Maxan Street, downtown Port Isabel – Port Isabel Historical Museum

It’s the mid 1920s and Point Isabel is buzzing with activity including this street improvement project on Maxan St. near the Point Isabel Lighthouse. The roadway was cleared and rebar and forms laid. Sidewalks and curbs were added. Maxan St. was the main street in Port Isabel for most tourism traffic catching the ferry to South Padre Island.

2025, improvements are underway on Maxan St. between cross streets Manautou and Longoria streets. Port Isabel city streets were named by Rafael Garcia’s daughters (Tarnava & Manautou).

Who was Maxan?

This ad in Brownsville’s Daily Ranchero, December 5, 1866, shows that Nestor Maxan was an attorney. This ad ran through most of 1866-67.

Nestor Maxan posts as C.S. Receiver as early as April 17, 1862, in The Fort Brown Flag (Brownsville, Tx.). And in this February 8, 1868, article in The Daily Ranchero (Brownsville, Tx.):

The Hon. Nestor Maxan will deliver the lecture next Tuesday evening before “The ladies and gentlemen’s Temperance Society” of this city (Brownsville). The singular title of this lecture, “A Dry One” has a twinkle of humor in it, and the well known literary reputation of the distinguished speaker, is a sufficient guarantee that the evening’s entertainment will prove both pleasing and instructive.

Remarks written of his lecture in The Daily Ranchero (February 13, 1868) indicate that he was a ‘brilliant speaker’…

The Hon. Nestor Maxan, as advertised, delivered an address on Tuesday night before the Ladies and Gentlemen’s Temperance Association in this city. We have only to say that it was an address altogether, creditable to the eloquent and brilliant speaker. We could not eulogize if we would, and would not if we could. Mr. Maxan has achieved a reputation of which any one might well be proud, and his lecture of Tuesday night was just what was to be expected–the production of rare genius.

Nestor Maxan was married to Sarah A. Maxan. He was a musician, involved in St. Joseph’s College, had an interest in The Daily Cosmopolitan [a Brownsville daily newspaper (except Sundays)], was an incorporator on the narrow gauge Rio Grande Railroad, contributed to the research of the name for “Galveston” (Galvezton), and according to the ad that ran in local papers he practiced law all over south Texas. He was also able to practice law in the Republic of Mexico. Stephen Powers and Nestor Maxan were law partners.

In 1878, a duel was fought resulting in Maxan’s death. This story published February 23, 1878, in the San Marcos Free Press:

A DUEL was fought at Matamoras, Mexico, on the 5th, the principals being Hon. Nestor Maxan and M. de La Pena, both residents of Brownsville, Texas. Maxan was seconded by Wm. Kelley, and Pena by Dr. Combe. Rounds were fired without effect, when Pena announced himself satisfied. Maxan, however, demanded another round, which resulted in his receiving a fatal wound through the body, causing death in a few minutes. The cause of the duel is not stated.

The Galveston Daily News (February 21, 1878) published this eulogy for Nestor Maxan and adds “The Memory of the Pope.” Pope Pius IX died on February 7th. Maxan was eulogized at the opening of district court, to a full house. Solemn high mass was celebrated at the Catholic church for the pope. Bells were tolled, flags at the garrison, on the gunboat and on steamship offices were flown at half mass for the pontiff.

The diagonal aerial taken above, taken in the late 1960s – early 1970s, shows Maxan Street (right) and Powers Street (left) and cross streets Garcia and Manautou. Maxan and Powers were law partners. In 1974, nearly a century after the streets were named, Powers Street was removed to make way for Queen Isabella Blvd. / Highway 100.