Dean Porter Park was established in 1927 and encompasses 25 acres with a unique natural water body referred to by its Spanish term, ‘resaca’. Dean Porter Park is rich in history and cultural heritage, while commemorating founding members of the Brownsville, TX community. The park, located near Brownsville ISD Middle Schools, is located directly across the street from the Gladys Porter Zoo, thus, providing an insurmountable number of recreational opportunities.
Oddly enough, the property began as a landfill in the early 20th Century!
The land was purchased during Park commissioner Burt E. Hinkley’s term, aided by B.V. Proctor, City Architect (professional baseball player). In 1929, Ringgold Park was incorporated into the park system as the resaca dredging was completed and plans were well underway to connect the “prized beauty spot”. In the early 1930, RFC labor was used for park beautification and construction work plus donations of amenities from the Rotarians. In 1937, the National Youth Administration Program continued park development as City Manager R. Runyon led the initiative for improvement of 100 acres of parks in the city and declared “it should be turned into a botanical garden of natural flora.”
Great care and investment of funds has been taken to preserve the park’s natural water feature that doubles as a storm water retention source, the Resaca. In 2016, the Brownsville Public Utilities Board dredged the Resaca in the park, increasing its depth for flooding, removing built up sediment, rocks, shells, vegetation, toys, plastic bags, and more than 200 TIRES! Once restored, the return of various bird species and raw water storage were tremendous improvements to the area.
It is estimated that the park nears an average annual attendance of 300,000 visitors. Its Civic Pavilion averages 15,000 guests, 18,000 swimmers at Sams Pool and 36,000 attendees for its annual Holiday Village. The park is a historically cherished space for the community, and it is a nucleus from which the community generates new growth and vitalization.
Learn more about the Lone Star Legacy Award Applications.