Elsa Real Estate

In the pre-Texas days, our community of Elsa was a cattle and sheep ranching territory, thanks to the indigenous grasses and natural water supply of the Rio Grande River. With the introduction of irrigation; we became a crop farming area, ideal for year-round agriculture thanks to our mild winters.

Living in Elsa began with purpose as a planned community for the growth of commerce, industry, and residential zones, named after Elsa George, wife of the landowner on which the first buildings of the town were built. There was a municipal water supply, and Elsa was the largest produce shipping point on the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1929.

Fred Vahlsing owned a large-scale grocery business in New York and heard about this emerging hotbed of farmland in South Texas near the Rio Grande River. Vahlsing invested in the area in the 1930s to grow winter crops (mostly vegetables, but eventually added citrus) to ship to the East Coast. Mr. Vahlsing owned over a thousand acres of farmland and also opened a packing plant in Elsa where Melvin Giese was the manager. Foods that were considered exotic in those days like endive, escarole and root parsley were grown and shipped on trains to areas of the country that couldn't farm those sorts of edibles.

Living in Elsa

Elsa today is part of the area referred to as The Delta by locals as a nod to our agricultural beginnings. We have remained a bustling community, just like living in Elsa in the days around our official incorporation. Construction, manufacturing, transportation, education and retail are the primary industries and sources of employment for Elsa.

Elsa is a very conscientious community. The local elected officials work hard to improve and beautify our town. The State Representative from our district is very involved with helping kids and local business owners thrive.

In 1931, Elsa school district merged with the Edcouch school district after much debate and deliberation. Our once local rivals are now our teammates in the classroom and athletics. Our mascot is the Yellow Jackets, we are a 5A school district, with several appearances over the years in the UIL playoffs in football. Our high school volleyball team has also competed in the 5A volleyball playoffs, with numerous victories.

We do have an interesting celebrity claim to fame. Estaban Steve Jordan, dubbed "The Jimi Hendrix of the accordion," who played 35 different instruments, was from Elsa.

Jordan was the son of migrant farm workers who was partially blind, making him ineligible for field work. The elderly members of the agriculture workforce looked after Jordan while his parents helped with the harvest. He was introduced to the accordion at a young age and developed an instant love of the contraption. His career spanned decades, and he made several appearances in movies over the years.

Real Estate in Elsa

Real estate in Elsa is a mix of traditional homes, multi-family units, and open acreage. We would love to make you a part of our inviting community, please contact us so we can give you the local perspective.

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