Details for El Campo

Historical Marker — Atlas Number 5481001410

Data

Marker Number 1410
Atlas Number 5481001410
Marker Title El Campo
Index Entry El Campo
Address 315 E Jackson St.
City El Campo
County Wharton
UTM Zone
UTM Easting
UTM Northing
Subject Codes cities and towns; immigration; railroads
Marker Year 1990
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark No
Marker Location 315 E Jackson St., at El Campo City Hall
Private Property No
Marker Condition In Situ
Marker Size 18" x 28"
Marker Text Begun as a camp on the New York, Texas, and Mexican Railroad in 1882, El Campo initially was known as Prairie Switch and served as a supply and shipping center for area ranchers. By the 1890s the town had grown to include a post office, homes, businesses, schools, and churches. An influx of European immigrants produced a strong ethnic heritage. Fires in 1896 and 1901 destroyed much of the downtown area, but the city rebuilt. Oil and gas discoveries in the 1930s provided an economic boom, although agriculture remains the primary local business.

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