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Port Aransas, Texas

Everything Port Aransas is known for

39 songs mention this city

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

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Music in Port Aransas

Songs About Port Aransas

Port A
Treaty Oak Revival
92%
"Port A"
Cinnamon Shore
Mark McKinney
92%
"Cinnamon Shore"
Texas Gulf
Megan Harber Brown
85%
"I've seen Port Aransas after the storm"
Port Aransas
Clint Allen Janisch
83%
"TITLE"
Feeling Port Aransas
Phil Pritchett
83%
"Feeling Port Aransas"
Port Aransas
Dylan Kenny
82%
"TITLE"
Port Aransas Breeze (Live)
Jesse Stratton Band
82%
"Port Aransas Breeze"
Port Aransas
Lange Debault
81%
"TITLE"
Port Aransas Girl
Joel Melton
81%
"Port Aransas Girl"
Port Aransas
Spade Davis
80%
Port Aransas
Rhett Clark
80%
"TITLE"
Port Aransas
Dante Mazzetti
80%
Port A
Clint Allen Janisch
80%
Port A
Roger and Texas Rain
80%
Port A
Rick Broussard's Two Hoots and a Holler
80%
Port A
MilesPerHour
80%
I'd Rather Have Nothing
Garth Brooks
80%
"journey from Kansas to Port Aransas"
Port Aransas
Garrett Smith
79%
"TITLE"
Port Aransas
Joe Mannix
77%
"TITLE"
Port Aransas
Golden Bear
77%
"TITLE"

Showing top 20 of 39 songs · Hear more in the free iPhone app

Artists From Port Aransas

No artists from Port Aransas in the database yet.

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Rivers & Roads in Song near Port Aransas

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Port Aransas.

Nueces River 3 songs

History of Port Aransas

The Tarpon Capital of the World RoadyGoat

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 of the World.' These weren't just any fish; they were huge, acrobatic, and incredibly difficult to land, making them the ultimate prize for sport fishermen. Wealthy anglers from across the country came here, and in 1937 so did President Franklin D. Roosevelt. They stayed at inns like the Tarpon Inn, where a tradition began of tacking a scale from a visitor's first tarpon catch to the wall. Roosevelt never lodged there himself, but his signed scale went up with the rest, and you can still see thousands of them at the inn today. The tarpon population eventually declined, but for half a century, this one fish defined the town, built its economy, and gave it a legendary status in the world of sport fishing.

RoadyGoat →

Hurricane Harvey and 'Port A Strong' RoadyGoat

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 and a massive storm surge flattened buildings and tossed boats onto roads. In the morning light, residents who had evacuated returned to a town that was almost unrecognizable. An estimated 85% of the structures were damaged or destroyed. But in the face of that destruction, something remarkable happened. The community adopted the motto 'Port A Strong.' It wasn't just a slogan; it was a promise. Neighbors, local businesses, and volunteers from across the country began the monumental task of cleaning up and rebuilding. The recovery is still ongoing, but the town you see today is a powerful symbol of resilience, built by people who refused to let one storm wash their home away.

RoadyGoat →

The Jetties: Engineering the Pass RoadyGoat

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 create a reliable channel for deep-draft ships, engineers had to tame it. Beginning in the 1880s, they began constructing two parallel jetties extending far into the Gulf. The idea was simple in theory, but massive in practice: the walls would use the power of the tide itself, forcing the water into a narrower, faster-flowing stream that would scour the channel deep. Built from massive blocks of granite hauled by rail from Central Texas, the project took decades and cost millions. By 1919 the south jetty ran 7,385 feet and the north jetty reached 9,241 feet, and the channel finally began to deepen. Those jetties fundamentally altered the coastal hydrology, stabilizing the pass and literally paving the way, with stone and science, for the town's future.

RoadyGoat →

Shorty’s Place

1946

Shorty’s Place, located at 823 Tarpon Street in Port Aransas, Texas, is considered by many locals to be the island’s “oldest and friendliest” music venue. Gladys Marie Fowler, also known as “Shorty,” opened the bar on April 12, 1946, and it has hosted live Texas music ever since. Soon after opening, Shorty’s gained a reputation as a local watering hole where musicians of all backgrounds could gather to join in on the nightly country music jam sessions. The bar came equipped with a piano and a guitar for those interested in performing, although the “house” fiddle was off limits to everyone but Shorty’s husband, Mac Fowler. Following Shorty’s death in 1978 (she was murdered by a sixteen-year-old bar patron), her daughter, Rose Smithey, took over as owner. In the early 1980s “Miss Rose,” added a large outdoor deck to the front of the bar. Soon afterward the music moved from inside the small bar to the outside deck, making Shorty’s the first bar in Port Aransas to offer live, outdoor music every Friday and Saturday night. Some of the better-known Texas musicians who have performed there over the years include Willie Nelson, Texas Ruby Owens , Patsy Jones, Gary P. Nunn, Rusty Wier , Larry Joe Taylor, and blues musician Rocky Benton. Besides the coming and going of some well-known musicians and a few additions to the “house” instrument collection, not much has changed at Shorty’s Place. The parking lot still floods when it rains, the hardwood floors are still saturated with beer, and there is still no air-conditioning or central heat. The ceiling, covered in hats left behind by visiting customers, is a testament to the number of people who have stopped by to experience a bit of Texas culture. The bar continues to fill up each weekend with visitors wanting to hear country music and drink cold beer. Though jam sessions by the “local island boys” no longer happen on a regular basis, musicians do occasionally gather to jam, and live bands still perform there throughout the year. Longtime owner Rose Marie Gates Smithey died on August 12, 2011. Her daughter, Joy Gates George, and her grandson, J. W. George, continued to operate the establishment until October 2012, when they sold Shorty’s Place to Edwin and Amy Myers. Thus one-family ownership of the venue since 1946 came to an end.

Tsha Handbook →

Mustang Island

1855

Port Aransas is located on Mustang Island, one of seven Texas barrier islands. It is named for the wild horses that came here from shipwrecks and Spanish expeditions, and which once populated the island. The earliest humans here were members of nomadic groups collectively known as the Karankawas; they stayed on or about the islands in winter and fall, before moving inland during spring and summer. Robert Ainsworth Mercer (1799-1875) was Mustang Island's first settler; he came here in 1855 with his wife Agnes and children Mary Agnes, John and Edward. The Mercers built a house and a complex they named El Mar Rancho (Sea Ranch). Other settlers soon joined them, forming a small community; however, the new settlement was abandoned during the Civil War, when the USS Arthur took station off Mustang Island to blockade the Aransas Pass. The Federal sailors lived off the land, prompting six settlers to fire on them on February 11, 1862. The USS Arthur bombarded the island and a landing party further damaged property, leading to the islanders' flight from the island. Settlers returned here after the war, with many engaging in the booming cattle industry. By the 1880s, when the industry declined, islanders found markets for turtles and wild ducks. Many also offered goods and services, including guidance to hunting and fishing grounds, to workers constructing the Aransas Pass Jetties. Sportsmen began to visit the island, and by the 1920s tourism became the basis for its economy. By 1929, two roadways and a ferry service allowed for easier access to the island and further development of the tourist industry. Today, Mustang Island continues to be a popular destination for visitors, while also serving as home to increasing numbers of Texans. (2009)

Historical Marker →

Tarpon Inn

1886

In 1886 Frank Stephenson, a boat pilot and assistant Aransas lighthouse keeper, opened an inn at this site in an old barracks. He called the facility "Tarpon Inn" for the abundant trophy fish in nearby gulf waters. The Inn served as a landmark for sailors, and Port Aransas was known for a time as "Tarpon". In 1897 Mary Cotter and her son J.E. Bought the two story inn from Stephenson. After the building burned in 1900, two new structures were built in 1904. When the 1919 hurricane destroyed the main structure, the dining facility was used until it was sold in 1923 to James M. Ellis and his wife. Ellis soon rebuilt this inn to resemble the old barracks. He placed 20-foot poles in 16 feet of concrete with pilings at the corner of each room to reinforce it against future hurricanes. For a time guests could reach the inn only by boat. It became a tradition to sign and date a Tarpon scale and place it on the wall in the front room. Among the famous patrons was president Franklin D. Roosevelt who fished here in 1937. Duncan Hines spent his honeymoon here and recommended the food for the next 25 years. The inn has housed many area residents during storms and served as headquarters for the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Military units.

Historical Marker →

Aransas Pass Light Station

1855

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 keeper. During Civil War, Confederates (in 1863) buried lens for safety before damaging tower to avert use of light by Federal forces. The auxiliary structures were rebuilt after 1919 hurricane. One of original Texas stations of U.S. Lighthouse Service (merged into the Coast Guard in 1939), this light was decommissioned in 1952 after pass shifted southward. (1973) INCISE ON BASE: Lighthouse not open to public. INCISE ON BACK OF MARKER: Restored in 1972 by Charles C. Butt

Historical Marker → · 3.6 mi away

Port Aransas, TX

1850

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 a sheep and cattle grazing station established by Robert A. Mercer of Lancaster, England, in 1850, when he settled on nearby St. Joseph Island. In 1855 he built a cabin on Mustang Island and moved there. William and Ed Mercer built a store on the island in November 1880. In June 1890 Elihu Harrison Ropes began an unsuccessful project to build a thirty-foot channel across the island to give Corpus Christi a direct connection with the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico. The community's first post office was established in 1888 and called Ropesville. In 1896 the name was changed to Tarpon to celebrate the local fishing. On April 1, 1911, the name Port Aransas was adopted. A school, known as Mustang Island School, was established around 1900. In 1914 it became the Port Aransas Independent School District. The town, which incorporated, had a population of fifty in 1925 and 300 in 1931. Since World War II Port Aransas has grown rapidly as a resort because of the miles of public beach and the attractive opportunities for fishing, swimming, surfing, and camping. The town had a population of 824 in 1960, 1,300 in 1970, and 2,218 in 1982. The number of people on the island, however, frequently swells to over 20,000 during peak tourism periods, straining facilities and congesting the roads. In addition to the regular summer tourists, Port Aransas is crowded with college students at Easter, at Christmas, and between semesters. Late fall and early spring are the best times for surfing. New construction, especially of motels and condominium apartments, has rapidly increased. In 1990 the town reported 2,233 residents and 100 businesses. The population increased to 3,370 with 259 businesses in 2000.

Tsha Handbook →

American G.I. Forum of Texas

1948

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 Americans. The first issue the forum dealt with was the failure of the Veterans Administration to deliver earned benefits through the G.I. Bill of Rights of 1944. After securing those benefits, the forum addressed other veterans' concerns, such as hospital care and Mexican-American representation on draft boards. In 1949 the director of the Rice Funeral Home in Three Rivers refused the use of his chapel for the funeral of Private Felix Longoria ( see FELIX LONGORIA AFFAIR ). Garcia and the Corpus Christi forum organized a widespread protest that gained national attention. Eventually, through the intervention of Lyndon B. Johnson , Longoria was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The incident in Three Rivers established the forum as an effective civil-rights advocate for Hispanics and expanded the scope and nature of its activities. The organizational structure promoted this goal. The local chapter was the basic unit; the membership of each local chapter had to be 75 percent veterans. Beyond the local chapter were the district, state, and (after 1958) national governing bodies. In some areas, auxiliary (female) and junior G.I. forums developed. The charter of each unit emphasized loyalty and patriotism. The forum also prohibited official endorsement of a political party or candidate. This sanction blunted possible charges of bloc voting. Skills and experience developed in the forum were, however, applied by members in political campaigns. In 1954 forum lawyers, in conjunction with attorneys for the League of United Latin American Citizens , successfully argued before the Supreme Court in Hernandez v. the State of Texas that Mexican Americans , although technically classified as Caucasian, suffered discrimination as a class and were entitled to the protection of the Fourteenth Amendment. In 1957 the Texas forum ended a ten-year struggle when a federal court agreed that school segregation of Mexican-American children in Texas schools was unjustified. In the same decade the forum helped thousands of Mexican Americans in the Rio Grande valley to register to vote, and incidents of police brutality were confronted in forum efforts. Health care and veterans' needs remained important concerns, as did scholarship donations, back-to-school drives, and the problems of migrant workers. In 1958 the American G.I. Forum became a national organization, and its members led Mexican Americans into national politics. In the 1960 presidential campaign Viva Kennedy-Viva Johnson clubs , administered by forum and LULAC leaders, helped to win Texas and New Mexico for John F. Kennedy. Robert Kennedy stated that the Spanish-speaking vote won the election for his brother. Although the Kennedy administration did not reciprocate with much federal aid, the Johnson administration did. The G.I. Forum played a significant role in the application of Great Society programs in the barrios, and for the first time Latin Americans were appointed to influential positions and agencies. When Johnson established the first cabinet-level office for Hispanic issues, he selected a former national chairman of the G.I. Forum, Vicente Ximenes, for the position. The American G.I. Forum continued its work through the 1970s with such efforts as the first application of the due-process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to de facto Mexican-American school segregation in Corpus Christi. In 1983 Garcia received an award for distinguished accomplishment from President Ronald Reagan.

Tsha Handbook → · 6.9 mi away

Things to Do in Port Aransas

historical 18.6 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 19.5 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…
nature 7.9 mi away
Mustang Island

18 miles of undeveloped Gulf beach. Less crowded than Galveston and twice as pretty.
day trip
Day Trip to Port Aransas 🐚 (FULL EPISODE) S8 E9

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

Everything Near Port Aransas

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

  • Shorty’s Place · Tsha Handbook

    Shorty’s Place, located at 823 Tarpon Street in Port Aransas, Texas, is considered by many locals to be the island’s “oldest and friendliest” music venue. Gladys Marie Fowler, also known as “Shorty,” opened the bar on…

  • Port Aransas, TX · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • The Tarpon Capital of the World · 1.9 mi

    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…

  • Hurricane Harvey and 'Port A Strong' · 1.9 mi

    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 Jetties: Engineering the Pass · 1.9 mi

    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…

  • The Lonely Lydia Ann Lighthouse · 1.9 mi

    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, TX · 1.9 mi

    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 Ever-Reborn Horace Caldwell Pier · 1.9 mi

    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…

  • The Ghost of Jean Lafitte · 1.9 mi

    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…

  • Mustang Island · 2.0 mi · Historical Marker

    Port Aransas is located on Mustang Island, one of seven Texas barrier islands. It is named for the wild horses that came here from shipwrecks and Spanish expeditions, and which once populated the island. The earliest…

  • The Mercer Family on Mustang Island · 2.0 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Tarpon Inn · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    In 1886 Frank Stephenson, a boat pilot and assistant Aransas lighthouse keeper, opened an inn at this site in an old barracks. He called the facility "Tarpon Inn" for the abundant trophy fish in nearby gulf waters. The…

Show all 200 nearby places
  • Aransas Pass · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • United States Coast Guard on Mustang Island · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • World War II Coastal Defenses at the Aransas Pass · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Aransas Pass Light Station · 3.6 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Mustang Island · 6.1 mi · Historical Marker

    For centuries, herds of wild horses ran on this eighteen-mile barrier island between Corpus Christi Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. They were mustangs, descendants of Spanish horses that arrived with the earliest explorers…

  • Beranger, Jean · 6.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving along the Texas coast, maybe near Aransas Pass, and right here is where French explorer Jean Béranger first charted this waterway back in 1720. Béranger was a Breton sea captain, sailing for the French…

  • Harbor Island · 6.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving past Harbor Island, a place that's seen a lot of Texas history unfold. French explorer Jean Béranger landed here way back in 1720 to place a marker. By 1857, it was important enough for a lighthouse,…

  • Terminal Railroad · 6.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Aransas Harbor Terminal Railroad, better known as the 'Old Terminal Railroad.' Built way back in 1892, this line was crucial for hauling rock to build the jetties in the pass. Later,…

  • Aransas Pass, TX · 6.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Aransas Pass, a place born from a decades-long dream of becoming a major deepwater port. Back in the 1850s, developers envisioned linking the Gulf coast with San Antonio, first with roads and…

  • American G.I. Forum of Texas · 6.9 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…

  • García, Hector Pérez · 6.9 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 · 6.9 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 · 6.9 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…

  • League of United Latin American Citizens · 6.9 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 · 6.9 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 · 6.9 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 · 6.9 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. · 6.9 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 · 6.9 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 · 6.9 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 · 6.9 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] · 6.9 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. · 6.9 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…

  • Marin, Eulalio · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Miller, Henry Pomeroy [Roy] · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Spohn, Arthur Edward · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Wilson, Ada Laverne Rogers · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Bolden, Eddie Naresis Sanders · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Corpus Christi, TX · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Galvan, Rafael, Sr. · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Garcia, Jose Antonio · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Hall, Henry Boyd · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Hughes, Lloyd Herbert, Jr. · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Sheinberg, Sidney Jay · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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,…

  • Rawalt, Marguerite Luella · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Davis, Anne Elisabeth Britton Smith [Lizzie] · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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)…

  • Blücher, Anton Felix Hans Hellmuth Von · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Caceres, Emilio · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Coastal Corporation · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Corpus Christi Bay · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Daniels, Victor Vale · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Dix, John James, Sr. · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Fulton, Joseph Roland · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Jones, Levi · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Lewis, Carl Eric · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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,…

  • Maltby, Henry Alonzo · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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,…

  • Montoya, Gregorio · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Neal, Benjamin Franklin · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Nolan, Matthew · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Peña, Domingo · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Plato, Nelson · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Priour, John Marion · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Scott, Ella Dickinson · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • South Texas Music Walk of Fame · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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.…

  • Texas Jazz Festival · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Texas State Aquarium · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • U. S. Army General Hospital No. 15 (1918–19) · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Villarreal, Enrique · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Woman’s Monday Club of Corpus Christi · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Garcia, Antonio Encarnación · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • La Retama Club · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Martin, Mary Belle Littles · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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,…

  • Martinez, Oscar · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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,…

  • Turner, George Franklin · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Balerio, Cecilio · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Brown, Welder · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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,…

  • Glasscock, Charles Gus · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Kenedy, Petra Vela de Vidal · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Timon, Walter Francis · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Wilmot, Louis Gonzalez · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • American G.I. Forum Women's Auxiliary · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Colley, Richard Stewart · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Dix, John James, Jr. · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Harvin, Edwin Lawrence · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Holbein, Reuben · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Michler, Nathaniel · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Moore, John Marks Davenport · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Murphy, John Bernard · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Nussbaum, Paul Joseph · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Pfeuffer, George · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Russell, Charles Arden · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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.…

  • Webb, James · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • White, Hosea Allen · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Pleasant, Alclair Vivian Mays · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Galán, Enríque Manuel · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Gault Hangar · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Tejano Legend Pioneers Organization · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Brown, Leonard Benjamin · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Corpus Christi Museum · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Ground Zero for Hurricane Harvey · 7.1 mi

    On the night of August 25, 2017, Aransas Pass took one of the hardest hits of Hurricane Harvey. The storm came ashore as a Category 4 with 130-mile-an-hour winds on San Jose Island, just east of Rockport—only a few…

  • Taming the Tides: Engineering the Aransas Pass · 7.1 mi

    The channel that gives Aransas Pass its name is a powerful, dynamic force of nature—a constant battle between the Gulf of Mexico and the inland bays. To create a reliable shipping lane, engineers had to tame it.…

  • The Port That Never Was · 7.1 mi

    The Aransas Pass you're in today was founded on a colossal, failed dream. In the 1890s, powerful investors looked at this shoreline and envisioned a new Galveston. The plan was to dredge a deep channel from the Gulf…

  • The Harbor That Built the Town · 7.1 mi

    If you want to find the heart of Aransas Pass, head to Conn Brown Harbor. This isn't a natural feature; it's a man-made basin, and the improvements the town poured into it after World War II turned it into something…

  • Aransas Pass, TX · 7.1 mi

    Aransas Pass owes its character, and its livelihood, to the water. The town sits right on Aransas Bay, part of a huge network of estuaries that connect us to the Gulf. That access is why this place became a port, a…

  • The Shrimporee · 7.1 mi

    How does a town that calls itself the 'Shrimp Capital' celebrate its identity? With the Shrimporee, of course. Since 1948, this annual festival has been the town's signature event. It started as a way to honor the local…

  • First United Methodist Church of Aransas Pass · 7.1 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • John Wiebel VFW Post 2932 · 7.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the John Wiebel VFW Post 2932 in Aransas Pass. Chartered in 1935 by World War I veterans, this post has served the community for decades. Their memorial building has weathered hurricanes and acted as…

  • Great Land Lottery of Aransas Pass · 7.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Aransas Pass, where in 1909, a massive land promotion unfolded. Developers E.O. Burton and A.H. Danforth cooked up a scheme to sell town lots, using a newspaper and direct mail to hype the area…

  • Late Pleistocene Ingleside Fauna · 7.5 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…

  • Homeport Ingleside: The Rise and Fall of a Naval Station · 7.9 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 · 7.9 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 · 7.9 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…

  • Ingleside, TX · 7.9 mi

    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…

  • The Lost Vineyards of Ingleside · 7.9 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.…

  • Mustang Island · 7.9 mi · Things to Do

    18 miles of undeveloped Gulf beach. Less crowded than Galveston and twice as pretty.

  • Gray, Mabry B. [Mustang] · 8.0 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…

  • Hatch, George Clifton · 8.0 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. · 8.0 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. · 8.0 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…

  • Ingleside, TX (San Patricio County) · 8.0 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…

  • Early Ingleside Schools · 8.0 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…

  • Rebuilding From Harvey's Fury · 8.2 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 · 8.2 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,…

  • Ingleside · 8.3 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…

  • Cementerio San Antonio de Padua · 8.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Cementerio San Antonio de Padua. According to local lore, George Lewis (1859-1895) donated one-half acre of land at this site to the Hispanic citizens of the area for use as a cemetery, provided that…

  • Site of Heldenfels Shipyard · 12.8 mi · Historical Marker

    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>,…

  • The Cedars · 13.3 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Port Bay Hunting and Fishing Club · 13.8 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Hynes-Balthrope House · 13.8 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • The Night of Hurricane Harvey · 13.9 mi

    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…

  • The Big Tree · 13.9 mi

    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…

  • The Last Flock of Whooping Cranes · 13.9 mi

    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 Science of Saving the Whooping Crane · 13.9 mi

    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…

  • The Art Colony by the Sea · 13.9 mi

    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…

  • Mathis House · 13.9 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • The Civil War Salt Raid · 13.9 mi

    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…

  • Baylor-Norvell House · 13.9 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Rockport, TX · 14.0 mi

    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…

  • Sorenson-Stair Building · 14.0 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Moore House · 14.0 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • The Red Dust of Reynolds · 14.1 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…

  • The Hornets and the Wildcats · 14.1 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 · 14.1 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,…

  • Rockport Pilot · 14.1 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Gregory School · 14.1 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…

  • First Methodist Church of Rockport · 14.1 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Rincon Ranch · 14.2 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…

  • Aransas Hotel, Site of · 14.2 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad in Rockport, The · 14.2 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Gregory, TX · 14.2 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…

  • Rockport Volunteer Fire Department · 14.2 mi · Historical Marker

    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.…

  • Sacred Heart Catholic Church · 14.2 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Joseph French Green and La Quinta Mansion · 14.3 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…

  • Rockport Marine Laboratory · 14.3 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Jackson Family Maritime Companies · 14.3 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Richard Henry Wood House · 14.3 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Gregory · 14.3 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…

  • Aransas County · 14.3 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Fulton-Bruhl House · 14.4 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Hoopes-Smith House · 14.4 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Woman's Club of Aransas County Building · 14.4 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Bracht House · 14.4 mi · Historical Marker

    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,…

  • St. Peter's Episcopal Church · 14.4 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Rockport School · 14.5 mi · Historical Marker

    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.…

  • First National Bank of Rockport · 14.5 mi · Historical Marker

    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,…

  • First Presbyterian Church of Rockport · 14.5 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Site of Indian Point Mass Grave of 1919 Hurricane Victims · 14.6 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…

  • Wood-Jackson House · 14.6 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Joe A. and Bertha Harper House · 14.7 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Rockport · 14.7 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Smith-Brundrett House · 14.7 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Named for the Aranzazu River · 14.7 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Aransas County · 14.7 mi · Historical Marker

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

  • The Storm That Proved the Point · 14.8 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 · 14.8 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…

  • The Grand Hotel on the Bluff · 14.8 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.…

  • Portland, TX · 14.8 mi

    The city was named Portland by land developer John G. Willacy, who saw the city's high bluff and bays as an opportunity. Willacy invited investors from Maine and Kansas to join him in forming the Portland Land and…

  • Baldwin-Brundrett House · 14.8 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Chat Work Club · 14.8 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.…

  • Bay View College, Site of · 15.0 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…

  • Hagar, Connie · 15.1 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • First Baptist Church of Rockport · 15.3 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Portland, TX (San Patricio County) · 15.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Portland, a town that started as a grand real estate scheme in 1891. Imagine this: John G. Willacy bought up land and built a fancy hotel, hoping to attract buyers from all over. Special trains…

  • Bay View College · 15.5 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) · 15.5 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…

  • Key Allegro, TX · 15.6 mi

    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…

  • Dunn, Pat, Ranch · 15.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising past the site of the historic Pat Dunn Ranch on Padre Island. Born in Corpus Christi in 1858, Pat Dunn, the son of Irish immigrants, took over his family's cattle operation in 1883. Imagine driving herds…

  • Coastal Hide, Tallow and Packing Industries · 15.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving along the Texas coast, passing through an area that was once a booming industrial hub. In the latter half of the 1800s, hundreds of thousands of wild longhorns roamed South Texas. With no way to ship live…

  • Hagar, Conger Neblett · 15.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Mathis, Thomas Henry · 15.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Caceres, Ernesto · 15.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Coleman, Thomas Matthew · 15.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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.…

  • Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company · 15.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Hide and Tallow Trade · 15.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Rincon Ranch · 15.8 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Rockport Cemetery · 15.8 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Rockport, TX · 15.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

  • Nold, Henry II · 15.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    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…

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