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

Commissary

Circa 1904

Photographed By James Hulse, April 19, 2023

1. Commissary Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Built circa 1904, as a commissary for Fort Brown, it had a basement, main floor, loading platform and attic. The iron bars on the windows were a part of the original design to prevent theft. From 1913 to 1944, the U.S. Army used the building as a guardhouse/jail. The property was acquired by the City and School District in 1946 for the junior college which renovated it in 1960.

Spanish:
Construido cerca 1904 como almacén de comestibles para el Fuerte Brown, el edificio tenia un sótano, piso principal, una plataforma de carga y un ático. Los barros de hierro en las ventanas son parte del diseño original y fueron instalados para prevenir robos. El ejército lo usó como casa de guarda/cárcel de 1913 a 1944. En 1946 el municipio y el distrito escolar adquirieron la propiedad para el colegio preparatorio, quien renovó el edificio en 1960.

Erected by City of Brownsville, Brownsville Heritage Complex, Preserve America and Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Forts and Castles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1904.

Location.

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25° 53.885′ N, 97° 29.484′ W. Marker is in Brownsville, Texas, in Cameron County. Marker can be reached from Gorgas Drive, 0.1 miles south of May Street. The marker is located on the south side of the Commissary building in the campus of Texas Southmost College. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1851 Gorgas Drive, 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. Fort Brown Commissary/Guardhouse (here, next to this marker); Fort Brown Commissary / Guardhouse Comisaria y Casa de la Guardia del Fuerte Brown (here, next to this marker); Fort Brown Buildings 85 and 86 (within shouting distance of this marker); Post Morgue (within shouting distance of this marker); African American Troops at Fort Brown (within shouting distance of this marker); Post Hospital Annex (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); William Crawford Gorgas (about 300 feet away); Post Hospital (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brownsville.

More about this marker. The historic Fort Brown buildings are located around the campus of the Texas Southmost College.

Also see . . . Fort Brown. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

Fort Brown, originally called Fort Texas, was established when Zachary Taylor and
Photographed By James Hulse, April 19, 2023

2. The Commissary and Marker
the United States forces of occupation arrived on the Rio Grande on March 26, 1846, to establish the river as the southern boundary of Texas. In April 1846 Taylor built an earthen fort of 800 yards perimeter, with six bastions, walls more than nine feet high, a parapet of fifteen feet, and the whole surrounded by a ditch fifteen feet deep and twenty feet wide. Armament was four eighteen-pound guns. The Seventh Infantry, with Company I of the Second Artillery and Company E, Third Artillery, commanded by Maj. Jacob Brown, garrisoned the fort. Mexican troops led by Mariano Arista intercepted United States troops as they brought supplies from Fort Polk at Point Isabel to Fort Brown, leading to the opening battles of the war, Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, fought on May 8 and 9, 1846. On May 9 Major Brown died from injuries received during the bombardment of the fort by Mexican forces in Matamoros. Shortly after his death he was buried within the fortifications, and the post was named in his honor.

(Submitted on May 14, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The view of the Commissary from the sidewalk image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, April 19, 2023

3. The view of the Commissary from the sidewalk

Credits. This page was last revised on May 14, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 332 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 14, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.