Uriah Lott

Duane's take

Well, here's how the official marker tells it — and some stories, friend, the marker doesn't have to dress up at all. Uriah Lott was born in Albany, New York, on January 30, 1842. He came to South Texas in 1868, and from that moment on, South Texas was never quite the same.

Merchant, banker — sure, those are fine titles. But the one that really stuck was builder of railroads to the Rio Grande. The man looked at a map and saw not what was there, but what could be connected.

In 1875, he chartered the Corpus Christi, San Diego and Rio Grande narrow gauge railroad. Narrow gauge — modest enough, you might think. But Lott wasn't finished.

He reorganized that line as the Texas-Mexican Railroad, stretching its ambitions all the way from Corpus Christi to Laredo. Then in 1884, he chartered the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway and became its president. That railroad grew — and it grew considerably — reaching 688 miles of track in time, opening South Texas to the Gulf of Mexico and international trade in ways the region hadn't known before.

Now, a lesser man might've called it a career right there. But 1900 rolls around, and Uriah Lott sets his sights on the southmost tip of Texas. He obtained the right of way for a segment of the St.

Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway, running from Robstown to Brownsville. People started calling it the Lott Railroad, which tells you something about how folks felt about the man. The tracks reached this very point in February 1903.

And then came the day — July 4, 1904 — when for the first time a passenger train ran all the way from Corpus Christi to Brownsville. The new town of Kingsville held a special Fourth of July celebration that day, and I'd imagine it earned every firecracker. Lott spent his final years living at the Casa Ricardo Hotel in Kingsville, the town that had cheered his railroad into existence.

He died on March 29, 1915. He and his wife, the former Mary Cicele Reynolds, are buried together at the Chamberlain Cemetery in Kingsville. The marker puts it plainly: his work was vital to South Texas development and enhanced national prosperity at the turn of the century.

Some legacies are measured in miles of track.

What the marker says

(January 30, 1842 - March 29, 1915) Merchant, banker, builder of railroad to the Rio Grande. Born in Albany, N.Y. Came to South Texas in 1868. Chartered the Corpus Christi, San Diego and Rio Grande narrow gauge railroad in 1875. Later, reorganized it as the Texas-Mexican Railroad, to be built from Corpus Christi to Laredo. In 1884 he chartered and became president of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway, which in time had 688 miles of track, and gave South Texas a new outlet to the Gulf of Mexico and international trade. Setting out (1900) to run a railroad to southmost tip of Texas, he obtained right of way for segment of the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway from Robstown to Brownsville. The "Lott Railroad" tracks reached this point in February 1903. When for the first time a passenger train ran all the way from Corpus Christi to Brownsville, July 4, 1904, the new town of Kingsville held a special Fourth of July celebration. For some years prior to his death, Lott lived in Casa Ricardo Hotel in Kingsville. He and his wife, the former Mary Cicele Reynolds, are buried in the Chamberlain Cemetery, Kingsville. Lott's work, vital to South Texas development, also enhanced national prosperity at turn of the century.