First Lift Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mission Canal Company Second Lift Pumphouse
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 Location in Texas
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mission, Texas |
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| Built | 1910 |
| Architect | Simmons, Albert |
| MPS | Mission, Hidalgo County MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000910 |
| Added to NRHP | August 30, 2002 |
The First Lift Station in Mission, Texas, was once a super important building. It helped bring water to farms in the early Rio Grande Valley. This water was used to irrigate, or water, crops like cotton and citrus fruits. It played a huge role in helping the area grow!
Contents
The First Lift Station: A Watery History
How Mission Got Its Water
In 1907, two smart guys named John J. Conway and James W. Hoit started the Mission Canal Company. They built an irrigation system to help farmers get water. The First Lift Station was the very first pump station they built for this system. It was a big step for farming in the area.
The Tall Chimney
The pump at the station was powered by steam. This steam came from wood-fired boilers. A tall chimney was needed to let out the smoke. This chimney still stands today! It was made from bricks created by hand in a place called Madero. The chimney is 106 feet tall and 6 feet wide. The very top of the chimney has a special design, but it was never fully finished. In 1985, the Texas Historical Commission named the chimney a Texas Historic Landmark.
Powering the Pumps
The boilers at the First Lift Station started working in 1907. Soon after, the pump station began pulling water from the Rio Grande. To keep the boilers hot, they burned a lot of wood. Workers used 2 to 3 cords of wood at a time. A "cord" is a big stack of wood, about 7 to 11 cubic meters! A team of 26 men and their mules worked all day and night. Their job was to keep feeding wood into the boilers. It was very hard work!
A New Chapter
Later on, other groups took over running the plant. These included John H. Shary and the Hidalgo County Water Control and Improvement Districts No. 7 and No. 14. In the late 1950s, new dams and a modern pumping plant were built further up the river. This meant the old First Lift Station was no longer needed for pumping water. The area was then turned into a fun place for people to visit. Today, the tall chimney is still there, standing proudly in Chimney Park.
