Created out of the coastal portion of Refugio County in 1871, Aransas County is the second smallest county in Texas. Within its boundaries are three bays of the Gulf of Mexico: Copano, St. Charles, and Aransas. The area was the site of early Indian . . . — — Map (db m53582) HM
Created September 18, 1871
from Refugio County;
Organized in 1871 with
Rockport as the County Seat.
Named for the River
Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu — — Map (db m53705) HM
(center panel)
Some gave some • Some gave all
In loving memory
of our fallen heroes
of Aransas County
Erected Nov. 11, 1984
by
the Rockport American G. I. Forum
Chapter 324-F, Texas
Jose “Pepe” Zambrano, . . . — — Map (db m53745) WM
Aransas County Judge W.H. Baldwin, who promoted Rockport as a deep water port, lived in this house in the 1890s. George A. Brundrett, Jr., was a Confederate veteran and cattle rancher on 15,000 acres on Matagorda Island; his family lived here from . . . — — Map (db m61067) HM
Located on the waterfront in a community that has survived many hurricanes, this house was built about 1868 by Dr. John W. Baylor. In addition to his medical practice Dr. Baylor owned a local meat packing business, ranched, and worked to bring a . . . — — Map (db m53593) HM
Carriage House and Stable A carriage house and stable was originally located to the north of Oakhurst. A small living area on the second floor housed male domestic staff. Female staff lived on the third floor of Oakhurst. In later years, the . . . — — Map (db m291030) HM
Rockport’s original Big Blue Crab started out on the Del Mar Grill on Austin Street. In 1957, the Grill was run by Dorothy and Sal Silverman, and the specialty was Dorothy’s famous crab cakes. The Big Crab was 18 feet wide and 22 feet deep and was . . . — — Map (db m63660) HM
Adolph L. Bracht (1872-1961) was born in Rockport and worked at lumber and grocery stores before establishing his own wholesale and retail grocery in 1899. He was a charter member of the Intracoastal Canal Association and active in the Chamber of . . . — — Map (db m53746) HM
The Recreation Hall, once called the Concessions Building, is almost all that remains of the huge amount of work done by the Civilian Conservation Corps at this park. The roads and campsites have changed, the uses are different, but the building . . . — — Map (db m291025) HM
George and Harriet Fulton started a ranching business on a huge piece of land they got from Harriet's father. George used his business skills and new ideas, like shipping chilled meat to northern markets, to change the meat-packing industry in . . . — — Map (db m291028) HM
Tourism has been a major part of the Rockport economy for generations, but in the 1920s and 1930s with the rise of the automobile, more visitors began to travel to the area. The Cedars, built in 1928 by Dr. Joe and Mabel Bryant, became a popular . . . — — Map (db m60573) HM
Born Conger Neblett in Corsicana, and married to Jack Hagar in 1926, Connie Hagar received early training as a musician. She and her sister became interested in birds and worked as volunteers with the U.S. Biological Survey. The Hagars moved to . . . — — Map (db m53706) HM
Organized in 1873, the First Baptist Church of Rockport originally was located on S. Church Street. L.D. Young served as the first pastor. The hurricane of 1919 destroyed the first church building, but the members built a new structure at the corner . . . — — Map (db m53703) HM
The Methodist Church has been in existence in Rockport since about 1870. The Rev. H.G. Horton was assigned as pastor of the Rockport Church in 1872. The original Methodist Church building, erected at the corner of Live Oak and Bay Streets, was used . . . — — Map (db m53590) HM
Chartered on October 8, 1890, the First National Bank of Aransas Pass (now Rockport) was organized by a group of businessmen led by John H. Traylor, James M. Hoopes, George W. Fulton, Jr., James C. Fulton, and Richard H. Wood. Located at Main and . . . — — Map (db m53748) HM
This congregation traces its history to 1869. Although deactivated in 1879, it was reorganized with twenty charter members in 1889. The members met in facilities provided by other churches until their first house of worship was completed at Market . . . — — Map (db m53580) HM
Dubbed “Nine Mile Point” by early settlers, this island was first used commercially by the Cushman Meat Packing Company in the late 1860s. Austrian Franz Joseph Frandolig, a horseman who had delivered cattle to Cushman & Co., homesteaded . . . — — Map (db m53760) HM
Built about 1868, this vernacular early Texas home was purchased in 1872 by James C. Fulton, a noted early business and civic leader. Fulton sold the home in 1907 to his son-in-law, Albert L. Bruhl, a pharmacist and civic leader who served three . . . — — Map (db m53749) HM
This property was the site of the famous Rockport Cottages purchased in 1934 by Connie and Jack Hagar from Corsicana, Texas. Jack managed the cottages while Connie (1886–1973) pursued her passion for nature. Birds were Connie’s major interest, . . . — — Map (db m63659) HM
The Fulton home you see now was named Oakhurst ("Home in the Oaks"). The mansion was built later in George and Harriet Fulton's lives in 1877 to display their financial success and social status. Oakhurst was influenced by the fashionable homes in . . . — — Map (db m291029) HM
Between 1935 and 1939, the Texas Highway Department constructed several roadside parks along Highway 35 in Aransas County. Local residents ~ Mrs. J.L. Bell, Harry Hertzberg, Mrs. Eli Hertzberg, Joe S. Sheldon, Arnold K. Sheldon, Harry Traylor, and . . . — — Map (db m53774) HM
Prominent local businessman and land developer James M. Hoopes (1839-1931) had this home built between 1890 and 1892. The home later served as a hotel and boardinghouse between 1894 and 1930. It was sold in 1934 to T. Noah Smith, Sr. (1881-1955), a . . . — — Map (db m53587) HM
This 1874 house of longleaf pine features full-length gallery porches and such classical revival elements as square columns, dentils and brackets. It was built on Austin Street for the John Hynes family and designed by San Antonio architect Viggo . . . — — Map (db m207827) HM
The Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company was a leader in changing ranching in South Texas. They erected one of the first range fences to protect their cattle from diseases and keep their bloodlines safe. Fulton pushed for drilling water wells and using . . . — — Map (db m288273) HM
In the early 20th century, Rockport earned its place as a major center for the fishing industry along the Texas coast. In 1906, Roy Jackson opened Jackson Fish Company on the waterfront. His brother Stephen joined him to market local fish and . . . — — Map (db m207846) HM
Built around 1910, this two-story frame Colonial Revival was used as a boarding house for shipyard employees. The home was also used for shelter for 50 refugees during the 1919 hurricane that devastated the coast. In 1920, county judge Joe A. . . . — — Map (db m207909) HM
When popular hangout “Capt. Davis’ Drive-In,” owned by brothers Marvin, Jack and Charlie Davis, burned to the ground in 1942, Charlie’s wife, Mollie Davis, vowed to rebuild it and hired local builder Alva O. Freeman Sr. Construction of the art . . . — — Map (db m288270) HM
Commandancy of the Alamo -
Bexar, Feby. 24th, 1836 -
To the people of Texas & all Americans in the world --
Fellow citizens and compatriots
I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans and Santa Anna - I have sustained a . . . — — Map (db m288271) HM
In 1879, developer F.C. Finney built a modest Second French Empire style house in the Oklahoma addition, a mile south of Rockport. Local merchant Leopold M. Bracht (1857-1942) and his wife, Clara (Friday) (1870-1955), purchased the home in 1887. . . . — — Map (db m288269) HM
John M. Mathis (1831-1922) had this home built for his family in 1868-1869. Instrumental in platting the town of Rockport, he served as its first mayor in 1870. In 1880 he deeded the house to his cousin, Thomas H. Mathis (1834-1899), a leading . . . — — Map (db m53594) HM
Situated among hackberry, mesquite and live oak trees, this historic cemetery has served the McLester family for over a century. Charles H. McLester, an engineer on the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad in Aransas County, and his wife, Eliza . . . — — Map (db m208010) HM
Built in 1906, this house was the vision of James Edward (J. Ed) and Josephine Kennedy Moore. The two were married from 1903 until 1915, when Josephine passed away. J. Ed was a business owner who served several terms as Rockport’s mayor between the . . . — — Map (db m53743) HM
Cistern Two large concrete cisterns in the
basement collected rainwater for drinking, while a thousand-gallon cypress tower cistern supplied gravity-fed running water to the sink and toilets throughout the home. A boiler connected the stove in . . . — — Map (db m291031) HM
In early Rockport, many prominent families lived on what was called the Old Beach Road, now Water Street. Paved with white crushed shell, the road was lined with huisache, anacua, wild persimmon, prickly ash trees, dewberry vines, and stately homes. . . . — — Map (db m53767) HM
For more than 60 years, Rockport’s skyline was dominated by an imposing, three-story Moorish-inspired courthouse. It was the first major building designed by J. Riely Gordon, who would become one of Texas’ most famous architects. Born in Virginia in . . . — — Map (db m297335) HM
"The Old Fulton Home" was the first house the Fulton family built and lived in on the property. It was a modest long house with Greek Revival style details fashionable in homes of the late 19th century. The home was built around 1869 and located . . . — — Map (db m291027) HM
After the Civil War, Rockport became an important cattle ranching and shipping center. In 1866, James Doughty, T.H. Mathis, and John M. Mathis constructed cattle pens, with a long wharf that extended out into Aransas Bay from “Rocky . . . — — Map (db m53771) HM
Danish native Andrew Sorenson (1864-1941), established a reputation as a hunting and fishing guide in this area in the early 20th century. He bought 240 acres of land (.5 mi. W) in 1909 and in 1912 incorporated the private Port Bay Hunting and . . . — — Map (db m53761) HM
Born in 1846, Richard Henry Wood was one of the first residents of Rockport. In 1866,
Wood partnered with James Doughty and built the first cattle pens, warehouse and wharf at Rockport harbor. Wood ran his business until the 1919 hurricane . . . — — Map (db m193746) HM
The town of Rockport was founded by cattlemen J.M. and T.H. Mathis in 1867. Originally a part of Refugio County, it became county seat of newly formed Aransas County in 1871. Shipping and fishing provided the primary economic base of the town in its . . . — — Map (db m53704) HM
On April 22, 1943, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) and Aransas County agreed to build an airport for military purpose and public use. A total of 700 acres was purchased and leased to the U.S. Navy until March 9, 1948, when it reverted to . . . — — Map (db m181003) HM
This cemetery has served the citizens of Rockport and Fulton for over a century. The oldest marked grave is that of Emma Fulton (d. 1876), granddaughter of George Ware Fulton, who was instrumental in the development of the area and was interred in . . . — — Map (db m53596) HM
In 1935, Rockport Marine Lab was set up aboard the houseboat “Vivian” in Rockport Harbor to assist the Texas Game, Fish and Oyster Commission with Fisheries management. In 1947, a permanent lab was built on the harbor, a state of the art . . . — — Map (db m64468) HM
The earliest newspaper in this area was “The Vaquero”, published by Charles F. Bailey and Geraldo A. Beeman in St. Mary’s in 1868. In 1869 Bailey moved to Rockport and founded “The Transcript”, which continued in operation . . . — — Map (db m53588) HM
Rockport School has served the town of Rockport for many years as both an educational and community institution. It dates to 1935, during the era of the Great Depression. One of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs to combat the . . . — — Map (db m53578) HM
As Rockport grew as a center of commerce and a tourism destination in the 1880s, businessman Sam Smith, who owned several homes and businesses, donated the city’s first firefighting equipment. The unit cost about $1400 and consisted of a . . . — — Map (db m210843) HM
Before the arrival of the railroad in 1888, hotels in Rockport generally served clientele of the several local packeries. The Congdon Hotel was the leading hostelry of early Rockport and once served as a boarding home to the prominent Robert . . . — — Map (db m53769) HM
In 1866, James Doughty and Richard H. Wood, searching for a safe harbor location to ship cattle, built pens and a livestock-shipping wharf on “Rocky Point,” a prominent limestone protrusion that extended into Aransas Bay near present-day . . . — — Map (db m53787) HM
Rockport’s commercial seafood companies have been operating for more than one hundred years. By 1903, David Rockport Scrivner had opened a fish house. In 1907, he sold to Roy Jackson who named the operation the Jackson Fish Company. A few years . . . — — Map (db m53772) HM
Since 1866, wharves and piers have been a part of Rockport’s shores. The first wharf, constructed to ship cattle, was at Rocky Point. Other wharves handled commercial shipping and passenger traffic. Sorenson’s Wharf extended into the bay behind the . . . — — Map (db m53770) HM
Roman Catholic priests visited the Rockport area as early as 1838. The first mass in the town of Rockport was celebrated in the home of County Judge John Hynes in 1860, and services continued there for a number of years. Although property was deeded . . . — — Map (db m53585) HM
The Rt. Rev. Alexander Gregg, Bishop of the Diocese of Texas, officiated at the dedication of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Rockport on November 30, 1871. Led by lay ministers for much of its early history, St. Peter’s first was located at the . . . — — Map (db m53581) HM
During its early years Rockport relied on Gulf shipping for goods and services. After the arrival of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad in 1888, however, the town’s economic focus changed to include rail shipping and a burgeoning tourism . . . — — Map (db m53589) HM
Shipbuilding was a natural industry for Rockport. The earliest recorded ship built here was the Connie, constructed in 1880 by Bludworth & Company. The Bludworth family specialized in building pleasure craft and scows.
In 1917, World War . . . — — Map (db m58824) HM
Born in Houtzdale, Pennsylvania, Simon Michael (1905-2002) showed artistic ability at an early age. He became an artist and itinerant art teacher. In 1948, Michael moved to Rockport and established the Fulton School of Painting. He visited . . . — — Map (db m288267) HM
Built in 1889 by civic leader and politician John H. Traylor, the Aransas Hotel covered this city block. The three-story structure, a major tourist attraction in Rockport had about 100 rooms and a massive open dining room with a 200 person capacity. . . . — — Map (db m53583) HM
Shipping industries flourished on the Rockport waterfront by the 1880s. Heldenfels Shipyard was established here on 12.9 acres in October 1917. Four 281-foot wooden cargo vessels were to be built for military use in World War I; the . . . — — Map (db m53595) HM
Built in 1903 in Old Rockport, this Cottage and Craftsman Style House is an early frame Bungalow surrounded by giant oak trees. In 1920, W.H. Smith, grandson of early Refugio pioneers, bought this house where he lived with his second wife, their . . . — — Map (db m211222) HM
Simon Sorenson, a native of Denmark, bought Brunner’s Mercantile at this site in 1886. The building was originally two stories, rebuilt after an 1895 fire. The Sorensons received weather reports by telegraph, posted updates in the display windows . . . — — Map (db m53592) HM
The CCC used what was available, creating beautiful buildings out of native stone and trees. Here, what was available was oyster shell from surrounding bays, so that's what they used. Mixing Portland cement with crushed shells created the strong . . . — — Map (db m291026) HM
In March 1948, Mrs. Fred B. Hunt issued a call to organize the Woman’s Civic Club. One of the club’s major early activities was financing a permanent building for the organization. Later that year the recreation building for Humble Oil Company . . . — — Map (db m53586) HM
Tobias “T.R” Wood purchased lots at a sheriff’s auction in 1910 and built this Queen Anne style house. T.R. worked on his father’s cattle ranch located on San Jose Island. When T.R. moved to Victoria to practice law, his brother, Will W. Wood and . . . — — Map (db m212054) HM
