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Corpus Christi, Texas

Everything Corpus Christi is known for

87 songs mention this city 81 artists from here

RoadyGoat plays music like this when you drive through Corpus Christi. It's free on iPhone, and full songs play through Apple Music.

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Corpus Christi, Texas, a coastal city known as the "Sparkling City by the Sea," has a notable musical identity. It is home to 85 artists and is mentioned in 53 songs. The city has been recognized as a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community.

Artists such as A.B. Quintanilla III Y Los Kumbia Kings, known for Latin music, and hip-hop artist Kevin Abstract hail from Corpus Christi. Songs like "Corpus Christi Bay" by Larry Joe Taylor and "Como La Flor" by Selena also highlight the city in their lyrics.

Music in Corpus Christi

Songs About Corpus Christi

Fun All Wrong
Roger Creager
90%
Corpus Christi Bay
Larry Joe Taylor
88%
Just Another Day on Padre
Larry Joe Taylor
85%
Meet Me Down in Corpus
Larry Joe Taylor
85%
Corpus Christi Bay
Robert Earl Keen
80%
"On the Corpus Christi bay"
Corpus Christi Wind
Terry McBride
80%
"Song about CorpusChristi"
Corpus Christi
The Ranch Road Band
80%
"Song about CorpusChristi"
Corpus Christi
PRETTYMUCH
80%
"Song about CorpusChristi"
Como La Flor
Selena
80%
"Como la flor con tanto amor"
Corpus Christi
Diamonds to Dust
80%
"Song about CorpusChristi"
Corpus Christi
Natasha Cutler, Thomas Drew, The Carice Singers & George Parris
80%
"Song about CorpusChristi"
Bidi Bidi Bom Bom
Selena
75%
"Bidi bidi bom bom"
Songs to the Bay
Caleb Sam Brown
60%
"south of Corpus"
The Way of the Fallen
Ray Wylie Hubbard
53%
"Down in Corpus Christi always around midnight"
South Texas Girl
Lyle Lovett
53%
"They said, "The name Corpus Christi means the body of Jesus"
Port A
Treaty Oak Revival
52%
"shores of Corpus Christi"
Tennessee Drinkin’
William Beckmann
51%
"that Corpus Christi summer stays on your skin"
Lone Star State Of Mind
Nanci Griffith
50%
"Corpus Christi seems so far away"
Dreaming of You
Selena
50%
No Me Queda Mas
Selena
50%

Showing top 20 of 87 songs · Hear more in the free iPhone app

Artists From Corpus Christi

T
The Bad Seeds
rock
A
A.B. Quintanilla
latin
A
A.B. Quintanilla III
latin
A
A.B. Quintanilla III Y Los Kumbia Kings
latin
J
Jeremy Jordan
other
L
Los Garcia Bros.
latin
E
Elida Reyna Y Avante
latin
P
Paula DeAnda
soul
U
Updog
indie
R
Roger Creager
country
G
GT Garza
hip-hop
A
Avante
latin
E
El Dusty
latin
D
Devastation
metal
A
Albert Zamora Y Talento
latin
C
Corpus
other
G
Grupo Vida
latin
L
Loaded
rock
L
Louise Mandrell
country
C
Clarissa Serna
latin

Showing top 20 of 81 artists · Hear more in the free iPhone app

Rivers & Roads in Song near Corpus Christi

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Corpus Christi.

Nueces River 3 songs

Musical Heritage

Selena Museum RoadyGoat

1998

On Leopard Street, on the northwest edge of Corpus Christi, five dollars gets you into the room where the Queen of Tejano made her last music. The Selena Museum opened in 1998, in the building that held her recording studio. She only used it from December of 1994 until her death — most of her earlier records were cut in Los Angeles — but she laid down five songs here, and the very last one was "Dreaming of You." Walk the purple-carpeted lobby and you'll find her Fabergé-style eggs, her childhood dolls, the awards, and stacks of sympathy letters written to her father. Out front sits her red 1986 Porsche 911 Targa. Her stage outfits stand in full-size glass cases, waiting, like she might be back for the next show.

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Selena's death and the Corpus Christi seawall statue RoadyGoat

On the seawall at Corpus Christi Bay, there's a bronze statue of a young woman, and people leave flowers at her feet all year. Selena. She was twenty-three. In March of 1995, the person who ran her own fan club — its founder and president — shot and killed her in a room at a Days Inn, not far from where her museum stands today. That's the wound this city carries. But it's not the whole of her. "Como la Flor," off her 1992 album "Entre a Mi Mundo," was already a signature; "Amor Prohibido," her fourth record, put her over the top. She was building something enormous when it stopped. So Corpus keeps her out on the water, facing the bay, flowers at her feet — the way you keep somebody who was never supposed to leave this soon.

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History of Corpus Christi

USS Lexington RoadyGoat

Berthed at Corpus Christi is an aircraft carrier that fought clear across the Pacific in World War Two — the USS Lexington, a floating museum now. The enemy called her the Blue Ghost, and they earned the name the hard way: Tokyo Rose kept announcing the ship sunk, and she kept steaming back into view. A kamikaze hit her in 1944; something like three hundred seventy men died aboard over the course of the war. So maybe it fits that the ship's got a resident spirit. They call him Charlie — a sailor in an old-fashioned uniform who'll guide you straight through the engine room, talk the machinery like an expert, then turn up on no crew roster anywhere. People report dragging chains, elevators moving with nobody aboard, shadowy figures down in the hangar bays. Want to hunt for Charlie yourself? An overnight investigation runs seventy-five dollars — after hours, doors locked behind you.

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Corpus Christi, TX RoadyGoat

The Battle of Corpus Christi, fought between August 12 and August 18, 1862, during the American Civil War, was a notable event in the city's history. United States Navy forces blockading Texas engaged in a small land and sea battle with Confederate forces in and around Corpus Christi Bay, ultimately defeating Confederate States Navy ships operating in the area.

RoadyGoat →

Corpus Christi, TX RoadyGoat

Corpus Christi wouldn’t be what it is without the sea. It’s not just that laid-back coastal charm you feel in the air, but the very foundation of the city’s economy. The deepwater port, naturally sheltered by the bay, is what allows Corpus Christi to thrive as a major hub for the energy industry. You’ll see oil tankers and rigs as much as sailboats out on the water. It started small, of course, after the town was founded in 1839. But the port’s strategic location on the Gulf Coast, along with the discovery of oil inland, really set things in motion. That combination made Corpus Christi a natural place for refineries and processing plants. Then, the naval air station was established, recognizing the strategic importance of the location. The port provided a vital link for shipping goods and materials during wartime. All this activity created a strong demand for skilled labor, which in turn fueled the growth of the city. The sea defines Corpus Christi, not only in its beauty but also in its purpose. Even with devastating events like the 1919 hurricane, the city always rebuilds, its fate tied to the rhythm of the tides and the promise of the deepwater channel.

Selena Memorial - Mirador de la Flor

1971

Memorial to Selena Quintanilla-Perez, the Queen of Tejano Music, who was born and raised in Corpus Christi before her murder in 1995 at age 23.

LULAC Founding - Corpus Christi

1929

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States, was founded in Corpus Christi on February 17, 1929.

Historical Marker →

LULAC

1929

One of the most influential American political groups of the twentieth century, the League of United Latin American Citizens was founded in Corpus Christi. The formation of LULAC resulted from the merger of three groups: the Order of Sons of America (Corpus Christi); the Knights of America (San Antonio); and the Latin American Citizens League of the Rio Grande Valley. The organizational meeting was held in Obreros Hall, at this site, on Feb. 17, 1929, with 25 delegates and 125 observers. Local businessman Ben Garza was the chairman. At the first general convention in Corpus Christi in May 1929, he was elected president. Andres de Luna was secretary and Louis Wilmot, treasurer. The LULAC organization has been a pioneer in the development of social and educational programs for Hispanic-Americans. Special projects have included assistance for the elderly and needy, adult basic education classes, prisoner rehabilitation, job training, preschool programs, and sponsorship of housing projects and youth organizations. Now a nationwide organization, LULAC continues to be a leader in the development of programs for the betterment of the Hispanic-American community.

Historical Marker →

King Ranch

1852

The 825,000-acre King Ranch covers nearly 1,300 square miles, an area larger than the entire state of Rhode Island, on four separate Divisions of land known as Santa Gertrudis, Laureles, Norias, and Encino. These four Divisions are located in six South Texas counties: Brooks, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, and Willacy. The Ranch had its beginning in 1852, when Richard King and Gideon K. Lewis set up a cattle camp on Santa Gertrudis Creek in South Texas. Formal purchase began in 1853, when they bought a Spanish land grant, Rincón de Santa Gertrudis, of 15,500 acres on Santa Gertrudis Creek in Nueces County. A short time later they purchased the Mexican land grant, Santa Gertrudis de la Garza grant, of 53,000 acres. During the mid-1850s, as partners, King and Lewis acquired more landholdings around the area of the creek. After Lewis died in April 1855, King acquired Lewis's half interest in the Rincón grant at a public sale. On December 5, 1860, Mifflin Kenedy , with whom King had been associated in a steam boating business, bought an interest in the Ranch. At that time all titles were put under the business name R. King and Company. King and Kenedy dissolved their partnership in 1868, and King retained Santa Gertrudis. That same year King fenced in a tract of his ranch that surrounded the Santa Gertrudis headquarters. During the rest of his life, King would purchase sixty additional pieces of land and amass vast land holdings throughout South Texas. During the early days of the Ranch, King tried a variety of grazing animals including cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. His first officially recorded brand was the HK, in 1859. The now-famous Running W appeared in the 1860s and was registered on February 9, 1869, as the official brand for King Ranch—a mark that is still used today. To aid in the running of the Ranch, King brought approximately 100 men, women, and children he encountered on a cattle buying trip in Mexico to help tend his herds. From the beginning, these people have been known as los Kineños , or “King’s men.” Shortly after Captain King’s death on April 14, 1885, his wife, Henrietta, retained the Ranch’s legal adviser and her future son-in-law, Robert Justus Kleberg, Sr., [II] , as manager. Kleberg married the Kings’ youngest daughter, Alice, the next year. One of the greatest contributions to the management of the Ranch and to the Texas cattle industry as a whole was his work in tick eradication ( see TEXAS FEVER ). Because of his father’s fading health, Robert Justus Kleberg, Jr. [III] , became Ranch manager in 1918. Under the terms of Henrietta Chamberlain King ’s will, the Ranch was incorporated with the Kleberg descendants as its stockholders. The foundation stock of King Ranch was the Longhorn ; many head were bought in Mexico. In 1872 King bought several Brahman bulls. In the 1880s Shorthorns and Herefords were brought to the Ranch. Brahmans, which were especially adapted to the South Texas climate, were crossbred with the Shorthorns to produce the famous Santa Gertrudis cattle , officially recognized as a breed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1940. During the first part of the twentieth century, King Ranch became a diversified enterprise. While continuing to develop its cattle activities, centered on the Santa Gertrudis breed, the Ranch began to both breed and race quarter horses and thoroughbreds and began oil and gas production. The pinnacle of the Ranch’s thoroughbred operation was Assault winning the Triple Crown in 1946. Four years later, in 1950, Middleground won both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. The Ranch also expanded its cattle operation for a time to include property in four U.S. states (Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Mississippi) and seven foreign countries (Cuba, Australia, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Spain, and Morocco). During the early twentieth century, King Ranch developed many environmental stewardship practices and a strong commitment to wildlife conservation

Tsha Handbook → · 8.4 mi away

Santa Petronila Ranch

1762

Santa Petronila was the first Spanish settlement in what is now Nueces County, Texas. It was established in 1762 by Capt. Blás María de la Garza Falcón , founder of Camargo, Nuevo Santander, Mexico. After Governor José de Escandón of Nuevo Santander made two unsuccessful attempts to establish Vedoya, a town on the Nueces River, he commissioned Garza Falcón to found a settlement on the Nueces. Garza Falcón located his ranch five leagues southwest of the bay at the mouth of the Nueces River on Petronila Creek in the vicinity of present Chapman Ranch, due south of the site of future Corpus Christi. He not only brought his family, friends, and servants to Santa Petronila with their belongings and farming and ranching tools, but also brought cattle, horses, mules, sheep, and goats, thus establishing the first ranching and farming industry in Nueces County. By May 2, 1766, Escandón reported to the viceroy of New Spain that a number of settlers were living at Santa Petronila who planted corn and tended to their herds of horses, cattle, and sheep. The ranch was established as an outpost and way station for travelers between the provinces of Nuevo Santander and the missions of East Texas and served as headquarters for expeditions of soldiers who patrolled Isla Blanca (Padre Island), Mustang Island, and St. Joseph's Island searching for settlements by English or French soldiers. In 1766, using Santa Petronila as a base, Lt. José Antonio de la Garza Falcón , son of the ranch founder, was assigned by Escandón to explore the Gulf Coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Corpus Christi Bay with twenty-five soldiers looking for evidence of foreign intrusion. In the same year, Col. Diego Ortiz Parrilla was commissioned by the viceroy of New Spain to explore the islands along the lower Texas coast, and he too made Santa Petronila Ranch his headquarters. Other settlers from the Rio Grande villas settled near the Santa Petronila Ranch and acquired Spanish and later Mexican land grants. The livestock brought by the ranchers who settled along the Nueces were allowed to roam and soon became wild, forming large herds of longhorns and mustangs that were abandoned due to the Mexican War of Independence , Indian raids, the Texas Revolution , and subsequent disturbances. The Santa Petronila Ranch was acquired as a part of the Chiltipin land grant in 1835 by Blás María de la Garza Falcón (1803–72), the great-grandson of the captain.

Tsha Handbook → · 8.4 mi away

Portland, TX (San Patricio County)

1891

Portland is on a bluff overlooking Nueces Bay in southeastern San Patricio County. The town was the dream of John G. Willacy , who merged the New England Land Company of Portland, Maine, the New England Real Estate Company, and the Portland Harbor and Improvement Company of Wichita, Kansas, into a working unit and purchased 1,920 acres of land from the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company in 1891. A twenty-room hotel was built to prepare for the sale of lots that took place in July 1891. The steamer Mascot was chartered to bring customers from Corpus Christi across the bay, and the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway ran special trains to accommodate the crowds. Lots worth more than $48,000 were sold during the first two days, and the Cleopatra was chartered to bring guests to a dance in the new hotel. By 1892 the population had reached 500. W. A. McHarry, with Darius C. Rachal , Sidney G. Borden , and George Kleespies, formed a forwarding company that built a 1,200-foot wharf. A post office was authorized on March 9, 1891, with Walter Willett as the first postmaster. Business was brisk until the panic of 1893 caused the boom to disappear almost overnight. Thomas M. Clark , hearing about the vacant hotel, approached the owners and managed to buy the property to start Bay View College, which operated until it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1916. In 1911 Willacy organized the Portland Development Company and negotiated with the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company for land it had repossessed. This time the company voted $10,000 to improve Portland and adjacent land. Earlier that year they had authorized $28,000 to build a wharf with railroad facilities to take care of the company's expanding cotton business. Coleman-Fulton also piped water from a discovery well in Taft to Portland, which had no water supply of its own. Portland prospered until it was hit by hurricanes in 1916 and again in 1919. After the boom in 1910 the population grew to over 500, but it dropped by 1925 to 300, where it held steady until the 1940s, when it reached 1,200. The city was incorporated in 1949 with Daniel Moore as mayor. In 1952 the Reynolds Metals Company broke ground for an industrial complex on land purchased from the heirs of the Green estate. Afterward, growth was steady. An aldermanic government was approved by voters in 1962. During the early years Portland was a rail shipping center for vegetables, and for a short time it had wharf facilities that handled cotton. The irrigation of the Rio Grande valley curtailed the vegetable business, and the hurricanes put an end to dreams of a port. In the 1960s and 1970s Portland grew primarily as a bedroom community for Corpus Christi. In 1988 its population was estimated at 12,000. In 1990 Portland had a population of 12,224 and had grown into Nueces County. The population was 14,827 in 2000.

Tsha Handbook → · 7.3 mi away

Things to Do in Corpus Christi

historical 0.4 mi away
Mirador de la Flor

Selena Quintanilla was twenty-three and about to cross over to English-language pop stardom when her fan club president shot her at a Corpus Christi motel on…
food 2.7 mi away
Whataburger Number One

Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger at Ayers and Staples in Corpus Christi on August 8 1950. He wanted to sell a burger so big you had to hold it with…
spooky 13.8 mi away
The Ghost of Chipita Rodriguez

In 1863 Chipita Rodriguez was hanged for murder in San Patricio on almost no evidence — likely the real killer was a man. She cursed the town from the gallows.…
nature 15.5 mi away
Mustang Island

18 miles of undeveloped Gulf beach. Less crowded than Galveston and twice as pretty.
day trip
Day Trip to Corpus Christi Take 2: 🐬 Dolphins, Beaches, and Barbacoa! (FULL EPISODE)

Featured on The Daytripper — a full-episode local travel guide.

Sports in Corpus Christi

🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 4A Division I · Baseball · 2026

Calallen Wildcats — 2026 UIL Class 4A Division I State Champions

def. Texarkana Pleasant Grove 5–3 · Dell Diamond, Round Rock · June 5, 2026

On the northwest edge of Corpus Christi, Calallen baseball is a dynasty that finally added a fourth crown. The top-ranked Wildcats held off Texarkana Pleasant Grove 5–3 at Dell Diamond to win the 2026 Class 4A Division I state championship — ending a 17-year title drought and, with the Wildcat softball team also winning state, putting Calallen in position to be the first Coastal Bend school to claim baseball and softball titles in the same spring.

Junior Drayton Mitchell was the tournament MVP, and he earned it: six strikeouts over 5.1 innings on the mound and a 2-for-4 day at the plate, capping a postseason in which he led all of Texas with five home runs and 20 hits. Chase Lynch delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the fifth, and reliever Cody Andrade nailed it down with five strikeouts over the final 1.2 innings.

Final
Calallen 5, Pleasant Grove 3
Title
4th in program history
MVP
Drayton Mitchell
Note
Ended a 17-year drought
Key Players
  • Drayton Mitchell — Tournament MVP — 5.1 IP, 6 K; 2-for-4; led TX with 5 HR & 20 hits in the playoffs
  • Chase Lynch — Go-ahead RBI single in the fifth
  • Cody Andrade — 5 K over the final 1.2 innings to close
The moment

Tied late, Chase Lynch's fifth-inning RBI single put the Wildcats ahead for good on the way to a 5–3 title.

Sources: KRIS-TV · SI / Texas HS
⭐ HOMETOWN LEGENDS Class 4A · Baseball

Calallen Willie the Wildcats — Calallen — a college & pro athletic pipeline

3 alumni who reached major-college or pro sports

Calallen High School, a proud part of the Corpus Christi community, has seen a number of its athletic alumni go on to compete at significant levels. These former Wildcats have represented their hometown on some of the biggest stages in sports. Their journeys from the fields and diamonds of Calallen to major college and professional teams highlight the athletic spirit fostered within the school.

Among those who have achieved this are Dustin Vaughan, who played quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, and Logan Verrett, a baseball pitcher for the New York Mets. Rob Zastryzny also went on to pitch in professional baseball, playing for the Chicago Cubs. These individuals exemplify the reach of Calallen athletics.

Pro/D1 alumni
3
Class
4A
Key Players
  • Dustin Vaughan — , quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens
  • Logan Verrett — , baseball pitcher for the New York Mets
  • Rob Zastryzny — , baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs
The moment

Dustin Vaughan played quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens.

Sources: Wikipedia · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)

Everything Near Corpus Christi

353 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the nearest 200 are listed here — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

  • Selena Memorial - Mirador de la Flor · Historical Marker

    Memorial to Selena Quintanilla-Perez, the Queen of Tejano Music, who was born and raised in Corpus Christi before her murder in 1995 at age 23.

  • LULAC Founding - Corpus Christi · Historical Marker

    The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States, was founded in Corpus Christi on February 17, 1929.

  • Selena Museum

    On Leopard Street, on the northwest edge of Corpus Christi, five dollars gets you into the room where the Queen of Tejano made her last music. The Selena Museum opened in 1998, in the building that held her recording…

  • Selena's death and the Corpus Christi seawall statue

    On the seawall at Corpus Christi Bay, there's a bronze statue of a young woman, and people leave flowers at her feet all year. Selena. She was twenty-three. In March of 1995, the person who ran her own fan club — its…

  • USS Lexington

    Berthed at Corpus Christi is an aircraft carrier that fought clear across the Pacific in World War Two — the USS Lexington, a floating museum now. The enemy called her the Blue Ghost, and they earned the name the hard…

  • Corpus Christi, TX

    The Battle of Corpus Christi, fought between August 12 and August 18, 1862, during the American Civil War, was a notable event in the city's history. United States Navy forces blockading Texas engaged in a small land…

  • The South Texas Weekend Barbacoa Ritual · Cultural Tradition

    In South Texas, weekend mornings belong to barbacoa. Saturdays and Sundays, the line forms before the sun is fully up — at meat markets, taquerias, and family-run carnicerias from the Rio Grande Valley up through…

  • Artesian Park & Sulphur Well · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Corpus Christi, and you're passing the site of a historic park and a very special well. Back in 1845, General Zachary Taylor set up camp here with 4,000 U.S. troops, including three future…

  • Guaranty Title Company · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Corpus Christi, where the story of land ownership in Southwest Texas took a crucial turn. After the vast ranches were broken up in the early 1900s, sorting out land titles, many stemming from old…

  • Nueces County Courthouse of 1914 · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Corpus Christi's 1914 courthouse, a grand, neoclassical structure that cost a quarter-million dollars. Its architect also designed the International and Great Northern Railroad station in…

  • Corpus Christi Caller-Times · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the birthplace of a Corpus Christi institution: the Caller-Times newspaper. Its story began way back on January 21, 1883, with the first issue of the 'Caller.' Over the years, it merged with other…

  • Old Bayview Cemetery · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Old Bayview Cemetery, the oldest federal military cemetery in Texas. It was laid out by U.S. Army engineers back in 1845, right before the Mexican War. In fact, the very first burials here were…

Show all 200 nearby places
  • Solomon Coles (1844-1924) and Solomon Coles School · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Corpus Christi, passing the site of the Solomon M. Coles Elementary School. Coles himself was an incredible figure, born into slavery in Virginia. Against all odds, a sheriff secretly taught him…

  • Corpus Christi Lighthouse, Site of · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising past the site of the old Corpus Christi Lighthouse! Back in the late 1850s, this spot was chosen for a beacon to guide ships into a new harbor. But war changed everything. During the Civil War,…

  • Parker, Thomas S. · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the burial site of Thomas S. Parker, a man who helped build Corpus Christi from the ground up. Born in Philadelphia in 1817, Parker arrived in Texas at twenty and soon after received huge land grants…

  • Explosion of the Steamship Dayton · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Corpus Christi, heading towards the coast. It's September 12th, 1845. Just months after Texas voted to join the U.S., tensions with Mexico are sky-high. General Zachary Taylor's troops are stationed…

  • William Henderson Maltby · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising past the site of William Henderson Maltby's life in Corpus Christi. He was a journalist who helped run three local papers, but when the Civil War broke out, he traded his pen for a sword. He rose to…

  • James Downing · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the area where James Downing made his mark. Born in England, he fought for the Union in the Civil War, enduring the horrors of Andersonville Prison before escaping. After the war, he served with the…

  • George Owens · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Corpus Christi, the final resting place of George Owens. Born enslaved in Kentucky, Owens seized the chance to fight for freedom, enlisting in the Union Army in <say-as interpret-as="date"…

  • John Dix · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Corpus Christi, where John Dix settled after a life of adventure. He fought in the War of 1812, was shipwrecked in New Zealand, and even founded a Michigan town named Dix. He served in the Texas…

  • Mother Margaret Mary Healy Murphy · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the birthplace of Mother Margaret Mary Healy Murphy, a remarkable woman born in Ireland in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1833</say-as>. She immigrated to America, eventually settling in…

  • William DeRyee · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past William DeRyee. Chemist, geologist, and photographer William DeRyee was born as William D&#xFC;ry in W&#xFC;rzburg, Bavaria. He was educated at the Gymnasium and Lateinschule in W&#xFC;rzburg, then…

  • Matthew Nolan · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Matthew Nolan. After the death of their parents, Mary Nolan arrived in Corpus Christi in 1845 at the age of sixteen along with her two brothers, Matt, eleven, and Tom, nine. Mary became a nurse in…

  • General Zachary Taylor camped here · 0.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Ever wondered where the first federal military cemetery in Texas is? You're almost there! This quiet hill holds the stories of soldiers and pioneers, marking a pivotal moment in Texas history. It all began during the…

  • Nueces County · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Nueces County, named for the 'River of Nuts' that forms its northern border. This area has seen history unfold since 1519, when Spanish explorer Pineda briefly paused here. Spain even founded Fort…

  • Louis de Planque · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Corpus Christi studio of Louis de Planque, a Prussian immigrant who became a prominent photographer in South Texas. He captured images of Union and Confederate troops during the Civil War boom in…

  • John Bernard Murphy · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising through Corpus Christi, passing the spot where John Bernard Murphy, an Irish immigrant, made his mark. He fought in the Mexican-American War, served as chief justice and district attorney, and then, as…

  • Eli Todd Merriman · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of early newspaper history in Corpus Christi. Eli Todd Merriman, born in 1852, started as a typesetter at just 18 for the Nueces Valley. He worked his way up, even to the Galveston News,…

  • Lone Star Fair · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Lone Star Fair, a grand event that was part business, part revolution. In 1851, Corpus Christi founder Henry Kinney launched this fair, hoping to attract settlers and boost the…

  • Broadway Bluff Improvement · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Corpus Christi's Broadway Bluff, a project that transformed the city's landscape. After 1900, as Corpus Christi boomed, this bluff marked a clear line between uptown and downtown. In…

  • Corpus Christi · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Corpus Christi, a city that saw some serious action during the Civil War. Back on August 16th and 18th, 1862, just three Confederate cannons here held off four Union ships trying to bombard the town.…

  • Nueces Hotel · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're rolling into Corpus Christi, and right here is the site of the grand Nueces Hotel. Built between 1912 and 1913, this waterfront landmark was part of a big push to make the city a vacation destination. Imagine it:…

  • Salt Mill · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of one of Corpus Christi's earliest industries: a wind-powered mill built by Captain John Anderson. This Swedish seafarer settled here in the 1850s, right on the waterfront. His mill ground…

  • Sidbury - Savage House · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Sidbury-Savage House, a Greek Revival beauty with a story tied to Corpus Christi's growth. Edward Sidbury arrived in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1867</say-as>, opening a lumber…

  • Corpus Christi Fire Department · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Corpus Christi, where the fire department got its start back in 1871. A fire at a local home prompted citizens to organize, raising money for equipment and forming the Pioneer No. 1 Company. They…

  • Mirador de la Flor · 0.4 mi · Things to Do

    Selena Quintanilla was twenty-three and about to cross over to English-language pop stardom when her fan club president shot her at a Corpus Christi motel on…

  • Grande - Grossman House · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Grande-Grossman House, a beautiful blend of architectural styles and immigrant heritage. Built in 1904 for Benito Grande, a prominent leader in Corpus Christi's Mexican-American community, this…

  • Sidbury House · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past what was once a rent house, built around 1893 by Charlotte Scott Sidbury. She was a remarkable woman, arriving in Texas before the Revolution, managing a lumber company, and even becoming a bank…

  • Simon Gugenheim House · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Simon Gugenheim House, a testament to Corpus Christi's early success. Simon Gugenheim arrived in 1882 with just forty dollars, but he stayed and built a fortune. He co-founded a drygoods company,…

  • Lawrence, Theodore Merchant · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the home and farm of Theodore Merchant 'Buddy' Lawrence, a Corpus Christi native who made a big impact on local industry. After working on the King Ranch and as a hunter, Lawrence turned to farming…

  • McCampell House · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the McCampbell House, a home that stood right on the edge of Corpus Christi Bay. It was built in 1908 by Mary Alice Ward McCampbell, an Irish immigrant who purchased land in the old…

  • French - Galvan House · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the French-Galvan House, a beautiful example of Colonial Revival architecture. Built between 1907 and 1908 for Asa Milton French, a surveyor and civic leader who settled here in 1882, this home has…

  • Jalufka - Govatos House · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the former site of the Jalufka-Govatos House, a home that tells the story of two immigrant families in Corpus Christi. James Jalufka, son of Czech immigrants, was a veteran of both the…

  • Saint Patrick's Church · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Corpus Christi, and you're passing the site of what was once St. Patrick's Church. It began in 1853 with just 19 families and Father Bernard O'Reilly leading construction on the city's first…

  • Corpus Christi Cathedral · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Corpus Christi Cathedral, the second church to hold that title for the diocese. It replaced Saint Patrick's after a fire damaged it in 1938. The John G. Kenedy family donated this land, their…

  • Irishtown · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Irishtown. Bounded by Twigg and Tiger Streets, Hall's Bayou and Corpus Christi Bay, the section of the city's Ward One known as Irishtown included primarily Irish residents, although there were also…

  • LULAC · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    One of the most influential American political groups of the twentieth century, the League of United Latin American Citizens was founded in Corpus Christi. The formation of LULAC resulted from the merger of three…

  • Centennial House · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Centennial House, a survivor of Texas history right here in Corpus Christi. Built between 1849 and 1850 for Forbes Britton, a West Point grad and Mexican War veteran, this classical revival home saw…

  • Kinney's Trading Post · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past where Henry L. Kinney set up shop, right around 1836. This wasn't just a store; it was a fort-like trading post, complete with a stockade, a home, and quarters for armed men. Kinney traded with local…

  • Gold Star Court of Honor · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Corpus Christi Gold Star Court of Honor, the first memorial of its kind in Texas. Dedicated in 1931, it honors the mothers of Nueces County servicemen lost in World War I. Look for the flagpole…

  • 1941 Corpus Christi Seawall · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Corpus Christi Seawall, a Texas Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. For twenty years, plans for this barrier were rejected, but in 1939, construction finally began. Completed in 1941, this…

  • The Ranchero · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Corpus Christi, where a newspaper called The Ranchero once served as a voice for the Confederacy. Founded in 1859 by Henry Alonzo Maltby, who'd arrived in town as a circus promoter, this four-page…

  • Gutzon Borglum and the Corpus Christi Bayfront · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising past the site where a famous sculptor once dreamed of transforming Corpus Christi's bayfront. Gutzon Borglum, the man who would later sculpt Mount Rushmore, offered his services for free in 1928. He…

  • Site of Cheston L. Heath School · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Site of Cheston L. Heath School. The Corpus Christi Independent School District hired Miss Rose Dunne to teach English and academics to the city's Mexican American students in a year-long…

  • Julius Lichtenstein House · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Julius Lichtenstein House, a survivor of architectural trends. Born in Indianola, Julius Lichtenstein grew up in Corpus Christi, working in the family drygoods store, M. Lichtenstein and Sons.…

  • The Queen of Corpus Christi · 0.6 mi

    In Corpus Christi, you are in the city that raised a legend: Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. She was born over in Lake Jackson, but her family landed here when she was a girl, and it was in this city and the dancehalls and…

  • The Blue Ghost on the Bay · 0.6 mi

    Dominating the view of the bay is a giant of naval history: the USS Lexington. This World War II-era aircraft carrier is impossible to miss. Commissioned in 1943, she fought in nearly every major operation in the…

  • Building a Bridge to the Future · 0.6 mi

    As you drive near the port, you can't help but notice the colossal structure rising into the sky, the new Harbor Bridge. This isn't just a bridge; it's a massive feat of modern engineering, built to solve a…

  • The Birth of Whataburger · 0.6 mi

    If you’re a fan of the Texas fast-food icon Whataburger, you’re at the source. The story began right here in Corpus Christi in 1950. An entrepreneur named Harmon Dobson had a bold idea: to make a burger so big and so…

  • The Fury of Hurricane Celia · 0.6 mi

    In August 1970, Corpus Christi was forever changed by Hurricane Celia. Unlike most hurricanes, which bring their worst destruction through flooding and storm surge, Celia was different. It was a monster of wind. As the…

  • Kinney, Henry Lawrence · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past what used to be Henry Lawrence Kinney's trading post, the very spot that kicked off the city of Corpus Christi! Kinney, a Pennsylvania merchant, arrived here in 1838 and set up shop the next year.…

  • Villarreal, Captain Enrique, and Rincon del Oso Land Grant · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past what was once the heart of a massive Texas land grant. Back in 1831, Captain Enrique Villarreal was awarded the Rincon del Oso grant, a whopping 44,000 acres, by the Mexican government. He'd actually…

  • Confederate Army Deserters Hanged in Corpus Christi · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of a grim Civil War event in Corpus Christi. In May of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1862</say-as>, two Confederate deserters were hanged here – the only military execution in…

  • The Army that Built a City · 0.6 mi

    In 1845, the small trading post of Corpus Christi was put on the map by the U.S. Army. As tensions rose with Mexico over the annexation of Texas, President Polk sent General Zachary Taylor and his Army of Occupation…

  • Felix von Blucher · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Corpus Christi, passing the site where Felix von Blucher, a German immigrant, made his home. Arriving in Texas in 1845, he was an engineer, linguist, and lawyer who helped negotiate a vital treaty…

  • Antonio E. Garcia · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the legacy of Antonio E. Garcia, a truly inspiring Mexican American artist who shaped generations of art in Texas. Born in Mexico in 1901, Garcia and his sisters came to Texas in 1914 to escape the…

  • Port of Corpus Christi, Early History of · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Corpus Christi, where the bay waters were once a smuggler's paradise before the Texas Revolution. It wasn't until Henry L. Kinney opened a trading post around 1838 that commercial activity really…

  • Nueces County · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Nueces County, named for the river that gave this whole region its identity. Back in 1689, Spanish explorer Alonso de Leon found so many pecan trees along the riverbanks, he called it 'Nueces,'…

  • First Presbyterian Church of Corpus Christi · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the First Presbyterian Church of Corpus Christi. This congregation started with just seven members back in 1867. Their first sanctuary, built right away, took a year to finish because a yellow fever…

  • Kelsey Memorial Methodist Church · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Kelsey Memorial Methodist Church, a cornerstone of Corpus Christi's Hispanic community. Established in 1872 by Bishop John C. Keener with Rev. Alejo Hernandez as its first pastor, this church faced…

  • Richard and Minerva King House · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Richard and Minerva King House, built in 1928 by Richard King, grandson of the famous rancher. This Italian Renaissance home, designed to withstand hurricanes, was built after King lost his…

  • Centennial Memorial Museum · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Centennial Memorial Museum in Corpus Christi. This building was part of a statewide celebration of Texas's 100th anniversary. Originally planned as a history, art, and science museum,…

  • Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Corpus Christi's first Episcopal church, the Church of the Good Shepherd. Episcopal services here began as early as 1857, but the congregation wasn't formally organized until 1860. After…

  • USS Lexington (CV-16) · 1.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Get ready to see a legend! The USS Lexington, nicknamed "The Blue Ghost," fought in nearly every major Pacific battle of World War II and is now docked right here in Corpus Christi as a museum. Originally intended to be…

  • Hebrew Rest Cemetery · 1.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Hebrew Rest Cemetery, the final resting place for Corpus Christi's earliest Jewish settlers. Established in 1875, this burial ground was crucial for the community, which had previously sent their…

  • Galvan Ballroom · 1.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Galvan Ballroom, a Corpus Christi landmark established in 1950. Designed by architect Everett E. Hamon, this streamline moderne building was more than just a venue; it was a hub for…

  • First Methodist Church of Corpus Christi · 1.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the First Methodist Church of Corpus Christi. Methodists were holding services here as early as <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1846</say-as>, right before the Mexican-American…

  • Temple Beth El · 1.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic Temple Beth El in Corpus Christi. Jewish settlers arrived here shortly after the city was founded in 1852, with several becoming prominent leaders. By the 1870s, they had a Hebrew…

  • 1919 Storm · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Corpus Christi as a devastating storm, undetected for weeks, slammed into the coast on September 14, 1919. While its winds were minor, the tidal surge reached over twelve feet, destroying hundreds of…

  • Spohn, Arthur Edward, M.D. and Spohn Hospital · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Spohn Hospital in Corpus Christi, a place with roots stretching back to the late 1800s. Dr. Arthur Edward Spohn, born in Canada, arrived on the Texas coast in 1868. He served as a U.S.…

  • Wynn Seale Junior High School · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Wynn Seale Junior High School, Corpus Christi's first school built specifically as a junior high. It was named for Edmund Wynn Seale, a prominent educator who had led schools across South…

  • Camp Scurry · 2.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Camp Scurry, established in August 1916 to bolster Corpus Christi's economy during the Mexican Revolution. This 200-acre camp housed National Guard and Army troops in tents, providing…

  • Alonzo Álvarez de Pineda · 2.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising past the site where Alonzo Álvarez de Pineda made history in 1519. Commissioned by the Governor of Jamaica, Pineda set sail to find a water passage to the Orient, mapping nearly 800 miles of the Gulf…

  • Moses Menger Elementary School · 2.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Moses Menger Elementary School, which opened in January 1929. This was the very first Corpus Christi school built outside the city's original center, helping to spark development on the south side.…

  • Grossman-Graham House · 2.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Grossman-Graham House in Corpus Christi, a beautiful example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. This house was likely built around 1929, when the upscale Oak Park subdivision first opened.…

  • First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi · 2.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Corpus Christi, a city that grew from a small village to the vibrant place it is today. Back in 1878, a group of residents founded the First Baptist Church here, starting with just eight members.…

  • German POW Camp at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi · 2.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of a World War II German POW camp, right here at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. After Germany surrendered in May 1945, hundreds of German prisoners arrived to build their own compound.…

  • Corpus Christi and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway · 2.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Corpus Christi, a city that became a vital player in World War II thanks to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. This canal, envisioned as early as 1905, linked its port to the East Coast, allowing over a…

  • Whataburger Number One · 2.7 mi · Things to Do

    Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger at Ayers and Staples in Corpus Christi on August 8 1950. He wanted to sell a burger so big you had to hold it with…

  • Sisters of the Incarnate Word · 2.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site where, in 1871, four Sisters of the Incarnate Word arrived in Corpus Christi. They took over a rundown adobe building, given by H.L. Kinney, and immediately saw the need for Spanish-speaking…

  • Alta Vista Hotel · 3.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Alta Vista Hotel, a grand plan that never quite came to fruition. Colonel Elihu Harrison Ropes arrived in Corpus Christi in 1888, dreaming big: a deepwater port, a railroad, and a new…

  • Snapka Drive Inn · 3.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the original Snapka's drive-inn, which opened in Robstown in 1948. Brothers Method and Rudy Snapka served hamburgers and Mexican dishes, quickly finding success. They later opened this…

  • Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Ray (Corpus Christi) · 3.3 mi

    Ray (Corpus Christi, TX) placed on the 5A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Josh Hernandez (5 HR); Aaron Castillo (3 HR).

  • Ropes, Elihu Harrison · 3.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the former site of a grand vision for Corpus Christi. Elihu Harrison Ropes, a New Jersey publisher turned developer, arrived in the late 1880s with a dream: a deepwater port and a railroad to boost…

  • Clara Driscoll, The Driscoll Foundation and Driscoll Children's Hospital · 3.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the legacy of Clara Driscoll, a true Texas philanthropist. Known as 'The Savior of the Alamo,' she used her inherited fortune to preserve historic sites and build up Corpus Christi. When she passed…

  • The Corpus Christi Doctor Who Founded the G I Forum · 3.6 mi

    In Corpus Christi, State Highway Two Eighty Six between State Highway Three Fifty Seven and Interstate Thirty Seven is the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Highway. Hector Perez Garcia was born in Tamaulipas, Mexico, in…

  • Dunn, Matthew · 3.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site where Matthew Dunn, an Irish immigrant, first settled in Corpus Christi. He was the first of five brothers to make their way to America, arriving in Texas in 1845 to join General Zachary…

  • Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: West Oso (Corpus Christi) · 4.4 mi

    West Oso (Corpus Christi, TX) placed on the 3A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Kendall Taylor (0.469 avg).

  • Reef Road · 4.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Portland, and you might be wondering about this old road. For early settlers in San Patricio County, getting across Corpus Christi Bay to the main trade center was a real challenge. But local…

  • Corpus Christi College-Academy · 4.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Corpus Christi College-Academy, a Catholic boys' school that opened its doors in the fall of 1928. It was established by Benedictine monks from Arkansas at the invitation of Bishop…

  • Dunn, John, Jr., Homesite · 4.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the homesite of John Dunn, Jr., a man who helped shape early Nueces County. His father, John Dunn, Sr., a recent immigrant from Ireland, bought this land back in 1868. Young John Jr. grew up herding…

  • General W.W. Sterling · 4.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Corpus Christi marker for General W.W. Sterling, a man who truly embodied service. Born in 1891, Sterling stood six-foot-four, an expert shot and horseman. He served as a scout for the U.S. Army…

  • Saint John Baptist Church · 5.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Corpus Christi, and you're passing the site of Saint John Baptist Church. This congregation's story begins not here, but with a devastating hurricane in 1875 that wiped out Indianola. Survivors…

  • Stanley L. Kostoryz · 5.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Stanley L. Kostoryz. The Bohemian Colony Lands, a vision of Sanley L. Kostoryz, changed the landscape of the Coastal Bend and drew Czech immigrants from central Texas and Nebraska to south Texas.…

  • Moravian Club of Nueces County · 5.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through what used to be the Kostoryz community, named after Stanley L. Kostoryz, a Czech immigrant who left Nebraska in 1904. He bought this land, advertised it as 'Bohemian Colony Lands' in Czech…

  • The Peace Officers Highway That Grew · 6.0 mi

    All of State Highway Three Fifty Eight in Nueces County is the Peace Officers Memorial Highway, and the name reached its full length in two steps. Just after midnight on March eleventh, two thousand nine, Corpus Christi…

  • Site of White Point Mass Graves of 1919 Hurricane Victims · 6.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Portland, San Patricio County, where a devastating storm hit back in September of 1919. Vacationers ignored warnings about a massive hurricane churning in the Gulf. By Sunday afternoon, winds up to…

  • Site of West Portland · 6.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through what used to be West Portland, a town that sprang up thanks to a massive land promotion. Back in 1908, the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company handed over 14,000 acres to the George H. Paul Company,…

  • Travis Baptist Church · 6.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Travis Baptist Church in Corpus Christi. Originally founded as London Baptist Church in 1911 by forty charter members in a rural farming community, services were held in the local…

  • Bay View College, Site of · 7.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Bay View College, an important school for South Texas ranch kids. Founded in 1894 by Thomas and Alice Clark, it offered everything from primary grades to junior college. Imagine students…

  • Karankawa Indians · 7.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic lands of the Karankawa people, one of the first Native American tribes European explorers met in Texas. <break time="400ms"/> These nomadic people lived along the coast, fishing and…

  • Site of Indian Point Mass Grave of 1919 Hurricane Victims · 7.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Indian Point Mass Grave, a somber reminder of the devastating 1919 hurricane. On September 14th, a monster storm slammed into the coast, unleashing a wall of water, debris, and oil…

  • Portland, TX (San Patricio County) · 7.3 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Portland is on a bluff overlooking Nueces Bay in southeastern San Patricio County. The town was the dream of John G. Willacy , who merged the New England Land Company of Portland, Maine, the New England Real Estate…

  • Bay View College · 7.3 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Portland, Texas, and right here is where Bay View College once stood. Founded in 1893 by the Clarks, who also helped establish Texas Christian University, this school took over a vacant hotel. It…

  • Portland, TX (Fannin County) · 7.3 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fannin County, and right here is Portland, a community that owes its existence to a church. It all started back in 1873 when Jesse Green London bought land here. Back then, the main road between…

  • Ward Island · 7.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past what was once Ward Island, a place that saw a dramatic shift during World War II. In 1942, the U.S. Navy took over this land, transforming it into a vital radar station and training base. For over…

  • The Storm That Proved the Point · 8.1 mi

    In the early hours of Sunday, September 14, 1919, one of the most powerful hurricanes in Texas history came ashore at Corpus Christi and smashed the low ground across the bay. Portland, up on its bluff, did not take the…

  • The Bridge That Built a Suburb · 8.1 mi

    Portland's identity is bound up with the crossings that carry it into Corpus Christi. The causeway gets you over Nueces Bay; the Harbor Bridge, opened October 23, 1959, gets you the rest of the way in. It was a through…

  • Portland, TX · 8.1 mi

    The Reynolds Metals Company aluminium plant was a significant science/engineering/technology feature in Portland. Established in 1942, the plant created hundreds of jobs and drew new families to the area, changing…

  • The Grand Hotel on the Bluff · 8.1 mi

    Imagine a hotel standing on the bluff where you are now, looking out across the bay. It went up in 1891, twenty rooms, built for exactly one purpose: to house buyers for the great land sale that July, when John G.…

  • King Ranch · 8.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    The 825,000-acre King Ranch covers nearly 1,300 square miles, an area larger than the entire state of Rhode Island, on four separate Divisions of land known as Santa Gertrudis, Laureles, Norias, and Encino. These four…

  • Santa Petronila Ranch · 8.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Santa Petronila was the first Spanish settlement in what is now Nueces County, Texas. It was established in 1762 by Capt. Blás María de la Garza Falcón , founder of Camargo, Nuevo Santander, Mexico. After Governor José…

  • Garza Falcón, Blas María de la · 8.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through South Texas, the land of vast ranches and the mighty Rio Grande. Right here, in what is now Nueces County, you're passing near the historic Santa Petronila ranch. It was established in 1766 by…

  • Garza Montemayor, Juan José de la · 8.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Nueces County right now, near the Nueces River. Imagine this: it's 1807, and the very first Spanish land grant in this area, the massive Casa Blanca grant, is awarded. It spans a staggering 70,000…

  • Reef Road · 8.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Corpus Christi, and right here, under the waves, lies the story of the Reef Road. For early Texans, this wasn't a road at all, but a treacherous path of oyster shells, visible only at low tide,…

  • Rincon Point · 8.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving along the coast near Corpus Christi, right where the land makes a sharp turn north. This is Rincon Point, a place that's seen history unfold for centuries. It was first charted by Spanish explorers in…

  • Vicksburg Fault Zone Fields · 8.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through South Texas, a region built on oil and gas. Right here, you're passing through the Vicksburg Fault Zone, a massive oil and gas trend stretching from the Mexican border up through counties like…

  • Bob Hall Pier · 8.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Bob Hall Pier is located in Nueces County on the north end of Padre Island on the Gulf of Mexico and is part of the 374-acre Padre Balli Park. The lighted structure is open twenty-four hours a day. The pier was built in…

  • Nuecestown, TX · 8.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Nuecestown was originally about thirteen miles northwest of Corpus Christi in Nueces County. In 1989 what remained was located in the 11400 block of Leopard St. in Corpus Christi. The town was established in 1852 and…

  • Violet, TX · 8.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Violet is on State Highway 44 twelve miles west of Corpus Christi in Nueces County. It came into being in the early 1900s, as immigrant farmers converted the fertile blacklands of the Coastal Bend from cattle to crops.…

  • Nueces County · 8.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Nueces County, a place with a history stretching back thousands of years to early hunter-gatherer cultures. But the story of European settlement here really kicks off in 1766. That's when Blas…

  • Chat Work Club · 8.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Portland, San Patricio County, where a group of thirty-three women founded the Chat Work Club on Valentine's Day, 1921. They got their name from the habit of sewing and chatting at the same time.…

  • Sunshine Cemetery · 8.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Sunshine Cemetery, the last physical reminder of a community that once thrived here. From the late 1800s until the early 1940s, this area was known as the Sunshine Community, or Encinal. It had a…

  • Texas HS Baseball Playoff Leaders 2026: London (Corpus Christi) · 9.2 mi

    London (Corpus Christi) put 4 players on the statewide leaderboards of the 2026 Texas high school baseball playoffs. Aiden Salinas had 18 runs (3rd in the state), 11 stolen bases (5th in the state), and 3 home runs (4th…

  • Texas HS Baseball Playoff Hits 2026: London (Corpus Christi) · 9.2 mi

    London (Corpus Christi), TX placed on the Texas high school baseball PLAYOFF HITS leaderboard for the 2026 postseason: Christian Olivares (16 hits, #15 in TX).

  • Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Veterans Memorial (Corpus Christi) · 9.4 mi

    Veterans Memorial (Corpus Christi, TX) placed on the 5A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Trae Hernandez (6 HR); Ryan Morgan (3 HR); Jonathan Reyes (0.453 avg, 2 HR).

  • Jovita González de Mireles · 10.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising through Corpus Christi, passing the spot where Jovita González de Mireles taught Spanish and history after a remarkable career. She was a fifth-generation Texan whose childhood on a rancho deeply…

  • The Red Dust of Reynolds · 10.6 mi

    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…

  • Joseph French Green and La Quinta Mansion · 10.6 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • The Hornets and the Wildcats · 10.6 mi

    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…

  • Gregory, TX · 10.6 mi

    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,…

  • Rincon Ranch · 10.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Gregory, TX · 10.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Gregory · 10.7 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Rebuilding From Harvey's Fury · 10.8 mi

    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…

  • The Town That Became a City · 10.8 mi

    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,…

  • Gregory School · 10.8 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Early Ingleside Schools · 11.1 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Naval Air Station Corpus Christi · 11.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, commissioned in 1941. This vital World War II training ground, known as “the University of the Air,” graduated 35,000 aviators, including future…

  • Flour Bluff · 11.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Flour Bluff, a name born from a strange international incident. It's the spring of 1838, and France is blockading Mexico's coast in what's called the Pastry War. Mexican patrols show up right here in…

  • Flour Bluff Independent School District · 12.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Flour Bluff, where the oil boom and the Naval Air Station created a need for schools. The first building opened in 1892 in Brighton, later Flour Bluff. After a hurricane destroyed part of it in 1916,…

  • The Town Run by a Ranch · 12.2 mi

    Imagine living in a town where one company is your boss, your landlord, and your banker. That was life in early Taft. The Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company, later known as the Taft Ranch, didn't just found the town—they…

  • Black-Gold: A Scientific Cattle Feed · 12.2 mi

    The Taft Ranch wasn't just good at growing cotton. It was built to use every part of it. The Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company's whole strategy was to raise the value of its land by giving farmers somewhere to sell, so it…

  • Taft, TX · 12.2 mi

    Taft, known as the 'Friendliest Cotton-Pickin' Town in Texas', has a rich history tied to cotton, gas, and oil. The city was once the center of the million-acre Taft Ranch, built and owned by Charles Phelps Taft, the…

  • The Fury of Hurricane Celia · 12.2 mi

    On August 3rd, 1970, the sky over Taft turned dark. Hurricane Celia, a compact but ferocious Category 4 storm, slammed into the Texas coast near Aransas Pass with 140 mile-per-hour winds. Its center crossed Corpus…

  • Saint Anthony's Catholic Church · 12.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Saint Anthony's Catholic Church, founded in 1909 for German Catholic farm families. The original building, constructed in 1910, served as both a church and a schoolhouse. After being…

  • Nuecestown Cemetery · 12.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the last remnant of Nuecestown, a community that once thrived here. Established in 1852 by Colonel Henry Lawrence Kinney, this place was known as 'The Motts' before being renamed for the nearby…

  • Hilltop Tuberculosis Sanitorium · 12.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the former Hilltop Tuberculosis Sanatorium. In the early 1930s, local women, led by Mrs. Fannie Weil Alexander, pushed for a dedicated TB treatment facility. Despite community efforts and…

  • First United Methodist Church of Taft · 12.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Taft, where Methodists have been building their faith community since 1910. The first permanent church building in town, erected in 1921, was actually shared by both Methodist and Presbyterian…

  • First Presbyterian Church of Taft · 12.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Taft's first Presbyterian Church. Area Presbyterians met in tents and a shared school building before organizing their own congregation in 1920. That same year, they partnered with the…

  • Taft, TX · 12.3 mi

    Taft, Texas, often called the "Friendliest Cotton-Pickin' Town," holds a surprising connection to a prominent American family. The city's early history and its very name are rooted in the legacy of the Taft family. At…

  • Green, Joseph French · 12.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through South Texas, and right here, you're passing through the legacy of Joseph French Green. He wasn't born here, but this lawyer from Ohio so impressed a wealthy landowner that he was sent down to…

  • Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Flour Bluff (Corpus Christi) · 12.4 mi

    Flour Bluff (Corpus Christi, TX) placed on the 5A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Benjamin Terry (0.485 avg, 4 HR); Bradley Terry (3 HR).

  • Taft, TX · 12.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Taft, Texas, a town born from a railroad stop and a cattle company's ambition. It started in 1886 as Mesquital, named for a nearby windmill. But in 1900, manager Joseph Green decided to build a…

  • Presbyterian School For Mexican Girls · 12.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Taft, and right here is where, back in 1924, the Presbyterian School for Mexican Girls, or Pres-Mex, opened its doors. <break time="400ms"/> This school was founded to help Mexican-American girls…

  • Nuecestown Schoolhouse · 12.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of old Nuecestown, a settlement planned by Colonel Henry Lawrence Kinney himself back in 1850. Right here, education was a priority. The public school, established before 1885, grew to be…

  • Homeport Ingleside: The Rise and Fall of a Naval Station · 12.5 mi

    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…

  • Harvey: The Eye of the Storm · 12.5 mi

    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…

  • Building for the Deep: Engineering on a Massive Scale · 12.5 mi

    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…

  • Gray, Mabry B. [Mustang] · 12.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Taft, President William Howard, Visits Taft · 12.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Taft, a town that owes its name to the famous Taft Ranch. But did you know it once hosted a U.S. President? In October of 1909, newly-elected President William Howard Taft came to visit his…

  • Ingleside, TX · 12.5 mi

    Ingleside’s always been tied to the water, from the Karankawa who knew these shores long before us, to the shrimpers and refinery workers of today. Hurricane Harvey tested that connection in ways nobody wanted. You…

  • The Lost Vineyards of Ingleside · 12.5 mi

    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.…

  • Hatch, George Clifton · 12.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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,…

  • Hatch, John G. · 12.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Vineyard, John W. · 12.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Taft Agricultural Industrial Complex · 12.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Taft, and right here is the site of a massive agricultural industrial complex that was the heart of this town's founding. Back in 1900, the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company laid out Taft, hoping to…

  • Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company · 12.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company. The Coleman, Mathis, Fulton cattle company was formed in 1871 by partners George Ware Fulton, youngs Coleman, Tom Coleman, Thomas Henry Mathis, and J.M. Mathis, with…

  • Ingleside, TX (San Patricio County) · 12.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Ingleside · 12.5 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Nuecestown · 12.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past what used to be Nuecestown, a settlement founded in 1852 by Henry L. Kinney, the same guy who started Corpus Christi. He even sent agents to Europe to recruit settlers, promising them land and…

  • Nuecestown Raid · 12.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Nueces County, near where a violent raid shook this area back in 1875. Tensions were already high between Anglo settlers and Mexican residents along the Nueces River. On March 26th, a band of…

  • Sodville Community · 12.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Sodville, a town born from a massive land development deal in the early 1900s. Iowa developer George H. Paul and the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company sold thousands of acres, with Mexican…

  • Duncan Cemetery · 12.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Duncan Cemetery, also known as Flour Bluff Cemetery. It was established in 1908 when Edward and Minerva Duncan purchased the land. The oldest documented grave is Mrs. N.F. Stigner, who died…

  • Late Pleistocene Ingleside Fauna · 13.1 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • The Ghost of Chipita Rodriguez · 13.8 mi · Things to Do

    In 1863 Chipita Rodriguez was hanged for murder in San Patricio on almost no evidence — likely the real killer was a man. She cursed the town from the gallows.…

  • García, Hector Pérez · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Taylor, Zachary · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Whataburger · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • American G.I. Forum of Texas · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • League of United Latin American Citizens · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Butt, Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Crecy, Warren Gamaliel Harding · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Dayton · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Garza, Bernardo F. · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Graves, Terrance Collinson · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Hall, Robert Reid · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Leo Majek Orchestra · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Lozano, Gabriel, Sr. [Gabe] · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Lozano, Vicente, Sr. · 14.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

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