Port brings 73 years of growth

Dec. 21 marks an important date in area history: On that date in 1934, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge Orleans began cutting the 17-mile long channel known today as the Brownsville Ship Channel.

Another Corps of Engineers dredge, the Texas, assisted the Orleans, and this team of dredges briskly kept the pace of construction. The Orleans’ first cut the channel to a depth of 13 feet and was followed by the Texas, which cut the channel to the deep-water depth of 26 feet.

The original channel was 250 feet wide at the waterline and 100 feet wide at the bottom, with a turning basin at the Port of Brownsville 1,300 feet long by 1,000 feet wide. This was more than sufficient to accommodate the ocean-going cargo vessels that the Rio Grande Valley so desperately needed to continue its growth in international trade.

PI’s Last Pirate dies with stories untold

The Texas coast is blessed with more than its share of pirate and treasure legends, and some of them are just that—legends.

However, many of the fascinating yarns told of Texas treasure and the pirates who buried it are in fact based in truth, with historic documentation to back the claims. Capt. Jean Lafitte is probably the most famous of the documented freebooters, but he is by no means the only one. One of his crew, a crusty old salt not known to me by name, lived out his last years in old Point Isabel and became known locally as “The Last Pirate.”

Early photos shed light on PI

Recently, my wife Valerie was cleaning out an old file cabinet in search of my lost birth certificate and found a small collection of photographic negatives that I had purchased years ago from a Brownsville antique dealer. The negatives of old Brownsville and Point Isabel date from the late 1800s to about 1910, and contain some real jewels.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to rediscover these old negatives. Only four were from Point Isabel, and only one of the four was unknown to me. Almost all of the negatives had suffered some damage from time and mishandling before I purchased them, but their content made the purchase a good one. The Brownsville lot was fairly common, save for one showing steamboats being unloaded at the river’s edge near today’s Amigoland Mall area. Perhaps we shall view this exceptional photo in a future article, but for today, I would like to share the Point Isabel images with you.

Shrimping legacy starts cook off

It’s time for the 14th annual World’s Championship Shrimp Cook-Off, and this is one event I try not to miss. Every year, the cook off continues to grow due to good leadership and great chefs, and it has become a real plus for our area. I love to sample all those different and creative styles of shrimp.

Add in the festivities, and you have the makings for a great day of fun with friends and family. In honor of the shrimp cook off, I thought it would be fun to look back at why we hold such an event in the first place.

Dyers Island a little-known gem

One of the least known historic locations in the Lower Laguna Madre area is Dyers Island.

At least four different armies camped at this sandy hill covered in mesquite and saw grass, and one of this area’s oldest ranches was located there. Yet, the common reaction to any mention of Dyers Island is, “Where is that?”

I shall shed a little light on this hidden South Texas gem. Information on this little-known Island is scarce, and a search at the Texas Handbook online yielded no hits. A similar Google search yielded only one reference, a civil war bullet that was found there that was left behind by some U.S. Colored troops during their 1864 encampment.

Island exploded with growth

I can still vividly remember my first look at South Padre Island. It was October 1967, and my family was exploring the area for recreational getaways.

We lived in Mercedes then, and we were looking for an area the whole family could enjoy.

The Island was the perfect venue. To me, the Island was a magical place with everything a young boy dreams of, such as vast areas of unexplored sand dunes rumored to hide pirate treasure, great fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, swimming and beachcombing on warm, lazy days. This was the place for me.

Point Isabel Lighthouse almost demolished in 1863

The Point Isabel Lighthouse is without a doubt the area’s most historically significant building, but the historic old tower was nearly demolished just into its 10th year of existence.

The lighthouse was completed in September of 1852 though it was not officially lit until March 20, 1853. The original brick tower was 50 feet high, not counting the lantern room and upper structure and was visible some 20 nautical miles out to sea. Later, 20 feet more height was added to the tower and a larger upper structure was built. The original keeper was J.H.B. Hain, and he and his family lived in one of the old army barracks of the decommissioned Mexican War garrison, Fort Polk. The lighthouse was constructed upon the well-built foundation of the main cannon platform of the old fort built by General Zachary Taylor’s army in 1846, located at Latitude 26.07782 and longitude 97.20774, and it has never been moved.

Trees sink roots into past

Trees have been an important part of the recorded history of the Port Isabel area and yet we often ignore them.

Throughout the earliest references to the Lower Laguna Madre area, trees have been mentioned and recorded by observers. From the original indigenous people all the way to our recent past, trees were used as place names, building materials, food, medicine and more.

The earliest written account of discovery by the Spanish explorers in our area mentions one of our area’s most famous trees—the palm. Capt. Alonzo de Pineda landed with a small party of men at the mouth of a large river, which he dubbed the Rio de Las Palmas in 1519. The given name was appropriate as the river was lined with palm trees from its mouth to far inland. Today, this river is known as the Rio Grande.

Welcome to end of United States

The beautification project along the highway into Port Isabel that was recently finished has made a vast improvement in the appearance of the town.

The scenic facelift is important because first impressions do indeed influence a visitor’s feeling about the community. If the town looks shipshape, our area visitors feel safe to come aboard. South Padre Island led the way on this issue, with the well-landscaped medians and the picturesque welcome sign at the foot of the bridge, and I am glad that Port Isabel has done the same.

The most visible parts of this beautification are the new signs that front the highway on your approach to the town and the landscaping that will make Queen Isabella Boulevard a palm lined tropical trail. The Texas Department of Transportation and the various authorities in our city government should be thanked for this improvement and its positive impact on the community as a whole. I have seen several folks out of their cars being photographed by the “Welcome to Port Isabel” sign, and that should make us all proud of our shared community.

Buena Vista early name for Laguna Vista

Recently, some friends dropped by my store in Port Isabel with a few fascinating photos of the old fishing camp at Laguna Vista, and I secured permission to copy the images and relay the story. I would like to thank the Barnes-Simmons family for this valuable glimpse into early Laguna Vista history.

Laguna Vista has existed under many names over the course of its history. Perhaps the oldest name is Los Mogotes, translated as “wooded hills,” because it was part of the ranch of the same name.