Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site

Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site, operated by the Texas Historical Commission, was constructed in 1851 in response to regional battles between the United States and Mexico. Port Isabel was a supply depot that saw heavy shipping traffic, necessitating the navigational light. 

 

During the Civil War, armed conflict returned to Port Isabel, as Confederate forces held the area in the early stages of the war but gave way in 1863 to Federal troops who were sent to strengthen the blockade on Southern shipping. Both sides used the lighthouse as an observation post.