Fulton Historical District Tour
From the Fulton Mansion to the commercial fishing docks — Fulton's golden era
Fulton was the industrial engine of Aransas County — meat packeries, commercial fishing, and one of the grandest Victorian homes on the Texas coast. This walk takes you through the remarkable story of George W. Fulton, who built his empire on the post-Civil War cattle industry and created a mansion that still stands today.
★ Tour Highlights
- ✓The Fulton Mansion — a Victorian masterpiece with hydraulic elevator and central air, built 1877
- ✓Site of Marion Packing Company — one of the largest meat packeries in 19th-century Texas
- ✓Casterline Fish Company — the commercial fishing legacy that continues today
- ✓Jackson Family Maritime Companies — seafood processing dynasty founded 1920s
- ✓Fulton Community Church — congregation organized 1875
Tour Stops
Fulton Mansion
Historical Marker317 N. Fulton Beach Rd.
Start at the Fulton Mansion (317 N. Fulton Beach Rd). George Fulton built this in 1877 — it had hydraulic plumbing and central air decades before they were common. Tours available.
Home of George W. Fulton
Historical Marker317 N. Fulton Beach Rd.
Same address, different marker — this 1936 centennial marker tells the Fulton family story in fewer words.
Site of Marion Packing Co.
Historical MarkerWalk to the Site of Marion Packing Co. After the Civil War, Texas cattle had no market until packeries like this turned longhorns into canned beef for the East Coast.
Jackson Family Maritime Companies
Historical MarkerAustin Street and Veterans Memorial Drive
Austin St. and Veterans Memorial Drive — Jackson Family Maritime Companies. The fishing industry that replaced the packeries in the 20th century.
Casterline Fish Company
Historical Marker110 N. Casterline Dr.
110 N. Casterline Dr. — Casterline Fish Company, founded 1916. The commercial fishing legacy that shaped Fulton Harbor.
Fulton Community Church
Historical Marker215 N. 3rd
215 N. 3rd — Fulton Community Church, organized 1875. Walk past the harbor to finish at this historic congregation.
Fulton Cemetery
Historical MarkerEnd at Fulton Cemetery — the burial place of many of the families whose stories you just walked through.
Historical Glimpses
The Shell Hotel at Fulton, circa 1900 — William S. Hall's mansion overlooked by the "Jean Lafitte Oak." The hotel hosted 100 guests and was a centerpiece of the Fulton packery era.
The Marion Packing Company, Fulton, 1875 — painted by John G. Tobias. Fulton's packeries processed millions of pounds of beef bound for Cuba and Mexico, making this the cattle-shipping capital of Texas.
Rockport Harbor, 1949 — shrimping boats like the "Loraine C." kept the harbor busy for decades after the packeries closed. First Place winner, Aransas County Historical Society 2012 Photo Contest.
Tour Details
- Type
- historical
- Transport
- Walking Tour
- Duration
- 1h 15min
- Distance
- 1.2 miles
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cost
- Free
Make a Weekend of It
Rockport has all four tours plus guided boat tours and 35 birding sites. Stay a few days and explore it all.
