San Roman Building
Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Erected 1850 for Don Jose San Roman, native of Biscay, Spain--importer, steamboat owner, merchant, investor in city lots. He and successor, Feliciano San Roman, backed the Rio Grande Railroad. Fulgencio Lopez was last of San Romans in charge here.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Raised in 1850 in the young border city of Brownsville, this building belonged to Don Jose San Roman, a native of Biscay in Spain who prospered as an importer, steamboat owner, merchant, and investor in city lots. He and his successor Feliciano San Roman helped finance the Rio Grande Railroad, tying the lower river to the wider world of commerce. Fulgencio Lopez was the last of the San Romans to run the business here.
Why it matters
The San Roman Building marks the immigrant merchant capital that built the Rio Grande borderland economy, linking Spain, the river steamboat trade, and the coming of the railroad.
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Related people
- · Jose San Roman
- · Feliciano San Roman
- · Fulgencio Lopez
Themes & tags
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