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Lon C. Hill had the vision of a true pioneer and a dream of being part of developing the Valley. He persuaded B. F. Yoakum of the Missouri Pacific Railroad system to build a railroad from Corpus Christi to Brownsville with a branch line going through the Valley. This junction was where Lon C. Hill built his home, barn and corrals that were used as Texas Ranger headquarters. It soon became known as "Six Shooter Junction". A large mesquite tree in front of the ranger camp was used as a jail. Offenders were chained to it until they could be moved to a permanent jail in another town. A historical marker indicates the location where the Prisoner's Tree once stood. The train men christened the town site "Rattle-snake Junction". In 1905 the town was incorporated and was called Harlingen, named after a city in the Netherlands.

Today Harlingen, like most other valley cities and towns, has a booming economy, partly because of the many Winter Visitors, lured by subtropical temperatures, swanky palm trees and it's close proximity to enchanting Old Mexico.