Sunday Speaker Series: El Sal del Rey

According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, “El Sal Del Rey was acquired in 1992 for inclusion in the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The land was purchased to protect the main geologic feature, a 530 acre salt lake and its surrounding Tamaulipan thornscrub and grasslands.” Besides its beautiful landscape, there’s an interesting history attached to it. Joe Vidales, a local historian, will explain how native people used the salt lake to hunt, trade and collect salt for treating hides and preserving meat, and Spanish explorers and settlers traded or sold salt to the southern areas of Nuevo Santander and Europe—a commodity that was taxed by the Spanish king. Decades later, salt also become an important part of the U.S. Civil War. Learn more about the importance of this historic South Texas landmark during Vidales’ presentation.

Sunday Speaker Series is included in the fee for regular museum admission. FRIENDS of the MOSTHistory are admitted free as a benefit of FRIENDship and must present their FRIENDship card at the Admissions Desk.

This program is made possible with generous support from the Carmen C. Guerra Endowment. Mrs. Guerra was deeply committed to supporting educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley. This named endowment was created at the museum by her family to honor her memory and to continue her commitment to providing opportunities for education to the community.