Felipe Valerio Store and Garage

The boom that changed the Valerio store centered on Freer, to the west. Wildcatters drilling on the W. P. Norton property near Freer struck oil in 1928, and the Heller-Suttle No. 1 well started a larger boom in 1932. By 1933 Freer was the second-largest oilfield in the United States, the Handbook of Texas says. Duval County's output peaked at 20,289,399 barrels in 1938, third in the state. In January 1938 Life magazine ran a critical two-page spread on the town, and Freer paved its main streets that year.

What the plaque says

Felipe Valerio Store and Garage (1.5 mi. southeast) Built in 1905 by Felipe Valerio (1878-1953) and his wife Jesusa (1886-1973), the Valerio store was an integral part of the small community of La Rosita. Located approximately halfway between San Diego and Freer, the store provided groceries and other goods for residents of this rural area. An increase in business from the area oil boom in the 1930s led to the addition of a gas station and garage. The store also served as a bus station, and Felipe Valerio was local postmaster from 1917 to 1929. Construction of State Highway 44 led to the closing of the store in 1956. (1994)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Duval County Courthouse — 12 mi
  A red-brick Classical Revival courthouse of 1916 in San Diego, the seat of a county governed for decades by the Parr family machine.

More markers nearby

• El Plan de San Diego — 12 mi
• St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church — 12 mi
• Duval County — 12 mi
• Jim Wells County — 21 mi