Aransas Pass, Texas

In 1909, real estate developers E.O. Burton and A.H. Danforth embarked upon a land promotion scheme to take advantage of available land in Aransas Pass. They hired journalist W.H. Vernor to produce the "Aransas Pass…

You're driving through Aransas Pass, a town that almost became a major shipping center in the late 1800s. Plans were underway to dig a ship channel and develop Aransas Harbor City. Right here, in 1891, seven people met…

Construction of 67-foot tower was started in 1855. The French lens was lighted in 1856, to mark natural Gulf pass to Aransas and Corpus Christi Bays by way of Lydia Ann Channel -- named for the daughter of the first…

You're driving along the Texas coast, near Port Aransas. During the Civil War, this inlet, Aransas Pass, was a vital lifeline for the Confederacy. Imagine small ships, loaded with cotton, slipping through here, heading…

You're driving past Mustang Island, where the U.S. government first established a life-saving station way back in 1878. This critical outpost, later absorbed into the U.S. Coast Guard, played a vital role in securing…

You're driving past the site of a World War II coastal defense system, right here at Aransas Pass. Before the U.S. even entered the war, Texas's coast was being fortified. In early 1942, a German U-boat sighting just…

You're driving past the Tarpon Inn, a Port Aransas landmark with a history as colorful as the fish it's named for. It started in 1886 as a simple inn in an old barracks, a beacon for sailors and a sign that this town…

You're driving past Mustang Island, a place named for the wild horses that once roamed here, descendants of those brought by Spanish explorers or survivors of shipwrecks. Long before settlers arrived, nomadic Karankawa…

You're driving past Mustang Island, a place deeply tied to the Mercer family for generations. Robert Ainsworth Mercer arrived around 1855, becoming the county's Wreck Master, responsible for any ships that didn't make…

For about 50 years, Port Aransas had a singular obsession: a giant, silver fish called the tarpon. Starting in the late 1890s — the town was literally renamed Tarpon in 1896 — this became the undisputed 'Tarpon Capital…

On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey slammed into Port Aransas as a Category 4 monster. It was the strongest storm to hit the area in over 50 years, and the devastation was absolute. Wind gusts over 130 miles per hour…

The very existence of Port Aransas as a port is thanks to a monumental feat of engineering you can still see today: the jetties. The natural Aransas Pass was wide and shallow, constantly shifting and silting up. To…

Look across the channel from the northern tip of Mustang Island and you might spot a lonely tower. That's the Lydia Ann Lighthouse - the old Aransas Pass light - and it's been standing since 1857, when its…

Port Aransas, a city in Nueces County, Texas, has a rich history shaped by exploration and conflict. In 1519, Spaniards led by Alonso Álvarez de Pineda explored the coast, mapping five passes, including Aransas Pass.…

The Horace Caldwell Pier is more than a place to fish. It's this town's standing argument with the Gulf, running about twelve hundred and forty feet out over the water at I.B. Magee Beach Park. The pier you're looking…

Every coastal town needs a good pirate story, and Port Aransas has one of the best. Jean Lafitte and his band of buccaneers worked this stretch of the Gulf in the early 1800s, and by the 1820s they were spending a great…

Hey road trippers! You're cruising past what's now called Swan Lake, but back in 1939, it was a goldmine for paleontologists. Highway engineers digging for road material stumbled upon one of the biggest fossil…

You're driving through Port Aransas, and right here is Shorty's Place, the island's oldest and friendliest music venue. Opened in 1946 by Gladys Marie Fowler, known as 'Shorty,' this spot quickly became legendary for…

Port Aransas, formerly known as Ropesville and as Tarpon, is a resort and fishing community on Mustang Island twenty-four miles northeast of Corpus Christi in extreme northeastern Nueces County. The settlement began as…

You're driving past the site of the Heldenfels Shipyard, a massive operation that boomed on the Rockport waterfront during World War I. Established in October of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1917</say-as>,…

You're driving through Ingleside, a community that began taking shape in the 1850s. George Hatch bought land here, and soon settlers were building homes along the bayou. This area became known for cattle drives, grape…

For nearly twenty years, Ingleside was synonymous with the U.S. Navy. The government picked this spot for a brand-new, state-of-the-art base, and in 1991 the Secretary of the Navy named Naval Station Ingleside the…

In late August 2017, Ingleside sat on the wrong side of a monster. Hurricane Harvey exploded in intensity as it neared the coast and came ashore near Rockport, about twenty miles up the bay, as a Category 4. Out here…

At the Port of Corpus Christi here in Ingleside, you can see engineering on a truly gigantic scale. This is home to Kiewit Offshore Services, a facility that builds some of the largest offshore oil and gas platforms in…

Kiewit Offshore Services, established in 2001, is a significant industry in Ingleside. It serves as the primary contractor for manufacturing and repairing offshore oil and gas platforms for the Kiewit Corporation, which…

You're driving through San Patricio County, and right here is the area where a Texas legend, Mabry B. Gray, earned his nickname 'Mustang Gray.' Born in South Carolina in 1817, Gray came to Texas in 1835 and fought at…

It is hard to imagine now, but this coast once ran on grapes. George C. Hatch, who bought land here in 1854 and is about as close to a founder as Ingleside has, introduced grape culture to the area, and his son John G.…

You're driving through the Coastal Bend, perhaps near Portland or Corpus Christi. Right here, in 1836, George Clifton Hatch arrived in Texas, ready to fight for its independence. He fought at the Battle of San Jacinto,…

You're driving through San Patricio County, and right here in Ingleside, you're passing the heart of a Texas wine industry that once flourished. John G. Hatch returned to his family's vineyard in 1873 after his father's…

You're driving through San Patricio County, near Ingleside, where John W. Vineyard arrived in the mid-1850s. He wasn't just a farmer; Vineyard was a major player in South Texas's early economy. He co-owned one of the…

You're driving through Ingleside, a community with a name that means "fireside" in Scottish. It all started back in 1854 when George C. Hatch bought land here on Corpus Christi Bay. He sold off parcels to settlers, and…

You're driving past the historic site of the Port Bay Hunting and Fishing Club, a place with roots stretching back over a century. It was established in 1912 by Danish immigrant Andrew Sorenson, who had already made a…

You're driving past the site of The Cedars, a place that helped put Rockport on the map for tourists! Back in 1928, Dr. Joe and Mabel Bryant built this spot, starting with seven resort houses. It quickly became a…

You're driving past the Hynes-Balthrope House, a survivor of hurricanes and changing times in Rockport. Built in 1874 by architect Viggo Kohler for the John Hynes family, this longleaf pine home showcases classical…

You're driving through Rockport, and just ahead is the Mathis House, built in 1868 by John M. Mathis, the man who platted this town and served as its very first mayor. He lived here with his family until 1880, when he…

You're driving past the Baylor-Norvell House, built around 1868 by Dr. John W. Baylor. He wasn't just a doctor; Dr. Baylor was a mover and shaker in Aransas County. He ran a meat packing business, raised cattle, and…

On the night of August 25, 2017, Rockport was ground zero. After rapidly intensifying in the Gulf, Hurricane Harvey slammed into the coast right here, its eyewall grinding over the town with 130-mile-per-hour winds. The…

Just a short drive from here, in the community of Lamar, stands a true Texas legend: the Big Tree. It’s a coastal live oak, and its size is staggering—a trunk over 11 feet in diameter and a crown that spreads nearly 90…

Every winter, Rockport becomes the gateway to one of the world’s great wildlife spectacles. Just north of here, at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, the planet's last wild flock of whooping cranes arrives to spend…

The annual return of whooping cranes to the Rockport area is an ecological marvel and a triumph of conservation science. The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge isn't just a random stop; it provides a precise habitat these…

Rockport is more than just a pretty face on Aransas Bay. Sure, there's that artistic vibe that settles over you like the Gulf breeze, and those live oaks that stand defiant even after the worst storms. But there's a…

Why are there so many galleries in a small fishing town? Because for nearly eighty years artists have been captivated by Rockport. It started in the late 1940s, when professional painters found the area's particular…

Rockport itself wasn't here during the Civil War — the first packing houses went up in 1865, after the shooting stopped. But the war was fought within sight of where you're standing. The Union Navy blockaded this coast…

You're driving past the Moore House, a beautiful Craftsman bungalow built in 1906. It was home to J. Ed and Josephine Kennedy Moore. Josephine passed away young in 1915, but J. Ed went on to serve Rockport as mayor for…

You're driving past the Sorenson-Stair Building in Rockport. Simon Sorenson, originally from Denmark, bought this spot in 1886. The original building burned in 1895, but was rebuilt. For years, the Sorensons kept this…

You're driving past the site of the First Methodist Church of Rockport. Methodists have been active in Rockport since about 1870, with Rev. H. G. Horton serving as pastor in 1872. The original church building, built at…

You're driving past the site of the grand Aransas Hotel, built right here in 1889 by John H. Traylor. This wasn't just a place to sleep; it was a destination! Imagine a three-story palace with a hundred rooms, a dining…

You're driving through Rockport, and right about now, you're passing through a place that completely changed this town's fortunes. Before 1888, Rockport was all about Gulf shipping. But then, the San Antonio and Aransas…

You're driving past Rockport, home to a newspaper that's been the voice of Aransas County for over a century. It all started back in 1868 with 'The Vaquero,' published in St. Mary's. Just a year later, the publisher…

You're driving past Rockport, a town that's been fighting fires for over a century. Back in 1885, businessman Sam Smith donated the city's first firefighting equipment – a horse-drawn wagon with chemical tanks. W.S.…

You're driving past the former home of Richard Henry Wood, a true Rockport pioneer. In 1866, he helped build the town's first cattle pens, warehouse, and wharf, kicking off major industry here. Wood also served as Mayor…

You're driving past Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rockport. While priests visited the area as early as 1838, the first Mass in town was held in 1860. The first church building, erected in 1889, was destroyed by a…

You're driving past Rockport Harbor, where the Rockport Marine Lab got its start in 1935. It wasn't on land, though – it was a research station set up on a houseboat named the 'Vivian'! Its mission was to help Texas…

You're driving past Fulton, Texas, a town whose identity is tied to the sea. Back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1906</say-as>, Roy Jackson opened his fish company right here on the waterfront. His brother…

You're driving through Aransas County, the second smallest county in Texas! It was carved out of Refugio County way back in 1871. This coastal strip is home to three Gulf bays: Copano, St. Charles, and Aransas. Long…

You're driving through Rockport, and right here is the Woman's Club building. Back in 1948, a call went out to form a Civic Club, and one of their big goals was a permanent home. Later that year, they found their…

You're driving through Rockport, and to your right, you might see the Bracht House. Built sometime between 1898 and 1902, this Prairie-style home belonged to Adolph L. Bracht. He was a major player in the local economy,…

You're driving through Rockport, and right here is the site of St. Peter's Episcopal Church. Its story began way back on November 30, 1871, when the Bishop of the Diocese of Texas himself officiated the dedication. For…

You're driving past the Rockport School, a building that's been the heart of this community for decades. It was built in 1935, a New Deal project during the Great Depression, funded by federal money and local bonds.…

You're driving past the Fulton-Bruhl House, built around 1868. It was purchased in 1872 by James C. Fulton, a major business and civic leader in early Rockport. He sold it in 1907 to his son-in-law, Albert L. Bruhl, who…

You're driving past the Hoopes-Smith House in Rockport, a beautiful example of Late Victorian Queen Anne architecture. Local businessman James M. Hoopes had this home built between 1890 and 1892. Just a couple of years…

You're driving past the site of the First Presbyterian Church of Rockport. This congregation started in 1869, deactivated, and then reorganized in 1889. They built their first church around 1906, and moved to this…

You're driving through Rockport, and right here is the site of the First National Bank. Chartered way back in 1890 as the First National Bank of Aransas Pass, it was organized by some of the biggest names in town,…

You're driving past the Wood-Jackson House in Rockport, a beautiful example of Queen Anne architecture. It was built in 1910 by T.R. Wood, who worked on his father's cattle ranch on San Jose Island. Later, the home was…

You're cruising through Rockport, and just ahead is a house that's seen some history. Built around 1910, this two-story Colonial Revival started as a boarding house for shipyard workers. But it also opened its doors to…

You're cruising past the Smith-Brundrett House, built way back in 1903 in old Rockport. This early Craftsman bungalow, surrounded by giant oaks, has seen some history. In 1920, W.H. Smith, a descendant of Refugio…

You're driving past the Baldwin-Brundrett House in Rockport. This home, built in the 1880s and showcasing the Texas coastal adaptation of Queen Anne style, has seen some history. In the 1890s, it was home to Aransas…

You're driving past Rockport, a town that grew from cattle country to a coastal hub. Founded by the Mathis brothers in 1867, it quickly became the county seat. Shipping and fishing were key early on, but the railroad’s…

You're driving through Aransas County, formed way back in 1871 from its neighbor, Refugio County. Rockport was named the county seat that same year. The county itself got its name from the Aranzazu River, originally…

Created September 18, 1871 from Refugio County; Organized in 1871 with Rockport as the county seat Named for the river Nuestra Senora de Aranzazu

You're driving through Ingleside, where education started way back in the 1850s. The Bay Seminary opened in 1854, but closed by 1860. Then came Ingleside College in 1857, with room for 30 boarding students, but its…

You're driving through Rockport, home of Connie Hagar, a self-taught birding legend. Born Conger Neblett in 1886, she was a musician by training, but her passion for birds led her to volunteer with the U.S. Biological…

You're driving past the site of the First Baptist Church of Rockport. Organized in 1873, its first building was destroyed by the hurricane of 1919. The congregation rebuilt at a new location the following year and has…

If you're near the water, take a look at the marina and the houses along the coast. Many of them are new, or look newly repaired, and there's a reason for that. On the night of August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey came…

For decades Ingleside on the Bay was a place, not a city. The Corps of Engineers cut the La Quinta Channel through Ingleside Point in 1954, and the little bayside settlement on the far side of it grew up unincorporated,…

You're driving along the Texas coast, maybe near Rockport, and you might just be passing the sanctuary named for the legendary "Texas Bird Lady," Conger Neblett Hagar. Born in Corsicana in 1886, Connie Hagar could have…

You're driving near Rockport, a town that owes much of its early success to a man named Thomas Henry Mathis. He arrived in Southwest Texas in 1859, a tobacco merchant with big ideas. During the Civil War, he cleverly…

You're driving through Rockport, Texas, the birthplace of Ernesto Caceres, a jazz musician who rose from the Texas coast to play with the biggest names in music. Born in 1911, Caceres studied clarinet early and was…

You're driving through South Texas, near Rockport, where one of the biggest cattle empires in the state once operated. In 1858, Thomas Coleman helped form the Star Cattle Company, driving herds all the way to Chicago.…

You're driving through South Texas, and right here, in 1871, five entrepreneurs pooled their fortunes to create one of the largest cattle empires the state had ever seen. Led by Colonel George Ware Fulton, they formed…

You're driving along the Texas coast, maybe near Rockport or Fulton, and right here, between 1840 and 1880, was the heart of a massive hide and tallow trade. After the Mexican War, cattle and horses ran wild, and while…

You're driving through Rockport, a town that owes its very existence to the cattle industry right after the Civil War. Imagine this: back in 1865, William Hall built the first slaughterhouses, and by 1866, cattle pens…

You're driving through Rockport, Texas, a place that owes a lot to a teacher named Henry Nold II. Back in 1856, Nold and his family arrived here and opened Nold's Academy, a boarding school that also went by the name…

You're driving through San Patricio County, near Rockport, where George Ware Fulton, Jr. made his mark. Born in Pennsylvania, he graduated from Harvard Law, but returned to Texas in 1879, settling near his parents in…

You're driving past the McLester Family Cemetery, a resting place for descendants for over a century. Charles McLester, an engineer, and his wife Eliza inherited this land in 1903. Their thirteen-year-old son, Bennie…

Key Allegro, nestled right there on Aransas Bay, isn’t some ancient settlement, but its story is still tied to the ebb and flow of the Texas coast. It began as mostly undeveloped land, part of the larger sweep of…

You're driving past Rockport Cemetery, a place that's served this community for over a hundred years. The oldest marked grave here belongs to Emma Fulton, who died way back in 1876. She was the granddaughter of George…

You're driving past Frandolig Island, once known as Nine Mile Point. Back in the late 1860s, this island was home to the Cushman Meat Packing Company. When they left around 1878, a man named Franz Joseph Frandolig…

You're driving through San Patricio County, passing the historic Rincon Ranch. Back in the 1850s, Youngs and Thomas Coleman started building a massive south Texas ranching empire right here. By 1871, they joined forces…

You're driving past the Fulton Mansion, a grand statement built between 1874 and 1877 by George and Harriet Fulton. Named 'Oakhurst,' this three-story home is a prime example of French Second Empire style, with its…

You're driving past the site of the home of George W. Fulton, a man who truly shaped this part of Texas. Born in Philadelphia in 1810, Fulton served in the Texan Army in 1836, right at the heart of our fight for…

You're driving past Fulton, a town born on the shores of Aransas Bay. It all started in 1867 when George Ware Fulton founded this place, tying its fortunes to the fishing and shipping industries. Imagine a one-room…

You're driving past Fulton, where a massive brush fire in 1947 wiped out homes and live oaks. Just months later, fifteen determined citizens formed the Fulton Volunteer Fire Department. They started with a donated truck…

You're driving past the site of the Casterline Fish Company, a Fulton institution for decades. Founded in the 1930s, this fish house started by sourcing, icing, and shipping local catches. By the 1950s, they were mostly…

You're driving past the site of the Marion Packing Company, a relic from a booming era in Texas history. Back in the 1860s and 70s, this area was packed with meat processing plants, all thanks to the massive herds of…

You're driving past the site of the Fulton Community Church. Although residents once had to travel to Rockport for services, Frank Walker organized a church here in 1943. A sanctuary was erected the next year, and the…

For more than sixty years the identity of Gregory was tied to a fine, reddish-brown dust. In 1953 the Reynolds Metals Company opened its massive Sherwin alumina plant just south of town, and it was a game-changer — the…

For the first half of the 20th century, Gregory was its own town with its own identity, right down to its high school sports team, the Gregory Hornets. Just down the road, the town of Portland had their team, too. They…

In 1944, the city of Gregory served as the backdrop for the film 'Raggedy Man,' starring Sissy Spacek. She played the role of the town's telephone operator, capturing a moment in the city's history. Additionally,…

You're driving past Fulton Cemetery, a community graveyard set aside when the town of Fulton was platted back in 1868. The earliest burial here was a child, Louis L. I. Greenough, but the large number of children's…

You're driving through Gregory, a town founded in 1887. Formal education started here in 1891 with a one-room schoolhouse. Over the years, it grew into a two-room school, then a brick building, and eventually merged…

You're driving through Gregory, the heart of the vast Taft Ranch. Look for the site of La Quinta Mansion, built in 1906 by ranch manager Joseph French Green for his bride. This twelve-bedroom palace, once called the…

You're driving through San Patricio County, maybe near Gregory, and you're passing through a place that was once the heart of a Texas cattle empire. This was the Rincon Ranch, established in the early 1850s by Youngs…

You're driving through Gregory, Texas, a town born from a railroad deal and a powerful friendship. Right here, in 1887, the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company and the railroad agreed to build a town called Corpus Christi…

You're driving through San Patricio County, and right here is the legacy of George Ware Fulton, Sr. He arrived in Texas in 1837, aiming to fight in the Revolution, but missed the big battle. Still, he earned land and…

You're driving through Gregory, a town born from the railroad boom. It all started in 1886 when the San Antonio and Aransas Pass railroad laid tracks through San Patricio County. This spot, known as Corpus Christi…

You're driving along Aransas Bay, just north of Rockport, and you're passing through Fulton. This community was founded way back in 1866 by George Ware Fulton, Sr. He envisioned this place as a hub for the booming…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, where right here, in a humble elementary school classroom, a movement was born. It was March 26, 1948. Dr. Hector P. Garcia, a World War II veteran and physician, along with other…

You're driving through South Texas, near where Zachary "Old Rough and Ready" Taylor kicked off a war. In 1845, he set up camp right here near Corpus Christi, amassing nearly half the U.S. Army. The next spring, he moved…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, the birthplace of a Texas legend! Back on August 8, 1950, Harmon Dobson opened the very first Whataburger right here. He wanted a burger so big it took two hands to hold, and so…

On March 26, 1948, 700 Mexican-American veterans, led by Hector P. Garcia, met in Corpus Christi and organized the American G.I. Forum, a civil-rights organization devoted to securing equal rights for Hispanic…

The League of United Latin American Citizens, originally called the United Latin American Citizens, is the oldest and largest continually active Latino political association in the United States and was the first…

You're driving through South Texas, and right here, in the communities you're passing, Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Butt made a massive difference. Born in 1903 near Loma Vista, she wasn't content with just living a quiet…

Right here in Texas, you're driving past the hometown of Warren Gamaliel Harding Crecy, a soldier who earned the nickname 'Iron Man' during World War II. Born in Corpus Christi, Crecy was part of the famed 761st Tank…

You're driving near Corpus Christi, and right here on September 12th, 1845, a tragedy unfolded on the waters of the bay. The steamship Dayton, carrying soldiers and supplies for General Zachary Taylor's army, was…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here is a place that owes its name to a man who helped forge a powerful voice for Mexican Americans. Bernardo F. Garza, born in 1892, was a businessman who, after working…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, Texas, the birthplace of Terrance Collinson Graves. He was a young Marine lieutenant in Vietnam, leading a dangerous reconnaissance patrol in 1968. When his platoon came under…

You're driving past Corpus Christi, and right here, the devastating 1919 hurricane left its mark. On September 14th, a storm of unimaginable fury slammed into the coast. Robert Reid Hall, a man who would later serve as…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, home to one of the most enduring polka bands in Texas: the Leo Majek Orchestra. Founded way back in 1897 by Leo Majek, Sr., in what is now the Czech Republic, the orchestra has…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here, Gabe Lozano Sr. made history. Born in 1909, he wasn't just a businessman distributing beer; he was a pioneer in broadcasting. In 1951, Lozano became one of the…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, a city built in part by the vision of Vicente Lozano. Born in Mexico in 1879, his family moved here when it was just a village. Lozano started with nothing, working docks and odd…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, a city that owes a lot to the power of the press. Right here, Eulalio Marin founded El Paladín in 1925, a Spanish-language newspaper that became a vital voice for the…

You're driving past Corpus Christi, and right here, you're seeing the legacy of Roy Miller. He was just 29 when he became mayor in 1911, nicknamed the 'boy mayor.' Under his leadership, this city got its first trolley…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here is where Dr. Arthur Edward Spohn made medical history. In 1891, he performed the very first Porro-Caesarian delivery for osteomalacia in the United States. Imagine…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, a city forever changed by the vision of Ada Laverne Rogers Wilson. In 1938, inspired by a physical therapist's work with disabled children, Wilson poured her own funds into a…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, a city that owes a lot to the vision of Eddie Naresis Sanders Bolden. In 1949, she took over the Robert L. Moore Community Center. Seeing a need, she expanded it to include a…

You're driving past Corpus Christi, a city with a name that means 'Body of Christ.' But this coastal spot almost didn't get its start. Back in 1749, fifty families set out to found a settlement here, but a drought and…

Rafael Galvan, Sr., police officer, Mexican-American civil rights activist, businessman, civic leader, and musician, was born on August 13, 1887, in Port Isabel, Texas. He was the son of Eduardo Galvan and Paula…

Jose Antonio Garcia, physician and civil-rights leader, was born on April 14, 1912, in Soldadito, Tamaulipas, Mexico, one of seven children of schoolteachers José G. García and Faustina Pérez. He graduated as…

Henry Boyd Hall, equal rights advocate, was born to Thomas Edward and Annie (Boyd) Hall at Palestine, Texas, in 1899. His father was a traveling minister from Tennessee. After graduating from the all-Black Lincoln High…

Lloyd Herbert Hughes, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient, was born in Alexandria, Louisiana, on July 12, 1921, the son of Lloyd Herbert Hughes, Sr., and Mildred Mae (Rainey) Hughes. Hughes's parents divorced sometime after…

Sidney Jay Sheinberg, filmmaker, movie studio and record company mogul, attorney, and civil rights advocate, the son of Harry Sheinberg and Tillie (Grossman) Sheinberg, was born on January 14, 1935, in Corpus Christi,…

Marguerite Rawalt, attorney, feminist, co-founder of the National Organization of Women, and the first woman president of the Federal Bar Association, was born in Prairie City, Illinois, on October 16, 1895, to Viola…

Anne Elisabeth "Lizzie" Britton Davis Smith, wife of Governor Edmund J. Davis , was born on March 1, 1838. She was the daughter of Forbes N. Britton, Jr. , an officer in the United States Army, and Rebecca Ann (Millard)…

You're driving through South Texas, and right here is a story of a man named Anton Felix von Blücher, a Prussian immigrant with a famous military namesake. He arrived in Texas in 1845, serving as an interpreter for…

You're driving along the Texas coast, maybe near Corpus Christi or Rockport, and you're listening to some hot jazz. Well, right here in this area, jazz violinist Emilio Caceres was born in 1897. Though little is known…

You're driving through South Texas, and right here is a part of the story of the Coastal Corporation. It all started in 1951, when Oscar S. Wyatt, Jr., launched a small natural gas business in Corpus Christi. Over the…

You're driving along the Texas coast, and right here is Corpus Christi Bay. This beautiful natural harbor is the reason this city exists. In 1845, General Zachary Taylor landed his troops on its shores, marking the…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here, the Corpus Christi Times was once the scene of a journalistic race against time. In January of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1923</say-as>, a Nueces County…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here is where John James Dix, Sr. made his mark. He was a man who'd already seen the world, fighting on privateers, sailing to Hawaii, and surviving a shipwreck in New…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, a city whose modern skyline was literally shaped by the man we're talking about: Joseph Roland Fulton. After serving in the Army and working for other firms, Fulton founded his own…

You're driving through Texas, maybe near Corpus Christi, and you might be surprised to learn this town owes its very existence to a land dispute sparked by a Galveston physician. Levi Jones, who arrived in Texas in…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, where a judge and his lawyer buddies found a unique way to serve their community. In 1994, Judge Carl Eric Lewis, a former Yale football player and advocate for children's rights,…

You're driving through South Texas, and right here, in Corpus Christi, a man named Henry Alonzo Maltby made a bold choice. He was mayor in 1857, but he resigned to join William Walker's filibuster army in Nicaragua,…

You're driving through South Texas, perhaps near Hidalgo County, where Gregorio Montoya made his mark. Born in Corpus Christi in 1917, Montoya was a teacher and a World War II veteran before entering politics. He was…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, a town that owes a lot to Benjamin Franklin Neal. He arrived in Texas in 1838 and quickly became a key figure. Neal was a lawyer, a newspaper publisher who even moved a printing…

You're driving through Nueces County, and right here in Corpus Christi, you're passing through the stomping grounds of Matthew Nolan. Born in Rhode Island in 1834, Nolan's life was pure Texas grit. He was a Mexican War…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here is where Domingo Peña became a household name. Born in Kingsville in 1917, Peña overcame a tough childhood and tuberculosis to become a media pioneer. In the…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, a city with a surprisingly brief, but dramatic, political moment. Nelson Plato, a Union officer who stayed after the Civil War, was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here is where John Marion Priour made his mark, though you might never have heard his name. Starting in 1878, Priour became a guide and collector for famous…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here is a place that owes a lot to Ella Dickinson Scott. In 1897, right in her home, the Woman's Monday Club was officially organized – the very first women's…

You're driving through Corpus Christi right now, home to the South Texas Music Walk of Fame. Established in 2004, this downtown attraction honors musical artists from the vast region between San Antonio and the border.…

You're cruising through Corpus Christi, and right here is where America's longest-running free music festival got its start. It's the Texas Jazz Festival, which kicked off back in May of 1960. What began as a concert at…

You're driving along the coast in Corpus Christi, and right here is the Texas State Aquarium. Established in 1978, this nonprofit organization took years of fundraising to bring to life. In 1985, the state declared it…

You're driving past Corpus Christi, and right here, back in 1918, a grand old hotel became a makeshift Army hospital. The Corpus Beach Hotel, closed and a bit run-down, was leased by the Army to care for convalescent…

You're driving through what was once a vast Spanish land grant, the Rincón del Oso, stretching across the shores of Corpus Christi Bay. This massive ranch, over 42,000 acres, belonged to Enrique Villarreal, a rancher…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, a city shaped by the civic power of its women, even before they could vote. Back in 1897, nine women founded the Woman's Monday Club, a literary society that quickly became a force…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here is where Antonio Encarnación Garcia made his mark as the "Michelangelo of South Texas." He came to Texas fleeing the Mexican Revolution, studied art in Chicago, and…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here, you're passing the site of a remarkable women's club that helped build this city's library system. The La Retama Club, founded in 1906 by daughters of an existing…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here is a story about the Littles-Martin House. Mary Belle Littles Martin was born in 1903, and her family worked for some of the most prominent families in South Texas,…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, the hometown of Oscar Martinez, a true Tejano Renaissance Man. Born in 1934, Martinez wasn't just a musician with his own orchestra, but also a visual artist, a radio personality,…

You're driving through the Texas coast, maybe near Corpus Christi. Right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1854</say-as>, Dr. George Franklin Turner, a U.S. Army surgeon, met a tragic end. He died of…

Cecilio Balerio, rancher and soldier, whose birthdate was recorded both as May 12, 1796, and as May 12, 1800, was born at or near Mier, Tamaulipas, Mexico, the son of Juana María Valero. He operated a small horse and…

Welder Brown was an elected official and community activist from Corpus Christi, Texas. He was born on September 5, 1917, in Bastrop County, Texas, to Walter and Lula (Ridge) Brown. As a family headed by a sharecropper,…

Charles Gus Glasscock, oilman, was born on December 16, 1895, in Leon County, Texas, the son of J. B. and Elizabeth (Armstrong) Glasscock. He attended public school at Longview and Blanco and Southwest Texas State…

Petra Vela de Vidal Kenedy, rancher and philanthropist, was born on June 29, 1825, in Mier, Mexico, to Gregorio and Josefa (Resendez) Vela. Her father was a provincial governor under Spain with jurisdiction over the…

Walter Timon, lawyer, judge, and legislator, was born on October 4, 1876, at Rock Ranch in San Patricio County to John and Ellen (Keating) Timon. His father, a rancher, sent Timon to private schools in Corpus Christi…

Louis Gonzalez Wilmot, businessman, civic activist, local operatic tenor, and cofounder of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), was born on February 20, 1897, and was a lifelong resident of Corpus…

You're driving through what is now Corpus Christi, and you're passing the birthplace of a powerful force in Mexican American activism. Back in 1956, the American G.I. Forum women formalized their support roles by…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, a city shaped by the vision of architect Richard Stewart Colley. He moved here in 1936 and quickly established his own practice, becoming a major force in the region's design…

You're driving through South Texas, a land that John James Dix, Jr. knew well. A surveyor by trade, Dix found himself mediating a tense standoff near La Grange in 1848. He was in charge of a massive freight train after…

You're driving near Corpus Christi, and right here is where Edwin Lawrence Harvin led Del Mar Junior College through a period of incredible growth. He took over in 1938 when the college was just three years old and…

You're driving through what used to be Collins, Texas, a place that was once home to Reuben Holbein. Born in London, England, Holbein immigrated to Texas in 1846, landing in Galveston before making his way to Corpus…

You're driving through South Texas, maybe near Corpus Christi, and right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1848</say-as>, a young West Point graduate named Nathaniel Michler arrived. He wasn't here for a…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, a city whose very existence owes a debt to ambitious entrepreneurs like John Marks Davenport Moore. Back in 1858, Moore's Alabama Coal and Mining Company provided the first steam…

You're driving near Corpus Christi, and right here is where John Bernard Murphy, an Irish immigrant, built a life across Texas. He arrived in the 1840s, served in the Mexican War, and then dove into business, trading in…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, the city that became the unlikely home for Bishop Paul Joseph Nussbaum. He arrived here in 1913, tasked with leading a brand new Catholic diocese. But his tenure was anything but…

You're driving through Texas, maybe near Corpus Christi, and you might be passing by a place tied to George Pfeuffer. He arrived in Texas with his family back in 1845, right after a shipwreck off the coast. After…

You're driving through Karnes County, and right here, in the area that became Helena, is where Charles Arden Russell made his mark. Born in New York, Russell first came to Texas in 1845, stationed in Corpus Christi.…

You're driving through South Texas, maybe heading towards Corpus Christi, and you're passing through Webb County. This area was named for James Webb, a man who had quite a career before landing here. He served in the…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here is where Dr. Hosea Allen White spent fifty years as an obstetrician. He arrived in the area around 1915, serving folks from Kingsville to Aransas Pass, often…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here, you're passing through the neighborhood where Alclair Vivian Mays Pleasant was born in 1906. Her story is woven into the fabric of this city, stretching back to her…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, a place that became home for Dr. Enrique Manuel Galán in 1967. A Cuban immigrant who fled the revolution, Galán served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserves right here. He and…

You're driving past Corpus Christi International Airport, and right here, you might have seen the Gault Hangar. Commissioned in 1961 by Gault Aviation, this wasn't just any building. It was a marvel of thin-shell…

You're driving through South Texas, perhaps near Corpus Christi, where a vibrant musical tradition is being kept alive. It's Tejano music, a fusion of cultures that got its start back in the early 1920s. In 2018, a…

You're driving near Corpus Christi, a city that became a hub for a transportation pioneer. Leonard Benjamin Brown, born in Beeville, started his first company in 1924, the Robstown Transportation and Storage Company. He…

You're driving through Corpus Christi, and right here is the Corpus Christi Museum. It started in 1956, not as a grand city institution, but as a junior museum created by local schoolteachers. Imagine that – teachers…

The land around Copano Village is defined by the bay. Copano Bay itself, shallow and rich with life, is the reason anyone settled here in the first place. For centuries, before there was a "Copano Village" as such, the…