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ENRIQUE MANAUTOU CAME TO TEXAS FROM MEXICO IN 1902. WITH AREA COMMERCE BOLSTERED BY THE ARRIVAL OF THE RAILROAD AND MEXICAN REVOLUTION REFUGEES, HE BEGAN A STRING OF DRY GOODS STORES IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY IN 1913. MANAUTOU MOVED TO BROWNSVILLE IN THE EARLY 1920s WITH HIS WIFE, IRENE G. MANAUTOU. IN 1928, HE OPENED THE E. MANAUTOU DEPARTMENT STORE IN THE HISTORIC MARKET SQUARE DISTRICT. PAGE BROTHERS ARCHITECTS OF AUSTIN DESIGNED THE TWO-STORY CHICAGO STYLE BUILDING OF BRICK, CUT STONE, PRISM GLASS CLERESTORY AND PLATE GLASS DISPLAY WINDOWS. MANAUTOU WAS A PROMINENT CITIZEN AND THE FIRST MEXICAN-AMERICAN TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE BROWNSVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK – 2012 |
