HistoricSiteMarkers
Progressive & Modern Era

Connie Hagar

Rockport, Aransas County, Texas

Marker Inscription

(June 14, 1886 - November 29, 1973) 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 Rockport in 1935, shortly after Connie made her first visit here. She became a self-taught authority on Texas birds, and her expertise was sought by professionals and amateur ornithologists from around the world. In 1945 the Texas Legislature designated this waterfront property as the Connie Hagar Wildlife Sanctuary. (1990)

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Born Conger Neblett in Corsicana, Connie Hagar trained as a musician before turning her attention to birds. After moving to Rockport in 1935 she became a self-taught authority on the Texas coast's migratory birds, sought out by ornithologists worldwide. In 1945 the Texas Legislature named this waterfront the Connie Hagar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Why it matters

It honors a woman whose amateur science helped put the Central Flyway and coastal Texas birding on the world map.

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Related people

  • · Connie Hagar

Themes & tags

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