Begun in 1912 when dirt roads hampered area transportation, the San Benito & Rio Grande Valley Railroad was instrumental in the early development of the region's towns and commerce. It grew from the Brownsville Street and Interurban Railroad Company, established by Sam A. Robertson (1867-1938), a local civil engineer and land promoter. As the line grew and spurs were constructed to remote frame communities, it became known as the Spiderweb Railroad. With just over 100 miles of track, the company became part of the Missouri-Pacific system in 1924.