| Marker Number |
4660 |
| Atlas Number |
5409004660 |
| Marker Title |
Sharpsburg and Borden's Ferry |
| Index Entry |
Sharpsburg and Borden's Ferry |
| Address |
US 77 |
| City |
Odem |
| County |
San Patricio |
| UTM Zone |
14 |
| UTM Easting |
635355 |
| UTM Northing |
3088151 |
| Subject Codes |
cities and towns; land surveys, land companies, promotional towns; boats, ships, ferries, barges, and other marine vessels; water topics |
| Marker Year |
1991 |
| Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
No |
| Marker Location |
from Odem, US 77 about 4.5 miles SW to (now closed) rest stop. Marker reported missing Jul. 2011. Map dot approximate. |
| Private Property |
|
| Marker Condition |
|
| Marker Size |
27" x 42" |
| Marker Text |
Named for an early area sheep rancher, the town of Sharpsburg grew into a regional trade center in the 1870's when Sidney Gail Borden (d. 1908) operated a general store, cotton gin, grist mill, and grape vineyards; bought a meat packery; and expanded an existing ferry business on the Nueces River. Flat bottomed sailing vessels allowed goods to be shipped on the Shallow River to markets including Corpus Christi. With processing and transportation facilities in place, Borden platted the town of Sharpsburg and sold lots, attracting several hundred settlers. Stores, a post office, a school, and a boardinghouse were also established. Farmers from towns as far away as twenty-five miles came to Sharpsburg to process their goods and ship them to area markets. Sharpsburg's growth peaked in the 1890's. Bypassed by the railroads, its population declined steadily. In 1912 Sharpsburg's school was consolidated with the Odem school district and closed, and in 1913 a bridge was constructed at the Ferry site. Though the town is no longer in existence and its site is again part of an area ranch, Sharpsburg and Borden's ferry remain an important part of early San Patricio County history. (1991) |
