1834Culture
== History ==
Donna is in southeastern Hidalgo County, 11 miles (18 km) east of McAllen, in territory that was granted to Lino Cabazos as part of the La Blanca land grant on May...
1839Government
Webber, who, accompanied by his wife Sylvia (Hector), a former slave, settled in the area in 1839.
1900History
Thomas Jefferson Hooks arrived in the Lower Rio Grande valley in 1900 and the following year moved his family to Run in southeastern Hidalgo County.
1902Culture
In May 1902 he helped to form the La Blanca Agricultural Company, which purchased 23,000 acres (93 km2) fronting the river 2 miles (3 km) east and west of the site of present Do...
1904Government
Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway reached the site in July 1904, when the town was founded.
1907Architecture
In 1907 the town received a depot and was named "Donna" in honor of Donna Fletcher (1879-1969), who was postmistress when the Donna post office opened in 1908.
1910History
The Donna Developer was first printed on December 1, 1910, in Chapin.
1911History
The telephone exchange was installed in 1911.
1912History
By 1912 the town was divided into Donna and East Donna.
1913Education
In 1913, the first graduating class of four graduated from Donna High School.
1914History
A store was moved from Run to Donna in 1914 by Andrew Champion.
1915Economy
In 1915 Donna had a population of 1,500, a bank, a hotel, four churches, two cotton gins, the sugar mill, and a weekly newspaper named the Donna Dispatch, published by B.
1916Government
In 1916 the Donna Light and Power Company was incorporated by A.
1920History
107, was dedicated in 1920.
1925History
Donna had an estimated population of 1,579 in 1925.
1936Infrastructure
By 1936 it had a population of 4,103, a railroad stop, multiple dwellings, and 110 businesses.
1945History
By 1945 the town had a population of 4,712 and 78 businesses, and it continued to be a citrus and vegetable growing center.
1953Military
In 1953 Donna had three gins, three wholesale groceries, hardware and farm implements dealers, a wholesale distributor for feed mills, and the Donna News.
1954Government
The election of 1954 drew attention to Donna when Bob Jefferys, a newspaperman, requested that a special contingent of Texas Rangers be sent to the city by Governor Allan Shivers.
1964History
The American Legion Hall was designated a historical landmark in 1964.
1967Culture
In 1967 Donna reported 110 businesses (including eight manufacturers), ten churches, a bank, a library, and a newspaper.
1978History
Donna had a population of 8,982 and 122 businesses in 1978.
1986History
Tierra Prieta also receives water from North Alamo Water Supply Corporation; it had an estimated population of 180 in 1986.
1994Culture
The Texas Department of State Health Services would place a ban on fishing in the lake in 1994 due to potential public health risk, with the EPA declaring it a Superfund site an...
1998Crime
In 1998 Pablo Lucio Vasquez murdered David Cardenas.
2000History
In 2000 Donna had a population of 14,768 and 369 businesses.
2006Culture
Wayback Machine
== External links ==
City of Donna official website
Handbook of Texas entry
Donna Public Library Archived September 2, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
2010Education
In 2010–2012, Donna ISD received an $850,000 Connections Grant from the Texas Education Agency to provide technology staff development, as well as introduce a 1:1 laptop initiat...
2020History
In 2020, the EPA and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality officially began removing contaminated sediments and PCBs after various rounds of fish removals, estimated to cost...