Public Market and Town Hall

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about this place. Now settle in, because this one's got bones, literal bones, foundations that have been holding up the story since before the Civil War. We're talking about the Public Market and Town Hall of Cameron County, and friend, this building has seen some things.

It was authorized in 1850, on land deeded forever for this purpose. Forever. That word is doing a lot of work, and the building has been doing its part to hold up that promise.

By 1851, the butchers and other vendors had already moved in, setting up shop, filling the air with all the noise and commerce a young Texas town could muster. Then in 1852, the building came into its full self, complete with a top story and a bell tower. Now that's a statement.

You put a bell tower on something, you're saying you plan to stay. And they weren't done with it yet. That top story, that town hall perched right over the market, became the home of Presbyterian church services.

So on any given week you might have vendors below and a congregation above, which, if you think about it, is just about as Texas as it gets. Then came 1867, and a high wind. Not just any wind.

A high wind that took the second floor clean off. All that civic ambition, all those church services, gone in one blow from the sky. But here's the thing about a building deeded forever.

By 1868 it was restored. Back up. Ready again.

The years kept coming, 1912 brought a remodeling, and then 1948 brought another. But underneath all of that, underneath every coat of change and every new century's ideas about what a market ought to look like, the original foundations and walls are still there. Still surviving in the modern market.

That wind in 1867 thought it had the last word. The foundations disagreed.

What the marker says

Authorized 1850. On land deeded forever for this purpose. Butchers, other vendors moved in during 1851. Building complete with top story and bell tower, 1852. Town hall over market used for Presbyterian church services. In high wind of 1867 lost its second floor. Restored 1868. Remodeled 1912, 1948. Original foundations and walls still survive in the modern market.