Lasara

Lasara (La Sara) is on State Highway 186, Farm Road 1015, and the Missouri Pacific line, eight miles west of Raymondville in western Willacy County. The land was part of the Las Mesteñas, Pititas, and La Abra and San Juan de Carricitosland grants. Lasara was laid out in 1924 and was named for Laura Harding and Sarah Gill, wives of early settlers William Harding and Lamar Gill. The Lasara school district was approved on March 18, 1925. A post office was established at the community in 1926, and in 1931 Lasara had eight stores. In 1933 it had an estimated 100 residents and four businesses. Lasara comprised the post office, a general store, and a grade school in 1947. By 1950 its population had increased to 150 and the number of businesses to ten. In 1987 Lasara consisted of a grain elevator, a school, two churches, two factories, and eight other businesses. The community's population was reported as 100 from 1971 to 1990. The population grew to 1,024 by 2000.