THE MERCER FAMILY ON MUSTANG ISLAND ROBERT AINSWORTH MERCER (1799-1875) ARRIVED ON MUSTANG ISLAND CA. 1855. AFTER STARTING A SMALL SETTLEMENT, MERCER WAS APPOINTED NUECES COUNTY’S WRECK MASTER, WITH OVERSIGHT OF THE DISPOSITION OF VESSELS LOST CROSSING ARANSAS PASS. HIS SONS, JOHN (1840-1896) AND EDWARD (NED) (1842-?), SERVED AS ARANSAS PASS BAR PILOTS. IN 1880, JOHN BECAME THE FIRST KEEPER OF THE ARANSAS LIFE SAVING STATION, WHICH LATER BECAME THE U.S. COAST GUARD STATION THAT CONTINUES TODAY. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE MERCER FAMILY WERE DOCUMENTED IN EXHAUSTIVE JOURNALS FROM 1866 THROUGH 1877 AND THESE TEXTS WERE PRESERVED BY SUCCESSIVE MERCER DESCENDANTS, RECOGNIZING THE FAMILY’S INFLUENCE ON THE AREA’S HISTORY. 175 YEARS OF TEXAS INDEPENDENCE * 1836-2011