Port Isabel in Cameron County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Queen Isabel Inn

Photographed By James Hulse, January 22, 2021

1. Queen Isabel Inn Marker

Inscription.

Built by 1906 to lodge Rio Grande Railroad Company passengers and tourists, especially fishermen and hunters, the Queen Isabel Inn was first known as "Point Isabel Tarpon & Fishing Club". The hotel hosted family train excursions from Brownsville as early as 1907. Prominent visitors to the inn included president-elect Warren G. Harding in November of 1920. By 1930, indoor plumbing, electrical service, and a popular dining room made the hotel an attractive destination for vacationers.

The Rio Grande Valley Fishing Rodeo was organized here in the summer of 1934 to promote tourism. The hotel was the headquarters for the contest, later renamed the Texas International Fishing Tournament.

Hurricanes in 1933 and 1967 removed the hotel's original porches and pitched roof. The hotel has served as the site for many important civic and social events and has been associated with the lives of persons significant to Port Isabel's history. The Queen Isabel Inn sparked the beginning of the hotel and tourism industry in the area and endures as an important landmark business in Port Isabel history.

Erected 1993 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 4143.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1920.

Location.

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26° 4.598′ N, 97° 12.31′ W. Marker is in Port Isabel, Texas, in Cameron County. Marker is at the intersection of South Garcia Street and East Hickman Avenue, on the left when traveling south on South Garcia Street. The marker is located on the front of the building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 300 South Garcia Street, Port Isabel TX 78578, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Charles Champion (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Port Isabel, C.S.A. (about 700 feet away); Old Point Isabel Lighthouse (about 800 feet away); A View from the Top (approx. 0.2 miles away); Port of Matamoros (approx. 0.2 miles away); Point Isabel Lighthouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of Fort Polk (approx. 0.2 miles away); Port Isabel Cemetery (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Isabel.

Also see . . . Port Isabel, Texas. Port Isabel is on the point where Texas Highway 100 meets the Laguna Madre in southeastern Cameron County, sixteen miles northeast of Brownsville. It is connected to South Padre Island by the two-mile-long Queen Isabella Causeway (Park Road 100). The first settlement in the area, Brazos Santiago, was on nearby Brazos Island. In 1788 water sellers traveled to the area to obtain water. The site was also used as a summer resort

Queen Isabel Inn and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, January 22, 2021

2. Queen Isabel Inn and Marker

by 1800. Jean Laffite is said to have had a fifteen-foot well dug near the site of present Laguna Vista, five miles northwest of Port Isabel. Official claim to the land was not made until 1828, when it was granted to Rafael García as part of the Potrero ("Pasture") de Santa Isabel. Source: The Handbook of Texas (Submitted on January 26, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 26, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 207 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 26, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.