Texas Small Town History Project Palo Alto College
Noel Gamboa Monica K. Castoreno History 1302	Noel Gamboa April 10, 2007
Port Isabel, Texas

Introduction:
As you are on the way to Spring Break to South Padre Island you might happen to venture across a town called Port Isabel. This beautiful town is along the long stretch of Highway 100. Few people might actually stop to look but I say this place is a must-see before you head of to your spring break destination. It is filled with beautiful sites and wonderful history. If the history doesn’t seem to be your thing then they have views on top of their lighthouse which you will remember for a lifetime. On a clear day you can see the true beauty of this wondrous town.

Brief History of Port Isabel:
Port Isabel was founded by the first documented traveler, Alonso Alvarez de Pineda. However, much of this information is unclear due to incomplete records by Pineda, but there were inhabitants even before Pineda landed in the Gulf of Mexico. The Coahuiltecan Indians were the first inhabitants of Port Isabel and most of the Rio Grande Valley. In 1770, the first Spanish colonial settlers had begun to fish and visit the Laguna Madre, the body of water neighboring Port Isabel and other towns. In 1828, after being settled and a village established, Rafael Garcia was granted a contract giving them ownership of the area, then named Santa Ysabel. There were also two other villages nearby that were included in the contract, their owners were Ygnacio Trevino of Potrero de San Martin and Manuel de la Garza of Potrero de Buenavista. After these villages combined through the order of the Spanish government, they became known as El Frontón de Santa Isabela. In June 1845, a post office was established and the name of the community officially became Point Isabel, but it changed again to the Brazos Santiago in 1849. In addition, in 1849, the community suffered from a major outbreak of cholera, which took several years to recover. In 1850, Point Isabel is the second larges town in the area. By 1859, the port was exporting $10 million worth of cotton annually. The Port Isabel Lighthouse was built in 1855 at a cost of $7,000, which served as a lookout during the Cortina Wars, the first three years of the Civil War, WWI, and WWII. The first railway in the area was the Rio Grande Valley Railway, beginning work in 1872. It was funded and built by Simon Celaya of Brownsville. In 1881, the post office’s name was changed back to Point Isabel from Brazos Santiago. Later, on March 23, 1928, Point Isabel was officially incorporated to Port Isabel. In 1928, a shallow draft channel was dredged on the south and west sides of the town. In 1933, the channel was dredged to a depth of 12 ft and a width of 125 ft.

Founders:
In 1770, the first Spanish colonial settlers had begun to fish and visit the Laguna Madre, the body of water neighboring Port Isabel and other towns. In 1828, after being settled and a village established, Rafael Garcia was granted a contract giving them ownership of the area, then named Santa Ysabel. There were also two other villages nearby that were included in the contract, their owners were Ygnacio Trevino of Potrero de San Martin and Manuel de la Garza of Potrero de Buenavista. After these villages combined through the order of the Spanish government, they became known as El Frontón de Santa Isabela.

Economy:
The shrimping industry contributed significantly to the local economy. In 1960, Port Isabel harvested 7,136,000 lbs of shrimp and served as a gateway into South Texas and northern Mexico. In 1966, Hurricane Beulah devastated 15 to 20% of the town, and another 25% required major repairs. The area is also supported by other commercial fishing, tourism, and the petroleum industry. Among the larger businesses in the 1960’s were a chemical refinery, a pipeline-service company, shipyards, and a frozen-food company. In 1978, the Port Isabel ship channel had been dredged to 36 feet in depth and 200 ft in bottom width. THe new Queen Isabella Causeway was constructed in 1974 and replaced the original Queen Isabella Causeway, which became known as the "Old Fishing Pier". During the 1980’s, the town continued to attract tourists. Recreational opportunities included fishing, boating, and hunting. In 1989, the port handled 263,335 short tons of cargo. The town continued to support itself from the shrimping and fishing industry as well as the tourist industry, but South Padre Island's influence on Port Isabel is a drastic one, as well. The Island is usually a popular place for vacationers. In fact, the area was used as a resort as early as the 1800's. Highway 100 and the Queen Isabel Causeway leading to South Padre Island is the gateway to Spring Break and Summer paradise nowadays. With the attraction of the Island to tourists came an interest in Port Isabel's attractions as well, including the Historical Museum, Treasures of the Sea Museum, and the Port Isabel Lighthouse and Keeper's Cottage. In fact, the tourist industry is one of the major incomes for Port Isabel, along with the shrimping industry.

Railroad:
In the year of 1928 the Rio Grande Railroad was acquired by Port Isabel. This railroad now operated between Brownsville and Port Isabel. This railroad system changed their gross of money due to the passengers. Port Isabel had earnings of $5,000 and owned one locomotives and eight cars. The Port Isabel and Rio Grande Valley railroad had only handled the interstate traffic until 1929, when the authority was given the authority to become involved in interstate commerce. This only lasted about 10 years when the railroad discontinued operation on December 31, 1940. After the discontinuation the railroad was broken apart to be sold. The six miles from Brownsville to its port was sold to St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railroad and nine miles from Port Isabel was sold to San Benito and Rio Grande Valley. This helped to build a three mile connection to the existing track. What was left of the track which was not used was left abandoned. Thus, by 1956 the railroad connecting Port Isabel to Brownsville was sold and the Port was then tended by Missouri Pacific Railroad. Then by 1969 the Missouri Pacific then abandoned the Port Isabel branch. In 1990 few miles from Brownsville to Port connection remained in service.

Story of Port Isabel:
The Queen Isabella Bridge collapsed on the day of September 15, 2001. On this day, four loaded barges crashed into the Queen Isabella Bridge, causing a 240 ft. section to collapse. The Brown Water V tug crashed into one of the columns that was connected to two 80 foot sections of the bridge. A third section collapsed later. As the bridge collapsed, many people were pulled from the water by fisherman, but sadly eight others did not survive. One of the people who died was the Port Isabel Fire Marshal Robert Harris. As cars were pulled from the water the divers took pictures of the license plates for identification.

Landmarks:
The Port Isabel historic structure is on the State Highway 100 on the southeastern part of Cameron County. On December 6, 1851, the United States government contracted the lighthouse. Actual work on the lighthouse did not begin until February 1852. The lighthouse itself had four lamps on an iron platform, though it was mostly used for an observation tower. The first time it was used as an observation station was during the Cortina Wars, which took place on July 13, 1859. It was then used again as a look out over the land during the Civil War, which both the Union and Confederates controlled. While the land was under the Confederate control, Col. John S. "Rip" Ford removed the lighthouse's lenses and light and buried them somewhere unknown. The equipment was never recovered, and for the remainder of the Civil War the lighthouse was used only for observation purposes. The lighthouse was used again on February 22, 1866 when the equipment was replaced. The lighthouse was extinguished on May 15, 1888 because the United States government did not have the title to the land. The Port Isabel Lighthouse was permanently abandoned in 1905 due to the fact that it was no longer needed. It was sold to J.S. Ford of Brownsville on December 14, 1927. Finally, in 1936, the lighthouse received a state historical marker. During World War I and II, the Port Isabel lighthouse was used for an observation tower in case of enemy attacks. In 1952, the Texas State Parks Board completely rehabilitated the lighthouse. In the early 1900's the mercury-vapor light of the lighthouse was marked as a navigation aid on the sea charts. As of 1905, the lighthouse has been used as a tourist attraction. A replica of the keeper's cottage was completed in 1995. The Port Isabel Lighthouse is the only lighthouse in Texas open to visitors. In the 1993 agreement the Texas Wildlife Department turned over the daily operation of the Port Isabel Lighthouse to the city of Port Isabel.

Events:
Link to Calendar of Events for Port Isabel: Official Tourism Website Calendar of Events

Brief History of South Padre Island:
Padre José Nicolás Ballí was a Catholic priest who, after his death, gained the title to the island now known as Padre Island. The island has dimensions of 110 miles long and about three miles wide and it's the longest barrier island in the U.S. Padre Ballí would conduct religious services in the smaller villages in the Rio Grande Valley although he lived in Matamoros. He owned land from the La Feria grant, Las Castañas grant, portion of the Llano Grande grant, Guadalupe grant and the Isla de Santiago grant. He became well known by the 500 marriages, baptisms, and funerals from 1800 to 1829. South Padre Island has its own share of stories and legends besides who it was named after.

Story of South Padre Island:
The story of John Singer’s family treasure is well known to people on the island and visitors of Padre Island. John Singer, brother of Isaac Merritt Singer who improved the sewing machine and founded the Singer Sewing Machine Company in New York, was an adventurer who accidentally crash-landed his schooner on Padre Island in 1848 with his family and a hired helper onboard. All of them survived and built a small home from wreckage from the ship and driftwood. When a rescue ship came to their aid, they turned down any help, having fallen in love with the island. Four years later, the family prospered and bought a portion of the Santa Cruz Ranch owned by Padre Ballí. They then built a new home where they raised cattle, invested in real estate, and even established a shipping franchise in Port Isabel across the channel. His family encountered a treasure containing about $80,000 worth of Spanish coins and jewelry. It is said, however, that Singer kept a bulk of this treasure and buried the rest, ranging from $60,000 - $80,000, in a small portion of land on the island. The Singer family was forced off of the island during the Civil War, forced to leave their belongings behind, along with most of the treasure. To this day, no one has been able to find the treasure on the island, but it is still believed to be hidden on a portion of the land called the "Lost City".

Interviews:
Our interview helped to provide much information on Port Isabel and different sources which affected the towns early development. We spoke with a woman who volunteered at the Treasures of the Gulf Museum in Port Isabel. Mary told of the history and economic structure of the town in its early years and up to now, as well as information about the treasures lost from an early Spanish fleet.

Date: March 29, 2007
Time: 1:50 pm-2:08 pm
Place: Port Isabel Treasures of the Gulf Museum

Monica Castoreno: Was Port Isabel ever involved in, or played a special role, in any major wars or battles? Were there any "small" wars that she played a role in as well?

Mary A. Gorball: [There was a battle for the] border of Texas. Back in the 1840’s, I believe it was President Polk decided that our border, instead of the river up by Corpus, should be the Rio Grande down by Matamoros. So he sent [General]Zachary Taylor here to push the people back to make that the Mexican border, instead of up by Corpus. That was quite a battle, and a lot of it took place down by that area. Lot of fascinating stuff.

MC: Do you know how the economy grew here, what it mainly is?
MG: Mainly fishing, there was a lot of shipping in the early years, but it turned more to shrimping and that became one of the biggest shrimp ports in the nation. We have one of the top number of shrimp boats in the bay here…Rounded up here on Padre [Island]. That’s where our treasures come from.

MC: Could you tell us about the Port Isabel Lighthouse?

MG: No, I don’t know many things about it, other than there has been a lighthouse there, for quite some time and there has even been one or two on the Island. They’re where the ships come through, and the Brazos Santiago, cut there. There was a lighthouse on the end of the island and there was one just on the other side there, in what’s now Boca Chica. So, that’s not the only lighthouse that has been in the area but it is the only lighthouse in all of Texas that you can go up the stairs and get up out on top. Other lighthouses you have to just stand back, look at and take pictures of. That’s the only one you can go in.

MC: what else can you tell us about Port Isabel in general about their history?

MG: Specifically, not one thing stands out, other than it has been a great shrimp port. And now with all the shrimp farms that are being used; even in our own area they’re starting shrimp farms. That is hurting the shrimping industry. The federal government, as they change the rules when they can fish, or when they can shrimp, how far they have to be out when they shrimp, is really hurting the shrimp industry. Prices of fuel; a lot of the shrimp boats that you see here have been idle for years. It’s really kinda sad. The tastiest shrimp are the fresh shrimp. In fact the good part of shrimp, I know if you watch your fat because there’s a lot of fat in shrimp, but there is a very good healthy elements in shrimp also. In farm raised shrimp, that element is missing. Eat fresh shrimp! They still do a bit of shrimping in this area, we get a certain amount of tourism too because of the locality, here on the beach. A lot of people come this way just to cool off in the summer time as well as Spring Break. They’ll come to the water, so we get a lot of tourist activity here. Although the main industry is the shrimping.

MC: Anything else that you would like to add about Port Isabel?

MG: It’s changing quite a bit. They’ve just enacted some new ordinances, or rules or laws, that are going to be preserving the historic area around the lighthouse and up and down [Highway] 100, so I’ll be very anxious to see how that’s developing. There’s already, the former county offices that are over by the Monticello’s [Restaurant] and the car wash over there, you’ll notice that it’s all repainted, and there’s a couple of new shops that are going into that building. So it’ll be fun to see some of the other shops pick up their paintbrush and spruce up. I think that’ll draw more and more people to the area instead of driving on across the [Queen Isabella] Causeway.