John Closner (1853–1932) was an early

Hidalgo County, Texas Hidalgo County (; ) is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 870,781, making it the ninth-most populous county in Texas, and the most populous county outside of the counties in the Texas Triangle. The ...

developer, rancher, and Democratic Party boss of

South Texas South Texas is a geographic and cultural region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of th ...

. He became Hidalgo County Sheriff in 1890 and under the protection of James B. Wells Jr., became the county's political boss. During his rule he brought peace to the county and was seen as such an effective leader that he was nicknamed the "father" of Hidalgo County.

Biography

Early years

John Closner was born on March 24, 1853, in New Glarus,

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

the son of Swiss parents John and Elizabeth (Blumer) Closner. He moved to Texas in 1870 and settled in

Bosque County Bosque County ( ) is a county located in the greater Waco area. The county sits just northwest of Waco in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,235. Its county seat is Meridian, while Clifton is the largest c ...

, before moving to

Rio Grande City, Texas Rio Grande City is a city in and the county seat of Starr County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,317 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is west of McAllen. It is connected to Camargo, Tamaulipas, via the Rio Grande City� ...

in 1883 with only sixteen dollars. Closner is credited for pioneering farming and irrigation in Hidalgo County. Closner died on June 3, 1932, in

Brownsville, Texas Brownsville ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Cameron County, Texas, Cameron County, located on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border, border with Matamoros, Tamaulipas ...

, the city to which he moved in 1923 with his family to retire. Today, a major boulevard in

Edinburg, Texas Edinburg ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 100,243 at the 2020 census, and in 2022, its estimated population was 104,294, making it the second-largest city in Hidalgo County, and th ...

bears his last name.Closner, John , The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Closner, John 1853 births 1932 deaths People from New Glarus, Wisconsin People from Bosque County, Texas People from Rio Grande City, Texas People from Hidalgo County, Texas People from Brownsville, Texas Texas Democrats Ranchers from Texas