Pilkington Slough Ranch in the Collegeport Community has been a local landmark for more than 100 years. The original owners of most of this land were the Yeamans brothers—Daniel, Elias, and Erastus—who fought in the Texas War for Independence; Elias and Erastus died at the Battle of Goliad. The Yeamans family held the property until 1880, when cattleman Abel H. "Shanghai" Pierce and his brother, Jonathan E. Pierce, purchased it. By 1889 Jonathan was the sole owner and established his headquarters on a site overlooking Pilkington Slough, named for Dr. Samuel Pilkington, an early area physician. From the Pilkington House, one could view the mouth of the slough, which forms a backwater on the eastern shore of Tres Palacios Bay, and the ranch took its name from its proximity to the slough. Over the years, tenants lived and worked on land well suited to cattle ranching and rice cultivation, including members of the Ackerman, Huitt, Jackson, and Slone families. The property also served as a community gathering place, at times hosting worship services, dances, and other activities. The Matagorda Land and Cattle Company acquired the ranch in 1970, and it was sold to other owners in 2001. It remains an important link to the early development of southwestern Matagorda County and to the area's agricultural economy and pioneering settlers.