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

Reverend Hiram Chamberlain

Photographed By James Hulse, April 19, 2023

1. Reverend Hiram Chamberlain Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Reverend Hiram Chamberlain was the first Protestant (Presbyterian) Minister in the area. In 1854 he and Melinda Rankin opened the Rio Grande Female Institute. He was a chaplain for the Confederates in the 3rd Texas Infantry at Fort Brown throughout the Civil War. His daughter married Captain Richard King, founder of the King Ranch.

Spanish:
El Reverendo Hiram Chamberlain fué el primer Ministro Protestante Presbiteriano en ésta area. Fue Capellán por la Confederación en la Tercera Infantería durante la Guerra Civil en Fort Brown. Su hija se casó con el Capitán Richard King fundador del King Ranch.

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 this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1854.

Location. 25° 54.54′ N, 97° 30.048′ W. Marker is in Brownsville, Texas, in Cameron County. It is in the Mitte Cultural District. Marker can be

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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.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Rio Grande Masonic Lodge (within shouting distance of this marker); Israel Bonaparte Bigelow (within shouting distance of this marker); Mary B. Sloss (within shouting distance of this marker); Rafael Morales (within shouting distance of this marker); Francisco Yturria (within shouting distance of this marker); William Neale (within shouting distance of this marker); Emilio Forto (within shouting distance of this marker); Samuel W. Brooks (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brownsville.

Also see . . . Chamberlain, Hiram (1797–1866). Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

The Presbyterian split in 1838 found Hiram decidedly in the old school. In addition, he severed his ties with the American Home Missionary Society the next year, apparently over the society's increasing support of the abolition movement. Though Chamberlain himself owned no slaves and seems to have disapproved of slavery, he, like many old-school ministers, believed that slaveholding was not forbidden in scripture and that the relation of master
Photographed By James Hulse, April 19, 2023

2. Reverend Hiram Chamberlain Gravesite and Marker
and slave was a civil and domestic institution in which the church had no power to legislate. He was also an ardent believer in the separation of church and state, dedicated "to wake up the attention of Protestants to the errors and evils of Roman Catholicism." Enlightenment, Chamberlain believed, came only through self-denial, noble resolution, and an unemotional adherence to Christian duty.

(Submitted on May 5, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The view of the Reverend Hiram Chamberlain Marker in the cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, April 19, 2023

3. The view of the Reverend Hiram Chamberlain Marker in the cemetery

Credits. This page was last revised on May 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 3, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 141 times since then and 71 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 5, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.