Introduction
Cameron County Texas is the southernmost county in the state of Texas. The largest city, as well as its county seat is Brownsville. Captain Ewan Cameron is the namesake for the county, he was a soldier during the Texas Revolution as well as part of the Mier expedition.
This is one of the only counties in the state that continues to have multiple courthouses and jails dating all the way back to the the 19th century.
The Last Battle of the Civil War, May 13, 1865, was the Battle of Palmito Ranch. Palmito Ranch is in the southeast corner of Cameron County, close to the mouth of the Rio Grande.
This area was for a very short period of time, part of the Republic of the Rio Grande.
Pictures of the older County Courthouses
Cameron County is fairly unique in terms of old courthouses and Jails. They have three of each located in separate places. The current courthouse was built in 1978. Structures of two previous Courthouses still exist. The 1885 Courthouse less the original clock tower is now a masonic lodge, as well as the 1912 courthouse which has been restored and is currently in use as office space. The old county jails are similarly represented, see additional remarks, below.
Pictures of the 1883 Cameron County Courthouse
Pictures of the 1912 Cameron County Courthouse
The 1912 Courthouse has been recently restored. This old historic courthouse is another true work of art and is still in limited use.
Pictures of the Cameron County Courthouse of 1978 (Current)
Here are our pictures of the Current Cameron County Courthouse.
Other Cameron County Attractions
- Cameron County Jail (3 Buildings) 1883, 1912, 1978
- Cameron County Centennial Marker – CAMERON COUNTY Created Fubruary 12, 1848 From Nueces County Organized August 12, 1848. Named in honor of Ewan Cameron 1811 – 1843 Captain in the Mier Expedition shot at Querataro. County Seat Santa Rita 1848 – 1849, Brownsville since. The earliest battles of the Mexican war and the last battle of the Civil ware were fought in this county.
- Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
- Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Area
- Neale House of 1850 Brownsville
- Southern Pacific Linear Park
- Washington Park
- Historic Brownsville Museum in Brownsville
- Brownsville Museum of Fine Art (and the king Tut Statue out front) I’m sorry, but, the museum of fine art is actually a gallery where local artists pictures are for sale. There were no museum pieces within during our visit in 2018.
- Costumes of the Americas Museum in Brownsville
- Iwo Jima Memorial and Museum in Harlingen
- Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum
- Painted Dolphins in Port Isabel
- Arroyo Colorado Vertical Lift Bridge in Rio Hondo
- Long Island Swing Bridge in Port Isabel
- Sandcastle Collection in South Padre Island
- Worlds Largest Fly Fishing Rod in Port Isabel
- Palmito Ranch Battlefield Brownsville
- Padre Jose Nicolas Balli Statue at South Padre Island
- Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park (Separate Gallery, Below)
- Fort Texas/Fort Brown (Separate Gallery, Below)
- History of Mexico and Mankind in Harlingen (Panorama/Separate Gallery, Below)
- Sabal Palm Sanctuary Brownsville – Rabb Plantation House (Separate Gallery, Below)
- Cameron County Parks (Separate Gallery, Below)
Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
Fort Texas / Fort Brown
History of Mexico and Mankind
Sabal Palm Sanctuary – Rabb Plantation House
Beautiful plantation home and the self guided tour inside was inspiring. Great hiking through the sabal palm grove. We did the native trail to the Rio Grande overlook and the forest trail. The resaca was dry. On the forest trail we did run into a coral snake, I missed getting a photo by a couple seconds. Coral snakes do inhabit the south Texas area, so be on the lookout, they are poisonous!
Green Jays were everywhere. It was december, so the right time of the year to see many of them.
Cameron County Parks
Cameron County has an extensive inventory of parks and recreation facilities.
Adolph Thomae Jr. County Park
Our List of additional attractions to see
- Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge
- Spacex Spaceport Boca Chica
- Resaca de la Palma State Park
- Arroyo Colorado State Park (Not sure what this really is, but it is on my radar)
- Isla Blanca County Park at South Padre Island
- Andy Bowie County Park at South Padre Island
- Bejarano McFarland Memorial County Park
- E.K. Atwood Park (South Padre Island Beach Access #5)
- Jaime J. Zapata Memorial Boat Ramp
- Boca Chica Bryan Beach State Recreation Park
- Gladys Porter Zoo Brownsville
- Old Brownsville Cemetery Brownsville
- Dean Porter Park Brownsville
- Stillman House Museum Brownsville
- Sea Turtles, Inc at South Padre Island
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Coastal Studies Lab at South Padre Island
- South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center at South Padre Island
- Laguna Madre Nature Trail at South Padre Island Convention Center
If anyone knows of anything else … please leave us a comment! We’d love to see it, next time we go out!!
Links
Cameron County Website
Texas State Historical Association
Wikipedia Article