Markham in Matagorda County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Markham
Photographed by Dave W, January 31, 2026
1. Markham Marker
In the years after his death, the estate of Abel Head Shanghai Pierce sold 15,000 acres to the Moore-Cortes Canal Company for rice farming. The town of Markham was established in 1903 when Walter C. Moore (1857-1943) and Henry W. Cortes (1856-1908) pushed for community development. The Markham Townsite Company bought 344.6 acres of land from the Moore-Cortes Canal Company. Moore petitioned Southern Pacific Railroad official Charles Henry Markham (1861-1930) to extend the rail line from Van Vleck to Palacios, naming the town after him.
Business in the new townsite grew rapidly. In 1903, the Markham State Bank was organized with Frank J. Hardey as the first president, and Richard Dick Robertson served as first postmaster for the new Markham post office. Within a year, residents founded First Baptist Church, Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church and Markham Methodist Church. By 1914, the population reached 500. Within the first few decades, the town had ten saloons, five general stores, two drug stores, two boarding houses, two blacksmith shops, one cafι, and one pool hall. Markham established a school in 1904; J.E. Murray was one of the earliest teachers. The Markham Independent School District formed in 1904 and consolidated with other area school districts to form Tidehaven Independent School District in 1949.
With 25,000 acres of cultivation, the rice industry thrived in the Markham area. In 1906, Hiroto Katayama and a small group of Japanese laborers bought land near Markham to study growing techniques. The specific irrigation needs of rice production led J.M. Moore to found the Markham Irrigation Company in 1912. Markham continues to be a local center for agriculture.
Erected 2023 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 23976.)
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Location. 28° 57.617′ N, 96° 3.902′ W. Marker is in Markham, Texas, in Matagorda County. It is at the intersection of Third Street and Broadway (Farm to Market Road 1648), on the left when traveling east on Third Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Markham TX 77456, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is 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, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: J.S. Abercrombie Mineral Company (within shouting distance of this marker); Japanese Farmers in Matagorda County (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Markham United Methodist Church (approx.
Photographed by Dave W, January 31, 2026
2. Markham Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 2, 2026, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. This page has been viewed 56 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 2, 2026, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
