A map shows how Port Aransas was laid out in 1913. Courtesy: Port Aransas Museum
The North end of our island seems to occupy most of our history narratives, but what about Mustang Island as a whole? Who owned it? What went on?
The indigenous tribes of what is now North America frequented our island on seasonal Rounds. There seems to be no evidence of permanent settlements, though there is evidence of habitation such as pottery shards.
From the early 1500s, the country of Spain claimed the area that includes Mustang Island. For 300 years it was part of New Spain. In 1804, the island to our south, now known as Padre Island, was granted by the king of Spain to a Catholic priest, Padre Balli. He brought thousands of cattle, sheep and horses to that island and developed a community just north of the southern tip.
The Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821) culminated in a new country – Mexico – that now owned Mustang Island. Though new European settlers to the area arrived through the Aransas Pass, the only community, that of Aransas, was situated on San Jose Island. Though the town was established in the country of Mexico, those living there never felt the need to actually own the land and might have been described as squatters.
Mark Creighton is a longtime researcher of local history, supplying much information and many historical photos to the Port Aransas Museum, an arm of the Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association. With J. Guthrie Ford, Creighton is the co-author of “Port Aransas,” a photographic history book on the town of Port Aransas. Creighton can be reached at markwcreighton@gmail.com.
The Texas Revolution against Mexico resulted in the new Republic of Texas in 1836. In 1845, the Republic joined the United States of America as the 28th state. In 1861, Texas seceded from the Union and became part of the Confederate States of America. By 1865, having lost the War of Northern Aggression, it was back as part of the United States of America. So, the land under Mustang Island was at one time claimed by indigenous folks, New Spain, Mexico, The Republic of Texas, The State of Texas in the USA, The State of Texas in the CSA and finally the State of Texas in the USA again.
In order to finance the Texas Revolution, the revolutionaries borrowed funds wherever they could. One group from New Orleans lent them money and was paid in scrip that could be exchanged for Texas land ownership if the revolution was successful. William Little was the group’s representative. From 1838 until 1869, Little was in litigation regarding the land and eventually prevailed. He was able to eventually own the southerly 80 percent of Mustang Island.
From 1869 until 1889, Little leased the land to a series of ranchers and few others. In 1889 he sold all his holdings to Elihu Ropes for $25,000. Ropes, being from New Jersey and a developer, came into a period of financial embarrassment, and the Little family who held the note on the land became the owners again.
Most of the land on the northern tip of Mustang Island was owned by the State of Texas or reserved as U.S. government land. The families that owned land were the Brundretts, Robertses, Cotters, Alisters, Dierlams, Mercers, Whites, Bujans and Brumleys. In 1908, the General Land Office of the State of Texas attempted to auction the state holdings on Mustang Island. Seventy-four parcels, generally of 10 acres each, were offered at a minimum bid of $10 per acre. Many parcels sold, but not all.
The Little family held their 70 percent (having sold some of the 80 percent) until 1944. Their holdings were sold to Sam Wilson, who had great ideas about tourism but generally leased the land for cattle raising to the Grant family as the Little family had done. Sam died in 1957, and his holdings passed to his wife, Ada.
Ada sold 3,956 acres, 38 percent of the total island acreage, to the State of Texas in 1972. That land became a State Park in 1979. Franklin Flato bought a large portion of the land on the west side of Park Road 22 (now State Highway 361). The remaining land was marketed as Terra Mar tracts of 5 acres or more, running from the Gulf to the Island Road. There was little interest in them, even at $100,000 a tract, a far cry from what they sell for today.
It is sobering to look back on the history of Mustang Island and reflect on what was valued at $25,000 in 1889 dollars is now assessed at nearly $6 billion in 2025 dollars.
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