AUSTIN, Texas — The South Side Historic District in Brewster County was recently listed in the National Register of Historic Places; noted for its historical and architectural significance, the district joins other properties around the state with National Register status.
Established in 1886 along the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway in remote Far West Texas, Marathon emerged as a critical supply center for surrounding ranches and mining operations. The town's fortunes rose dramatically between 1900 and 1910, when discovery of guayule plants (a natural source of rubber) and candelilla shrubs (used for wax) transformed Marathon into a booming industrial town.
The first guayule rubber factory in the United States (established around 1905), employed an estimated 250 men and 70 teams of burros at its peak in 1910. A candelilla processing facility began operations around the same time. The rapid influx of workers and their families drove the town's population from an estimated 110 residents in 1896 to 700 by 1900 and to over 2,000 by 1910.
This extraordinary growth created a settlement pattern that still shapes today’s community. The railroad and U.S. Highway 90 physically and culturally divided Marathon into two distinct communities. The more spacious north side, with larger buildings on generous parcels, developed as an Anglo commercial and residential center, while the south side became predominantly Mexican and Latino, characterized by modest adobe dwellings densely sited on small lots.
The large number of remaining adobe homes is a remarkable example of this earthen brick construction, used well into the mid-20th century, long after concrete masonry had replaced adobe throughout most of Texas.
The district’s modest adobe dwellings, with their consistent orientation and density, document the lives of railroad workers, factory laborers, ranch hands, and their families—many recent arrivals from Mexico who came seeking opportunity during the town's industrial boom.
Though the closure of the rubber and candelilla operations caused the population to decline dramatically by the 1920s, the south side's residents maintained and preserved their adobe neighborhood, creating an exceptionally intact example of early 20th-century Mexican American settlement patterns and building traditions in the region.
The National Register of Historic Places is the nation's official list of cultural resources deemed worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a federal program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect the country's historic and archeological resources. The National Register includes more than 3,300 listings in Texas. Listing provides access to technical expertise and grant funds to facilitate restoration and preservation. Income-producing properties are also eligible for federal tax benefits for sympathetic rehabilitation work.
To learn more about the National Register of Historic Places, contact the THC's History Programs Division at 512-463-5853 or visit thc.texas.gov.