaller. It had only a two-room elementary school, one store, a Catholic church, and a few adobe houses.

Modern Access

Candelaria finally got its first paved road in 1985. This was when Farm to Market Road 170 to Presidio was paved, making travel much easier for the community.

Climate

Education

Students in Candelaria attend schools that are part of the Presidio Independent School District.