This project is conducted by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, Texas A&M University and conducted under Antiquities Permit No. 1901.   Project objectives include:

• Examine and collect oral history on sites relating to the maritime heritage such as wrecks, ship graveyards, shipbuilding sites, 19th century ports and wharves.
• Prepare site report forms and get site numbers for archaeological sites in the Palacios area.
• Work with avocational historians and archaeologists in Palacios and Matagorda County to accomplish these ends.
• In the course of this work, no artifacts will be collected and no digging will be conducted.

Personnel

One INA staff member and volunteers from the local area conducted this field trip:

Contact Information

Results

Most of Thursday afternoon was spent in a planning and brainstorming session at the Trull Foundation offices. The general topic of discussion was preserving and studying the maritime heritage of the Palacios region of Matagorda Bay. Arnold delivered copies of several historic maps, quad maps, a copy of From Sail to Steam book on Texas maritime history, state archaeological site recording software, and booklets providing guidance for recording oral history. These materials are a beginning for building a maritime history collection in Palacios and are housed at the Trull Foundation office. See the notes of the meeting prepared by Gail Purvis.

The remains of the vessel Capt. Jerry, wrecked during Hurricane Carla in 1961.   The frames and keel of the vessel are exposed at extreme low tide, shown here.

After the meeting, the party went to the dock and set sail in a very small boat for the Coon Island ship graveyard. It was immediately apparent that high winds and waves precluded even the short trip to sheltered waters across the Tres Palacios Bay. They then proceeded to record the wreck located almost across the street from Terry Mosier's house. They learned from Terry that this was the wreck of the Capt. Jerry, blown ashore in Hurricane Carla in 1961. The site is now recorded as 41MG114.

The following morning we proceeded to conduct a surface survey and record the site of Palacios Point, the original location of the modern town of Palacios, dating from 1838. The site is now in a pasture of Rusty Green’s ranch, and the party greatly appreciates his permission to visit the site. They observed concrete foundations with steel rebar protruding that they take to be early 20th century. Local tradition identifies this foundation as the remains of the O'Neal Hotel. A few pot sherds, glass sherds, burned clay lumps (brick fragments?), and pieces of broken iron (stove?) were observed on the surface, photographed, and left in place. This site is now recorded as 41MG113. With this beginning INA has launched a maritime heritage survey for Palacios. The two sites recorded require follow up to acquire more historic background information. At the same time INA can proceed with recording more and more archaeological and historic sites in the region.

Local tradition identifies this foundation at Palacios Point as the remains of the old O'Neal Hotel. Pottery sherds, glass fragments, burned clay and iron were found on the site.

Why do Reconnaissance Surveys?

The most basic requirement in studying and preserving the archaeological and historic sites of any area is to systematically record the sites. When investigators know what the resources are, they can then proceed to phases of protection, preservation, and research based on a sound foundation.

Before INA began this survey, the two USGS 7.5-minute maps covering the area from modern Palacios to Palacios Point contained only one single recorded archaeological site. INA has already tripled that number.