Historical MarkerKarankawa Campsite
Jamaica Beach · Galveston County · Dedicated 1966 · THC Atlas #5167007502
The roadside stories worth pulling over for.
Marker Inscription
In this area is one of several known Karankawa campsites or burial grounds. Now extinct, the nomadic Indians lived along the Texas coast, depending on the Gulf for survival. In 1528 they aided Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca, but resisted all intruders from the time of the French expedition of La Salle in 1685. The tribe later declined because of disease and warfare with pirates and Anglo-American settlers. Known for tall tribesmen and alleged practices of ceremonial cannibalism, they had virtually disappeared from Texas by the 1840s. This campsite was discovered in 1962. (1966)
About this site
Karankawa Campsite is a historical marker in Jamaica Beach, Galveston County, dedicated in 1966. It is one of 283 historical markers documented in Galveston County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 373 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 29.1870, -94.9810 near Jamaica Beach. The nearest cataloged historic site is West Galveston Island (historical marker), about 2.0 miles away. Others within a short drive include Stewart Ranch, Stewart Property, and Wern Cemetery.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5167007502. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
