Mitte Cultural District in Brownsville in Cameron County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Jose San Roman

Photographed by James Hulse, April 19, 2023

1. Jose San Roman Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Jose San Roman of Spain established a dry goods firm in Matamoros in 1846 and operated riverboats with other wealthy area merchants. He also smuggled cotton trade through Bagdad (near Mexican side of mouth of Rio Grande). In 1850 he built a commercial structure still standing on Elizabeth St. He also helped secure a charter for a railroad from Point Isabel to Brownsville in the 1870s.

Spanish:
Jose San Román orginario de España estableció una cadena de abarrotes en Matamoros en 1846. Fue también Operador de Buques de Rio y contrabandista de algodón a través de Bagdad (del lado Mexicano del Rio Bravo); Construyó un comercio en Elizabeth Street en 1850, el cual aún existe. Ayúdó a establecer una concesión ferrocarrilera entre Point Isabel y Brownsville en 1870.

Erected by City of Brownsville, Preserve America, Brownsville Heritage Complex, U.S. Department of the Interior and Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Hispanic Americans • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.

Location. 25° 54.511′ N,

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

97° 30.016′ W. Marker is in Brownsville, Texas, in Cameron County. It is in the Mitte Cultural District. It can be reached from the intersection of East 5th Street and East Madison Street. The marker is located in the southeastern section of the Brownsville City Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Brownsville TX 78520, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Texas.

It is also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

and one of the Confederate States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Old City Cemetery (here, next to this marker); Brownsville City Cemetery (here, next to this marker); Samuel W. Brooks (a few steps from this marker); Daisy Starck (within shouting distance of this marker); Emilio Forto (within shouting distance of this marker); Israel Bonaparte Bigelow

San Roman Gravestone image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, April 19, 2023

2. San Roman Gravestone

(within shouting distance of this marker); Mary B. Sloss (within shouting distance of this marker); Rafael Morales (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brownsville.

Also see . . . San Roman, Jose (1822–ca. 1895). Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

José San Román, merchant, banker, and broker in the contraband cotton trade of the Civil War, son of Joaquín María de San Román, was born at Valle de Arcentales, Bilbao, Spain, in 1822. He came to America in the late 1830s and settled in New Orleans, where he was apprenticed to the English merchandise firm Thorn M. Grath Company. In 1846 San Román moved to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and established a dry-goods firm sponsored by the company. By 1850 the business extended across the Rio Grande to the newly incorporated town of Brownsville, Texas. San Román prospered and expanded his business into commercial credit, trustee holdings, real estate, and cotton brokerage.

(Submitted on May 3, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The Jose San Roman Marker in the cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, April 19, 2023

3. The Jose San Roman Marker in the cemetery

Credits. This page was last revised on May 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 3, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 317 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 3, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.