Refugio, Texas

Everything Refugio is known for

1 song mention this city 1 artist from here

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

Music in Refugio

Songs About Refugio

South Texas Girl

Lyle Lovett

53%

"Pronounce it Refugio, city folks, they don't know""

Artists From Refugio

Devin Michaels

country

Rivers & Roads in Song near Refugio

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Refugio.

San Antonio River 2 songs U.S. Route 59 9 songs Guadalupe River 18 songs Nueces River 3 songs

History of Refugio

Garza, Carlos de la RoadyGoat

1836

Right here, you're driving through the heart of Texas Revolution history, near where Carlos de la Garza led a force of local rancheros. Born in 1807, Garza was a skilled horseman who found himself caught between loyalties when the revolution broke out. Though a republican, he sided with the Mexican army, leading his men as scouts for General Urrea. His knowledge of the land was crucial. In March of 1836, Garza's men raided Refugio, forcing Fannin to split his command — first dispatching King, then Ward — a fatal division that led directly to the disastrous Battle of Coleto Creek, where Fannin was surrounded and captured. He even used his influence to save some captured colonists from the Goliad Massacre. After the war, Garza continued to be a respected figure, operating a ferry and defending the region from Native American raids, eventually dying in 1882 from an old arrow wound.

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Westover, Captain Ira, Home of RoadyGoat

1835

You're driving through Refugio, Texas, where Captain Ira Westover made his home. He was a key player in the early days of the Texas Revolution. In October of 1835, he helped capture Goliad. Just a month later, commanding around sixty to seventy Texans, he took Fort Lipantitlan and then defeated a Mexican force of about ninety men under Captain Nicolás Rodríguez! Westover also served on the General Council of Texas. Tragically, he was part of Fannin's command and was massacred with his troops at Goliad in March of 1836. Remember the name Ira Westover, a determined leader in Texas' fight for independence.

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The Last Stand at the Mission RoadyGoat

In March of 1836, the Texas Revolution came directly to Refugio. A small Texian force arrived to help local families escape the advancing Mexican army. They took refuge in the thick stone walls of the old Spanish mission that once stood near the center of town. Soon, they were surrounded by General José de Urrea’s much larger army. The Texians split their forces, a fatal mistake. After days of intense fighting, they were overwhelmed. Those who weren't killed in the battle were captured. This defeat was a critical blow, as most of the men taken prisoner here were marched to a nearby town called Goliad, where they were executed two weeks later in the Goliad Massacre. The battle fought right here was a tragic prelude to one of the revolution's darkest moments.

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Mission River

1836

The Mission River is formed by the confluence of Blanco and Medio creeks in central Refugio County (at 28°19' N, 97°19' W) and runs southeast, past Refugio, for twenty-four miles to its mouth on Mission Bay, an inlet of Copano Bay (at 28°10' N, 97°10' W). It traverses gently undulating coastal prairies surfaced by clay and loam and spotted by groves of hardwoods and pines. It is home to myriad waterfowl and native slough grasses. In 1795 Spanish friars relocated Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission from a site near the junction of the Guadalupe and San Antonio rivers to the banks of the Mission River, a move that probably gave the river its name. On March 14, 1836, a detachment of Texans under Amon Butler King took a defensive position in one of the groves along the riverbank and repulsed repeated attacks of Mexican general José de Urrea 's troops during the battle of Refugio . Because the day's fighting nearly exhausted their supplies of gunpowder, King ordered his men to escape that night by swimming across the Mission River; they thus wetted the little powder that remained. The next day a party of Urrea's men overtook and captured King and his troops. The Texans were returned to the mission, where they were executed on March 16.

Tsha Handbook →

Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission

1793

Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission, the last of the Spanish missions in Texas, was founded on February 4, 1793, by Franciscans of the College of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Zacatecas , as part of prefect Manuel J. de Silva 's ambitious plan to pacify and convert all the Indians living along the Texas coast. In 1791 Fray Silva and Fray José Francisco Mariano Garza toured the Matagorda Bay region to discover a suitable site for the conversion of the Karankawa Indians. Missionaries had attempted to settle and convert to Christianity groups of Karankawas at Nuestra Señora del Rosario and Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo missions, but the Indians deserted and refused to return. However, the deserters promised the visiting priests that they would come to a mission if one was established on the Texas coast. The Indians helped choose the mission site, in an area known as El Paraje del Refugio "Place of Refuge," at a site on Goff Bayou now in Calhoun County, north of Mission Lake and a half mile northwest of the site of present Long Mott. The new Texas mission was named Nuestra Señora del Refugio and was to serve the region surrounding Matagorda Bay. The mission was intended to teach European values and Christianity to the Indians as well as the industries of agriculture and cattle raising. However, from the time of its founding, the priests and the neophytes were faced with a variety of problems. An inadequate food supply and lack of tobacco caused unrest among the Indians. Also, construction of the mission buildings was slow, and the buildings were not watertight. At the end of its first year, the mission consisted of only six small wooden buildings with tule roofs, a corral for the cattle, a large frame shed, and a surrounding stockade. Indian attacks, led by Karankawa chief Fresada Pinta, contributed to the urgency of the need to move to a more environmentally suitable and better protected site. In June 1794 the mission moved to Rancho de los Mosquitos, on Mosquitos Creek, about halfway between the juncture of the San Antonio and Guadalupe rivers and the mouth of the Guadalupe. Despite the move, conflict with Fresada Pinta continued, the food supply remained inadequate, and many of the mission Indians left to search for food along the coast. In January 1795 the mission moved to its final location at the site of the present town of Refugio, a location considered better suited for farming. Retaining its original name, Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission was formally dedicated by Silva on January 10, 1795. Temporary relief from food shortages arrived in the spring of 1795, when 227 cattle were delivered, soon followed by 139 more. A census taken in October of that year reported a population of 82 Indians, down from the 138 Indians present at the founding of the original mission. By the fall of 1796 there were 175 Coco and Karankawa Indians at the mission, but more than half of that number had deserted the Rosario Mission. Conflicts arose among the Indians at Refugio, and again many left for the coast. The mission became a focus of attack by the Comanches, who invaded and stole livestock. Despite these difficulties, the construction of the mission was nearly completed by 1799. Most of the buildings, including workshops, a granary, and living quarters for the padres, the Indians, and the mission's few soldiers, are believed to have been constructed of driven poles with adobe walls and thatched roofs. Only the church and the blacksmith shop are believed to have been of stone. The church had a wooden roof and a tile floor. A stockade surrounded the mission and helped protect the soldiers and inhabitants during times of Indian attack. Despite annual attacks by Comanches and other nonmission Indians, the mission reached a population of 224 in 1804. In 1807 Rosario Mission was ordered closed, and its Indians were officially merged with those at Refugio. However, continued attacks by Comanches and Karankawas and frequent internal conflicts

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Barefield School

1902

African Americans were denied access to education while enslaved, but opportunities emerged after emancipation. The first African American school in Refugio was held in a shotgun building on the corner of Santiago and Osage Streets. The school, known as the Refugio Colored School, later moved to the corner of Alamo and King Streets. The school had no running water so the boys carried water from Osage Street for drinking purposes. The students also found and cut firewood during the winter months to heat the school and were responsible for maintenance of the building. In 1927, the school burned. Professor A.T. Barefield arranged for classes to be held at the Bob Button Dance Hall and then at Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church. Beginning in 1917, Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears Roebuck Company, began to provide matching funds for African American schools in the south. By 1929, a new two-room stucco building was erected on East Commons Street through the Rosenwald school building program. The school was later named Barefield School after professor A.T. Barefield, an educator in Refugio from 1902 to 1949, who promoted education and good citizenship within the black community. As attendance grew, the board of trustees approved to move one of the two-room buildings from the white school to the Negro school grounds. The Rosenwald School no longer exists but the 1933 addition still stands at commons and bayou streets. The Barefield School was the only Rosenwald School in Refugio County and was a symbol of vision and progress for the community during the early 1900s. (2013)

Historical Marker →

Mount Calvary Cemetery

1836

Initiated by the burial of 16 soldiers massacred during the Texas revolution of 1836. The bones of Capt. Amon King and his men--scattered on the Prairie--were buried by Refugio citizens. Later forgotten, the site was rediscovered in 1934. Grave of J. Hampton Kuykendall (1820?-1882), revolutionary soldier, journalist, congressman, and scholar, lies near north fence. Also interred here are Irish settlers of the 1830s Powerheweson colony. Among them is Empresario James Power, who also signed Texas declaration of Independence.

Historical Marker →

Things to Do in Refugio

historical 24.3 mi away

Presidio La Bahía

Three weeks after the Alamo fell four hundred Texan prisoners were marched out of Presidio La Bahía in Goliad and executed on Santa Annas direct orders on Palm…

historical 24.4 mi away

The Goliad Massacre - Palm Sunday 1836

It was Palm Sunday morning 1836 and the Texian prisoners at Presidio La Bahia thought they were being marched to the coast for release. Instead Mexican…

Sports in Refugio

🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 2A · Football · 2016–2019

Refugio Bobcats — UIL 2A Football State Champions — 2 titles

Most recent: 28-7 over Post · 2019 2A Division 1 final

Refugio High School, a Class 2A football powerhouse from the Texas Coastal Bend, has cemented its place in state history with multiple UIL State Championships. The Bobcats have consistently demonstrated a high level of play, making them a respected name in Texas high school football. Their success on the field is a point of pride for the Refugio community.

The town of Refugio rallies around its team, creating an atmosphere that is uniquely Texan. The Bobcats' commitment to excellence has brought significant recognition to the school and the community it represents, showcasing the spirit of small-town Texas football.

State titles

2 (2016–2019)

Most recent

2019, 28-7

Class

The moment

One notable moment in Refugio football history was their 2019 2A Division 1 State Championship victory, where they defeated Post with a final score of 28-7.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)

Everything Near Refugio

70 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Garza, Carlos de la
Right here, you're driving through the heart of Texas Revolution history, near where Carlos de la Garza led a force of local rancheros. Born in 1807, Garza was a skilled horseman who found himself caught between…
Mission River · Tsha Handbook
The Mission River is formed by the confluence of Blanco and Medio creeks in central Refugio County (at 28°19' N, 97°19' W) and runs southeast, past Refugio, for twenty-four miles to its mouth on Mission Bay, an inlet of…
Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission · Tsha Handbook
Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission, the last of the Spanish missions in Texas, was founded on February 4, 1793, by Franciscans of the College of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Zacatecas , as part of prefect Manuel J. de…
O'Connor, Thomas · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio County, a place that was once the heart of a Texas empire built by one man: Thomas O'Connor. Born in Ireland, O'Connor arrived in Texas at just seventeen years old and became the youngest…
Refugio, Battle of · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio, the site of a chaotic series of clashes during the Texas Revolution. Back in March of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1836</say-as>, Texian forces under Amon King and William Ward…
Dieterich, Francis · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio, or maybe near San Patricio County, and right here is where Francis Dieterich, a German immigrant, found himself in the thick of the Texas Revolution. He arrived in Texas in 1834, and by…
Dunn, John · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio County, and right here is where John Dunn, a native of Ireland, first set foot in Texas back in 1829. He was a key figure in the early days, operating a store near the Refugio Mission even…
Rogers, Lieuen Morgan · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio County, and right here is a place with a wild past. Lieuen Morgan Rogers wasn't just a legislator and judge; he was a man of vengeance. After Mexican guerrillas murdered his father and…
Sideck, Anthony · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio County, near where Anthony Sideck settled his ranch in the 1820s. He was a native of Louisiana, but found himself in the heart of Texas frontier life, working alongside Native American…
Refugio, TX · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio, a town with roots stretching back to the Karankawa Indians who called this place Paraje de los Copanes. The Spanish established the Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission here in 1795, and by…
Brush, Elkanah · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what was once the Republic of Texas, and right here, Elkanah Brush was a key player. Arriving in Refugio in 1834, Brush quickly got involved in the fight for independence. He helped organize the…
Durden, Mattie Ella Holman · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio, the birthplace of Mattie Ella Holman Durden, born right here in 1881. She started her education in a one-room schoolhouse, but her drive took her all the way to college. Mattie became the…

Show all 70 nearby places

Refugio County · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio County, a place named for a mission founded way back in 1795. Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission was the last Spanish mission in Texas to be secularized, finally closing its doors in 1830.…
Huson, Hobart, Jr. · Tsha Handbook
You're driving near Refugio, the hometown of Hobart Huson Jr. Born in San Antonio in 1893, Huson settled here and built one of the most impressive Texana libraries in the state, boasting some 20,000 volumes. He was more…
Malaguita Indians · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, perhaps near the coast, and you might be passing over land once known as La Isla de los Malaguitas – the Island of the Malaguita people. <break time="400ms"/> These Native Americans…
Mission Nuestra Senora del Refugio · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker
This was the last Spanish mission founded in Texas, established in 1793 for the Karankawa people, a coastal tribe that had lived along the Gulf for thousands of years. The Karankawa were tall, powerfully built, and by…
John and Virginia Linney House · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the John and Virginia Linney House. John Filmore Linney and his wife Virginia, both from pioneer Texas families, moved into this house in 1876. His father had it built for them, and they raised eight…
Home County of Texas Confederate Colonel A.M. Hobby · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Refugio County, the home of Colonel A.M. Hobby. Hobby was a staunch supporter of states' rights who served in the Texas Legislature. In 1862, he resigned to organize a battalion for the…
King's Men Monument · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Refugio, Texas, where a somber marker commemorates a tragic event during the Texas Revolution. On March 16th, 1836, a group of soldiers, members of the Texas Revolutionary Army, met a brutal end.…
UIL 2A Football State Champions — 2 titles · 0.5 mi
Refugio High School (Refugio, TX): Most recent: 28-7 over Post · 2019 2A Division 1 final.
Westover, Captain Ira, Home of · 0.5 mi
You're driving through Refugio, Texas, where Captain Ira Westover made his home. He was a key player in the early days of the Texas Revolution. In October of 1835, he helped capture Goliad. Just a month later,…
Barefield School · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker
African Americans were denied access to education while enslaved, but opportunities emerged after emancipation. The first African American school in Refugio was held in a shotgun building on the corner of Santiago and…
Refugio City Hall · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Refugio City Hall, a building that rose from the ashes of the Great Depression. Erected between 1935 and 1936, this Spanish Colonial Revival beauty was funded in part by the federal Public Works…
Mount Calvary Cemetery · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker
Initiated by the burial of 16 soldiers massacred during the Texas revolution of 1836. The bones of Capt. Amon King and his men--scattered on the Prairie--were buried by Refugio citizens. Later forgotten, the site was…
Irish Immigrants in Refugio · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Refugio, a town with deep roots in Irish history. Back in the 1830s, two Irishmen, James Power and James Hewetson, secured permission from Mexico to bring over 200 Irish families to Texas. The…
Woodworth House · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're cruising through Refugio, and right here is the Woodworth House, built for a newspaperman and the granddaughter of a famous empresario. L.H. Woodworth and Mary Frances Power Swift moved into the first floor of…
The Last Stand at the Mission · 0.7 mi
In March of 1836, the Texas Revolution came directly to Refugio. A small Texian force arrived to help local families escape the advancing Mexican army. They took refuge in the thick stone walls of the old Spanish…
Birthplace of the Ryan Express · 0.7 mi
On January 31, 1947, in the small town of Refugio, Lynn Nolan Ryan was born. While his family moved up to Alvin when he was just an infant, this town will forever be the starting point for one of baseball's most…
The Science and Engineering of Hurricane Harvey · 0.7 mi
In August 2017, Refugio found itself in the crosshairs of a meteorological monster: Hurricane Harvey. From a STEM perspective, Harvey was terrifyingly unique. It underwent 'rapid intensification,' exploding from a…
Refugio, TX · 0.7 mi
The Battle of Refugio in 1836 was a significant event during José de Urrea’s coastal campaign of the Texas Revolution. Texian detachments under Amon B. King and William Ward fought Urrea’s forces near the mission,…
The Gusher that Changed Everything · 0.7 mi
Imagine Refugio before 1928: a quiet ranching town of under a thousand people, serving the cattle empires of the coastal plains, still small after decades of trying and failing to land a railroad. Then in 1928 oil was…
The Irish Colony of South Texas · 0.7 mi
Why are there so many Irish surnames in this part of South Texas? The answer lies with two empresarios, James Power and James Hewetson. In the 1820s, the government of Mexico granted them the right to settle this…
Refugio County Courthouses · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Refugio, the county seat that's seen its share of courthouses! The Spanish mission here, founded in 1795, actually served as the first courthouse for a spell, from 1837 to 1848. Then came a whole…
Yucatan Soldiers' Burial Site · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Refugio, and just up ahead is a grim reminder of the Texas Revolution. In 1836, Mexican General Jose Urrea was sent to crush the Texas uprising. His troops, many of them Yucatanians pressed into…
Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church in Refugio. Its roots go way back to a Spanish mission, Nuestra Senora del Refugio, founded in 1791. That mission moved to this very spot in 1795. The current…
Refugio County · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Refugio County, a place named for an old Spanish mission. Established in 1791, Mission 'Our Lady of Refuge' was meant to civilize local Native Americans. The county itself was created in 1836,…
A Star in the Window, a Marker by the Road · 1.4 mi
This road carries a Blue Star Memorial Highway designation, one of a string of them across Texas. The name comes from a family tradition. When someone in a household was serving in the armed forces, the family displayed…
Urrea Oaks · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Refugio County, passing the site known as Urrea Oaks. This spot was a critical staging ground for Mexican General Jose Urrea during the Texas War for Independence in March of 1836. After arriving…
Scull, Sally · 2.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Refugio County, Texas, and you might just pass the legendary Sally Scull. She was a rancher and horse trader, known for her colorful language and her sharp-shooting skills. During the Civil War,…
Woodsboro, TX · 5.5 mi
Woodsboro was founded as part of a land development project organized in 1906 by W. C. Johnson and George P. Pugh, experienced developers from Danville, Illinois. The town site was laid out in November and December…
The Name in the Platoon Leader's Wallet · 5.6 mi
A short piece of Farm to Market Road One Thirty Six carries a local designation, the Sergeant Hermando S. Moya Memorial Highway. Hermando Sanchez Moya was born on the sixth of November, nineteen thirty seven. The…
Wood, Tobias DeCantillon · 5.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio County, and right here is the community of Woodsboro, named for Tobe Wood. Wood was a cattle baron who started with nothing but grit, heading up the Chisholm Trail at just eighteen. He…
Rooke, Allen Driscoll · 5.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Right here in Refugio County, you're passing through the heart of Allen Driscoll Rooke's legacy. He was a WWI captain who fought overseas, but his real fight was for Texas's own defense. Convinced that state guards were…
Woodsboro Square · 5.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Woodsboro, a town laid out in late 1906 by developers from Illinois. It was named for Captain Tobias D. Wood, who sold his ranch for the development. The town square, officially platted in 1908,…
Woodsboro, TX · 5.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Woodsboro, a town that owes its very existence to a land development project from Illinois. Back in 1906, developers W. C. Johnson and George P. Pugh saw potential here, right next to the new St.…
A Woodsboro Name From the Vietnam Wall · 5.8 mi
A short stretch of Farm to Market Road Thirteen Sixty carries a name that is also on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. This is the PFC Angel Vega Memorial Highway, a local designation. Angel Vega was born on May…
Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Woodsboro (Woodsboro) · 5.9 mi
Woodsboro (Woodsboro, TX) placed on the 2A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Brayden Gray (0.515 avg).
Woodsboro, TX · 6.4 mi
Woodsboro's history began in 1906 when developers W. C. Johnson and George P. Pugh from Danville, Illinois, initiated a land development project. Originally named Church, the town was renamed Woodsboro in honor of…
Mier Expedition · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Texas, maybe not too far from the Rio Grande, and you're passing through a place that remembers one of the Republic of Texas's most disastrous adventures: the Mier Expedition. It started as a raid…
Baker, John Reagan · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio County, and right here, John Reagan Baker was making a name for himself as a Republic of Texas soldier. In 1840, he was part of a campaign that saw him cut his way back to Texas after a…
Bower, John White · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what was once the Republic of Texas, perhaps near the San Antonio River. Right here, John White Bower played a critical role in the Goliad Campaign of 1836. He operated the ferry that bore his…
Camp, Little Berry [L.B.] · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what was once a hotbed of Texas politics, and right here, you might have passed the home of L.B. Camp. Camp was a Texas legislator who, in 1861, stood against the tide. While many delegates voted…
Lambert, Walter · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio County, and right here, you're passing through the area where Walter Lambert fought. Born in Ireland in 1809, Lambert came to Texas in 1834 to join his uncle's colony. He jumped right into…
Mesquite Landing · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio County, near where the San Antonio and Guadalupe rivers meet. This spot, known to early Spaniards as a place of mosquitoes, was called Mesquite Landing. It was a crucial rendezvous for…
St. Mary's of Aransas, TX · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
St. Mary's of Aransas, once a leading town of Refugio County and for a short time county seat, flourished from about 1850 to 1886. The town on Copano Bay, planned by Joseph F. Smith, became a leading lumber mart. It…
Norton, Milford Phillips · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio County, a place that saw a fascinating career unfold. Milford Phillips Norton arrived in Texas in 1839, a lawyer seeking to manage family lands after financial troubles back in Maine. He…
Eighth Texas Infantry · 6.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Refugio County, the birthplace of the Eighth Texas Infantry. Organized in May of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1862</say-as>, this Confederate unit saw action all along the Texas coast.…
Pete Hughes and the Wall of Fire Over Ploesti · 7.3 mi
All of U.S. Highway Seventy Seven in Refugio County is the Second Lieutenant Lloyd Pete Hughes Medal of Honor Memorial Highway, named in twenty twenty one after calls from many Refugio residents. Lloyd Herbert Hughes…
Blanconia (Old N2) Church · 10.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bee County, heading towards Blanconia. Look around and imagine a time when this area was the frontier for Baptists in South Texas. The first Baptist church in Refugio County was organized way back…
Old St. Mary's Cemetery · 13.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Old St. Mary's Cemetery near Bayside. This isn't just any graveyard; it's a direct link to St. Mary's, a town founded in 1857 by Joseph F. Smith, nephew of Texas' first provisional governor, Henry…
Lonesome Dove / Great Western Cattle Trail · 14.2 mi · Historical Marker
Larry McMurtry set his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Lonesome Dove in the brush country of South Texas, near the Rio Grande, where cattle drives began their months-long push north to Montana. The fictional town of…
Birthplace of Clara Driscoll · 14.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the birthplace of Clara Driscoll, the "Savior of the Alamo." Born in 1881 in the port town of St. Mary's, she grew up with a deep appreciation for Texas history. After studying abroad, she returned…
The Ghost Town of St. Mary's · 15.1 mi
Two miles northeast of modern Bayside lies the ghost of a different town. Founded around 1850 by Joseph F. Smith, St. Mary's of Aransas was a busy Copano Bay port shipping lumber, hides, tallow, cattle and cotton inland…
When the Bay Came to Town · 15.1 mi
In August 2017, the people of Bayside lived their town's worst nightmare. Hurricane Harvey came out of the Gulf as a Category 4 with 130-mile-an-hour winds and came ashore on San Jose Island and at Rockport and Fulton,…
Bayside, TX · 15.1 mi
Bayside, Texas, wears its name like a badge of honor, a simple declaration of its very essence. Established in the early 20th century, the town didn't need to search far for inspiration. It sits nestled right on the…
The Irishman Who Built the Coast · 15.1 mi
The story of this stretch of coast begins with an ambitious Irishman named James Power. In 1828 he and his partner James Hewetson secured an empresario grant from the Mexican government to settle two hundred Irish and…
Bayside, TX · 15.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving along the southwestern shore of Copano Bay, and right here is Bayside, Texas. This community got its start in 1908, when developers E.O. Burton and A.H. Danforth envisioned a paradise for fruit and…
John Howland Wood and Nancy Clark Wood House · 15.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the John Howland Wood and Nancy Clark Wood House, a magnificent edifice built in 1875. It combines Greek Revival style with Victorian Italianate detailing, featuring a grand portico and a…
Copano, Site of the Town of · 16.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Copano, once a vital Texas port. Named for the local Indian tribe, this wasn't just any landing; it was the gateway for countless colonists arriving in Texas. Imagine this stretch of…
Holiday Beach, TX · 18.7 mi
In the mid-1960s, a group of Dallas investors organized the Copano Land Company, marking the beginning of development in Holiday Beach. The first lots were sold around 1964, and the area continued to grow with…

Explore Refugio on the Map

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Refugio, Texas

Music in Refugio

Songs About Refugio

Artists From Refugio

Rivers & Roads in Song near Refugio

History of Refugio

Garza, Carlos de la RoadyGoat

Westover, Captain Ira, Home of RoadyGoat

The Last Stand at the Mission RoadyGoat

Mission River

Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission

Barefield School

Mount Calvary Cemetery

Things to Do in Refugio

Sports in Refugio

Refugio Bobcats — UIL 2A Football State Champions — 2 titles

Everything Near Refugio

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