History of Riviera, Texas
founded by Theodore F. Koch (pictured here with his wife Clara Hoeborn), a
land promoter from St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1907 Koch purchased from
Henrietta King a large tract, which he had surveyed and divided to be sold
to land seekers. He laid out a town site adjacent to the St. Louis,
Brownsville and Mexico Railway (the line had been completed in 1904) and
named it Riviera because the area reminded him of the southern coast of
France. After a railroad depot was built, Koch began running a train from
Chicago to Riviera once or twice a month to bring potential customers to see
the land. To make a good impression on these visitors, Koch had a hotel
constructed and a flowing artesian well located near the depot. His guests
were taken down a wide boulevard through Riviera; in the middle of the
boulevard grew tropical trees, plants, and flowers. Those interested in
buying farms were carried in buggies and later, automobiles, to see Koch's
land. Many bought land and established homes in the community. Several
businesses were started, including a general mercantile establishment and
seed store. In 1907 a post office was established; in 1908, a school; and in
1910, a jail.
The first few years of Riviera witnessed considerable growth, and optimism about the future was high. But in 1915 a severe drought discouraged many residents, and they left. The next year a devastating hurricane hit. Many settlers remained, however, and others moved in. The construction of roads in the county during the 1920s made Riviera more accessible and strengthened the local economy. Its population in 1930 was 400, and by 1935 it had increased to 500. In 1990 the town reported 550 residents and thirteen businesses.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Sterling Bass, History of Kleberg County (M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1931). Kleberg County Historical Commission, Kleberg County, Texas (Austin: Hart Graphics, 1979). Tom Lea, The King Ranch (2 vols., Boston: Little, Brown, 1957).
George O. Coalson, The Handbook of Texas Online
Picture of Mr. and Mrs. Koch provided by Idella Underbrink Strubhart, author of A Small Town In God's Country.