In 1879, following the dissolution of the Coleman, Mathis, Fulton Cattle Company, Thomas Henry Mathis (1834-1899) established a ranch he called the Henry Bend Ranch, named for a combination of his middle name and its location on a bend in the Nueces River. The ranch covered some 24,000 acres of land in southwestern San Patricio County. In 1880 Mathis fenced 17,000 acres along the Nueces River with wooden planks. In a 3,000-acre enclosure were his registered cattle and horses, as well as his prized polo ponies, which were trained on the ranch and sold to buyers in England. Near this site was the ranch headquarters, built in 1880 and razed in 1953. Realizing the advantage of a nearby rail line, Mathis donated land for a right-of-way to the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad in 1887. A 100-acre townsite, named for Mathis, was platted and dedicated in 1889. The entire town was fenced in order to keep the roaming cattle out, and there were two wooden gates guarding the entrances to the city. An important part of San Patricio County history, the Mathis Ranch was sold and divided in subsequent years. (1988)