Home of Charles Stillman, 1810-1875
Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Brownsville home of Charles Stillman, 1810-1875; founder of Brownsville and partner in firm of M. Kenedy and Company, which opened the Rio Grande to steamboat navigation and controlled much of the commerce of Northern Mexico, 1848-1868. This house, erected about 1850, was the birthplace of James Stillman, President of the National City Bank of New York, 1891-1909.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built around 1850, this was the home of Charles Stillman, the entrepreneur who founded Brownsville and, through M. Kenedy and Company, opened the Rio Grande to steamboat traffic — dominating much of the commerce of northern Mexico in the mid-19th century. The house was also the birthplace of his son James Stillman, who rose to lead New York's National City Bank around the turn of the century. From a border town, the family's reach extended into American high finance.
Why it matters
The house ties the commercial opening of the Rio Grande border to the later heights of Wall Street banking, spanning frontier trade and national capital.
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Related people
- · Charles Stillman
- · James Stillman
Themes & tags
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