Asa M. French Surveying Field Books

Asa Milton French was born in Boscawen, New Hampshire on March 14, 1850. He frequently went by the name A. M. French in his work as both an engineer and surveyor, though surveying was his primary occupation. French was active throughout Nueces County and contributed to the civic and industrial development of Corpus Christi and the surrounding region.

French’s survey material was used by Aransas County Road Engineer Fred M. Percival to create the map, “Map of the Gateway to the Southwest”, which is one of the foundational maps of Nueces County. French contributed significantly to the survey of Kenedy County, Texas, located halfway between Corpus Christi and Mexico on the Gulf Coast. He worked as Chief Engineer for the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway while they were engaged in building railroad tracks to the coast.

French was Director of First State Bank when it opened in 1907, and a Director of The Guaranty Title Co., which was a pioneer of title insurance in Texas when organized in 1914. By 1928 it had accumulated $500,000 in net assets.

In 1907 French commissioned the construction of a large two-story house in the colonial revival style at the corner of Waco and Comanche Streets. He individually selected every cypress and pine plank that went into the construction of the house and allowed nothing with a knothole. The house was completed in 1908 and was built for entertaining, with a large second floor balcony and a 24-seat dining room table. The house was later bought by the Galvan Family in 1942 after French’s passing in 1936. The French-Galvan House was acquired by the City of Corpus Christi in 1982 and repurposed as the Multicultural Center in Heritage Park. It was repainted to match the original yellow and white exterior and was awarded a Texas Historical Marker in 1986. It now hosts weddings, parties, and events.

Asa M. French died on April 22, 1936, at the age of 86. His funeral was held at the French-Galvan House. It was presided over by Reverend Dr. George West Diehl, a pastor of the First Presbyterian Church where French had been an elder. He was buried at Rose Hill Memorial Park in Corpus Christi.