Resaca de la Palma Battlefield: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, National Park Service

Mardorf, Carrie

The Resaca de la Palma Battlefield is a 34.4-acres landscape associated with the United States-Mexican War, located just north of downtown Brownsville at the southern tip of Texas. The site, a component landscape of the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, is defined by Paredes Line Road to the west and the arch of the Resaca de la Palma, a former channel of the Rio Grande. The landscape significance is associated with events and individuals of the second battle of the U.S.-Mexican War. This was one of only two battle sites from the war located on what is now American soil. The Resaca de la Palma Battlefield has two periods of significance: 1846, the period of the battle and events that contributed to changes in military tactics and technology; and 1847 to 1916, focusing on post-battle commemoration and adapting the site for visitors. Historic descriptions of the May 9, 1846 battle identified natural features such as topography, vegetation and water features as significant points of reference for army maneuvers, staging areas, and battle formations. Mexican forces used these features to their advantage, using the embankment of the resaca as natural fortification and the dense vegetation and obstruct views of the artillery. As U.S. forces approached Resaca de la Palma along the road to relieve the nearby besieged Fort Brown, the battle broke out. The road and the resaca with its low-lying topography, standing water, and dense vegetation played a significant role in the battle that led to the first U.S. win over Mexico during the war. In subsequent years, the battlefield landscape brought tourists for commemoration and recreation. Activities of the early 20th century included the placement of a cannon on the site, and it was a popular destination for dances and picnics. The City of Brownsville expanded to the north and began to subdivide and develop lands in the area, including the battle site. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the majority of the battlefield became housing subdivisions and commercial lots. The dense vegetation around the resaca was cleared, and the channel was dredged and filled with water for water-front properties. The roughly 34-acre lot near the bend in the resaca remained relatively untouched, with open ground used for an orchard in the 1930s and as a polo field in the 1960s. One one residential dwelling was constructed in the 1940s. This parcel is all that remains today of the broader battlefield. With the exception of the sights and sounds of the adjacent urban environment and changes in vegetation, the remaining portion of the battlefield looks much as it did during the 1846 battle. Resaca de la Palma Battlefield first became a National Historic Landmark in 1960, yet remained in private ownership and in relatively neglected condition until 2001. That year, the property was conveyed to the City of Brownsville and plans were made to partner with the National Park Service (NPS) to use the battlefield as a headquarters and visitor facility for Mexican War sites in the area. By 2003, the land was purchased by the Brownsville Community Foundation, who continues to retain ownership of the parcel while the NPS manages the site. Plans for the park headquarters and visitor facility were never finalized. In 2008, the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park was expanded to include the Resaca de la Palma Battlefield. The landscape continues to be characterized by natural features of topography, vegetation, and water features associated with the adjacent resaca. Remnants of the residential dwelling and polo field remain on site amidst dense vegetation. The resaca, which has been affected by dredging and vegetation removal, is still evident in the landscape today and remains as an important reference point for battle events. The condition of the Resaca de la Palma Battlefield is fair, and it retains integrity.

Resaca de la Palma Battlefield: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, National Park Service

Series