Green Hill Line Camp: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Padre Island National Seashore, National Park Service

Cowley, Jill; Mardorf, Carrie

Green Hill Line Camp is one of four line camps built by Patrick Dunn on Padre Island to support the functioning of his cattle ranch. The camp, which is located on the west shore of the barrier island overlooking the Laguna Madre, is within the Padre Island National Seashore where the coast of southeast Texas meets the Gulf of Mexico. Green Hill Line Camp was the location where cattle were first gathered, sorted, and corralled, before being herded north to subsequent line camps. Patrick Dunn first arrived at Padre Island in 1879, looking to establish a cattle ranch. The island was an ideal location for such an operation, as it had previously been grazed since the 1760s and offered abundant native grasses. The surrounding water served as natural fencing that contained the cattle to the island, while the lack of dense chaparral and overstory trees provided a favorable environment for herding cattle. Along with the establishment of the ranch, Dunn constructed a series of line camps spaced approximately 15 miles apart—the distance cattle could be driven in one day. Line camps were small outposts on grazing land that primarily consisted of fences and corrals in which to separate and work on the cattle. Ranch hands were temporarily stationed at these camps to “ride the line” as they drove cattle to market. Of Dunn’s line camps, Green Hill became the southernmost camp in the late 19th century, with Black Hill and Novillo Line Camps located approximately 15 and 30 miles to the north. Throughout the 19th century and into the early 20th century, Green Hill served as the starting point for Dunn’s cattle drives. A cluster of buildings was constructed in the southeast corner of the camp site. A large fenced-in area, known as a trap, enclosed the entire camp area to the north. Additionally, a corral was built in the southwest corner of the trap. Overall, the camp contained at least three buildings, as well as a series of corrals and fences. The isolated island environment supplied a number of building materials in the form of driftwood and lumber that washed up on the beaches. Dunn used these materials to his advantage, creating functional, vernacular structures. Patrick Dunn continued to obtain land and operate the ranch until his death in 1937. At that time, his son, Burton Dunn, managed the cattle ranch and made improvements to the operation. After World War II, mechanized vehicles emerged on the island, and the role of Green Hill in the ranching operation shifted. As more and more cattle were transported north to Novillo, operations at Green Hill diminished and ultimately ceased in 1971 when the last cattle were removed from the island. Since 1971, Green Hill has been largely neglected. None of the buildings remain, and corral fence posts and the trap have deteriorated from climatic effects. Additionally, the remaining posts were charred in a recent fire in 2009. Nevertheless, given its history and association with the Dunn Ranch, Green Hill Line Camp is eligible for listing on the National Register for its association with areas of agriculture and archeology. Its period of significance extends from 1879 to 1971, marking the entire span that the Dunn Ranch was operational. Although only some features remain, the landscape retains integrity from the period of significance and continues to suggest how this unique island landscape shaped the development of ranching activities.

Green Hill Line Camp: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Padre Island National Seashore, National Park Service

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