In the early 20th century, Rockport became a major center of the Texas coast fishing industry, and in 1906 Roy Jackson opened Jackson Fish Company on the waterfront, soon joined by his brother Stephen to market local fish and oysters. By 1935 the company had expanded and had become involved in creating docks and channels as motorized vessels came into use. After Stephen retired in the 1950s, his sons Norvell and Jim took over the business. After Jim’s death in 1970, Jackson Marine Services, Inc. used trawlers along the nation’s other coasts, but high fuel costs and increased foreign competition led the family to sell its waterfront property in 1990 and its boats in 1991. At its peak the business employed more than 100 families, provided local fishers with repair and supply services and a market for their catches, supplied large amounts of ice to the public after hurricanes devastated the town, and over 85 years left a legacy of leadership in industry organizations, local politics, community affairs, and the promotion of a fishing industry vital to the local economy.