Pilkington Slough Ranch
Collegeport, Matagorda County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Pilkington Slough Ranch, of the Collegeport community, has been an area landmark for more than 100 years. The original owners of the bulk of this land were Daniel, Elias and Erastus Yeamans, three brothers who fought in the Texas War for Independence; Elias and Erastus died at the Battle of Goliad. The Yeamans family held the property until 1880, when noted cattleman Abel H. “Shanghai” Pierce and his brother, Jonathan E. Pierce, purchased it. By 1889, Jonathan was sole owner of this land. He soon established his headquarters on a site overlooking the Pilkington Slough, which was named for Dr. Samuel Pilkington, an early area physician. From the Pilkington House, one could view the mouth of the slough, which forms a backwater on the eastern shore of the Tres-palacios Bay. The ranch was so named for its proximity to the Pilkington Slough. Through the years, tenants lived and worked on these lands, which are well suited for cattle ranching and rice cultivation. These tenants included members of the Ackerman, Huitt, Jackson and Slone families. The property also served as a community gathering place, occasionally hosting worship services, dances and other activities. The Matagorda Land and Cattle Company acquired the ranch in 1970; it was sold to other owners in 2001. Today, the ranch remains a crucial link to early development of southwestern Matagorda County, reflecting the agricultural economy of the area and the spirit of the pioneering men and women who settled here. (2008)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This Collegeport-area ranch carries more than a century of Texas history in its soil. Its earliest owners were the Yeamans brothers, veterans of the Texas War for Independence—two of whom died in the 1836 Goliad massacre. In 1880 the legendary cattleman Abel 'Shanghai' Pierce and his brother Jonathan bought the land, establishing a headquarters overlooking a slough named for a pioneer physician, and generations of tenant families raised cattle and rice here.
Why it matters
It links the sacrifice of Texas' fight for independence to the cattle empires and coastal agriculture that built southwestern Matagorda County.
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Related people
- · Elias Yeamans
- · Erastus Yeamans
- · Abel 'Shanghai' Pierce
- · Jonathan E. Pierce
- · Dr. Samuel Pilkington
Related events
- · Battle of Goliad
- · Texas War for Independence
Themes & tags
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