Santa Rita
Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Here was Santa Rita; First Anglo-American settlement on lower Rio Grande and county seat of Cameron County; 1848 1849
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1848–1849, just after the Mexican–American War fixed the Rio Grande as an international border, Santa Rita rose as the first Anglo-American settlement on the lower river and briefly served as the county seat of newly organized Cameron County. The town did not endure, and the marker now stands where it once was. Its short life reflects the volatile early years of American settlement along the border.
Why it matters
Santa Rita marks the first flush of American town-building on the lower Rio Grande, a fleeting foothold that helped set the stage for the border region's development.
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