The museum gratefully acknowledges the following acquisitions to its collections, made in the previous year.
| Gifts to the Permanent Collection, 2016 | |
| Anonymous or unknown. | Lace-making machine, Edinburg, early 1900s; Pittman & Davis fruit gift box, Harlingen, contemporary. |
| Lisa Kay Adam. | Three volumes, Mi Libro Español by Jovita Gonzales and E.E. Mireles, 1940-43; map and nautical chart pertaining to Bob Roberts family, Edinburg. |
| Marilyn Kuper Anderson. |
Family dairy sign, juicer, farm sale broadside, miscellaneous archival items pertaining to Rio Grande Valley, second half, 20th century. |
| Marge Bentsen. |
Ephemera pertaining to Thomas Robert (Bob) Vaucher, World War II pilot fro Mission, Texas. |
| Brenda Duncan Blankenship. |
Edinburg High School Sergeanette’s hat, 1968-1971. |
| Juliet Bonham. |
Three photographs of McAllen street scenes, first half, 20th century. |
| Diane Bunting. |
Photograph of Delta Orchard Company’s field maintenance equipment and crew, 1931. |
| Gus T. Canales. |
Family documents, photographs and maps pertaining to J. T. Canales and Canales family, twentieth century. |
| Edmundo C. Canales. |
Records of the Unclaimed Mineral Proceeds Commission, State of Texas, 2013-2015. |
| George Headley Edgerton (dec.). |
Photocopies of correspondence and research materials, 1965-1999 pertaining to Headley family, Starr County. |
| Daniel Flores for County of Hidalgo. | Set of keys to the 1921 Hidalgo County jail. (See also General Collection) |
| Tom Fort. | Specimen of caliche from local caliche mining pit. |
| Stephen Fox. | CD of PowerPoint, “An Overview of the Historic Architecture of the Lower Rio Grande Border,” 2015. |
| Ingrid Norquest Gardner. | Two panoramic photographs of excursion trips in the lower Rio Grande Valley, postcard from Star Land Company, 1913Missouri Pacific booklet “The LRGV of Texas.” |
| Juan A. Garza. | Three softbound compilations of research pertaining to the Crixell family of Brownsville and the 1906 Brownsville Affair. |
| Dr. Juan L. Gonzales. | Specimen of El Sauz chert, Starr County pertaining to geological research project at UTRGV. |
| Gilpin Historical Society. | Booklet “The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas,” first half, twentieth century. |
| Glenn Harding. | Thirty-three panoramic photos of lower Rio Grande Valley, early 20th century; fruit-fly trap, lower Rio Grande Valley,1983. |
| Judy McLean Hitchcock & Carolyn J. McLean. | Elaine McLean collection (1920-2014), Edinburg. |
| Joan Jones. | Twenty-seven Mexican retablos on tin or canvas, mostly 19th century. |
| Cullen and Carol Lynn Looney. | Three Mexican folklorico dance costumes from Edinburg schools. |
| Sandra Mann. | Painting of Los Ebanos ferry by Edinburg artist Edward E. Nichols; photographs of Sacred Heart Church, Edinburg, and Hidalgo County Bar Association, 1999-2000. |
| James McAllen. | VHS video on deer breeding program, Guajolota Ranch, 1982-1984; Tom Slack materials. |
| Judy McClelland. | First State Bank of Alamo bag, embossing stamp from Valencia Bldg. Company, Alamo; second half, 20th century. |
| Petty Officer 1st Class William Mireles. | Cap from USS Freddy Gonzalez, contemporary. |
| Paul Moffitt. | Two large cross-sections of petrified wood from Starr County, approximately 27 million years old. (see also General Collection gifts) |
| Pamela Morales. | Artifacts and documents pertaining to Vasquez family of Tamaulipas and South Texas, including Mexican identification cards, agricultural and business documents, and pruning knife. |
| Phyllis Morris. | The Advance News Journal, February 10, 1999. Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, Texas newspaper. |
| Scott Nicol, David Freeman. | Wooden ladder used to scale border wall near Hidalgo, 2016. |
| Judy Perkin. | Photograph of 50th reunion of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, Class of 1943. |
| Flo Prater. | Abstracts of Title, various Rio Grande Valley locations, twentieth century. |
| C. Davis and Shan Rankin. | Greeting cards, commemorative items from the USS Gonzalez, and Uriah Lott by J. L. Allhands. |
| Rio Grande Valley Rails. | Missouri Pacific Railroad forms, twentieth century. |
| David Robles. | Digital photos of 2016 commemorative ceremony of 1966 Starr County melon strike. |
| Tiana Scruggs. | Rio Grande Valley Newspapers: Souvenir Edition – Beulah! October 20, 1967. |
| Andrew Smith. | Photograph of Edinburg Junior College sophomore class, 1940. |
| Sharon Stewart. | Betsy Publishing Corporation records, Edinburg, 1981-1982. |
| Thinkfactory Media. | DVD, “Avenging the Alamo: The Road to Texas Rising,” 2015, (utilizing MOSTHistory archives). |
| Tom Weekly. | Elsie Pearl’s Friday Night Dancing Club ephemera, Donna, 1933. |
| George and Sylvia Wells. |
Metate and mano, textile tool, bench, and photographs all associated with Enemecio Cortina family and 1910 Hidalgo County jail. |
| Gifts to the General Collection, 2016 | |
| Eusebio Cortez for Bank of America. | Framed photograph of Los Ebanos ferry. |
| Daniel Flores for County of Hidalgo. | Keys to the 1985 Hidalgo County jail. |
| Margaret R. Kent. | Ceramic mission figurines by artist Anne Greene. |
| César and Rosalie Lopez. | Piñata in the shape of folklorico dancer. |
| Paul Moffitt. | Seventeen log-like pieces of petrified wood, 3-5 million years old. |
| Mr. and Mrs. Manolo Pérez. | Mexican sombrero. |
| Gifts to the Library Collection, 2016 | |
| Dr. Cayetano E. Barrera III. | One Family’s Journey: The Story of La Reforma Ranch, by Cayetano E. Barrera III, 1998. |
| Carola Chapa. | Brewster School Centennial Commemorative, 1916-2016, by the Brewster School Reunion Committee, 2016. “Booklet on Courtesy,” by Carol Chapa, undated. “Hahía una vez…,” by Chapa family, [1988]. |
| Jesús F. de la Teja. | Lone Star Unionism, Dissent, and Resistance: Other Sides of Civil War Texas, by Jesús F. de la Teja, 2016, (utilizing MOSTHistory archival material). |
| Ruth MacDowell. | Stones of Remembrance by Steve Van Atta (2006) and Journey to Jubilee edited by Enid Sanford (1996). |
| Daniel C. Mettlach. | Memories of Days Gone By, by Leona Mettlach Klaus, 2009. |
| Samuel Temkin. | Gaspar Castaño de Sosa: Conquistador, Explorador, Fundador, by Samuel Temkin, 2015. |
| Angélica Reyna. | Last Ride on the Ferry: My Life as a Migrant Worker 1940’s, by Angélica Reyna, 2014. |
| Felipe Salinas. | Cesar Salinas – 18232212 – 954th Topographic Aviation Engineers, Rio Grande City – Roma 941st Engr. Aviation Topographic “B Co.” Texas, edited by Jose Salinas, undated. |
| Purchases 2016 | |
| Fossil oysters from Starr County, Eocene epoch. | |
| Mexican War items: 1846 book, Our Troops on the Rio Grande; 1846 broadside from General Pedro de Ampudia, issued from Saltillo. | |
| National Geographic, “The Texas Delta of the American Nile,” 1939. | |
| Robert Runyon postcard, early 20th century. | |
| San Antonio Stage Lines, 1847-1881, by Robert H Thonhoff, 1971. | |
| Sculptures and ceramic pot from estate of Edinburg artist Richard Hyslin. | |