San Patricio County Relocation Guide by Jannine Osborne, REALTOR®

w e l c o m e

Welcome to San Patricio County! One of the most diverse and historical communities in the United States also happens to be strategically located near the geographic center of North America, in South Texas on the Gulf of Mexico coastline. For almost two centuries, San Patricio County has thrived based on its crossroads location between Mexico and the central and eastern United States, and between North America and the rest of the world via the Port of Corpus Christi, the fifth busiest in the United States.

The ongoing expansion of the Panama Canal means larger, higher-volume maritime traffic between the eastern U.S., the Gulf Coast, and East Asian ports like Tianjin, China, the world’s fourth busiest with which the Port has recently entered a trade agreement. San Patricio County’s warm, subtropical climate offers one of the friendliest environments in Texas for boating, fishing, kayaking, camping and all the recreational, coastal activities that our visitors love and for which they return year after year.

Within Texas, the country’s second largest state both geographically (to Alaska) and in population (to California), San Patricio County is part of the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Area, home to about 420,000 permanent residents and tens of thousands more seasonal residents and visitors. The county is roughly equidistant to McAllen and Laredo on the Mexican border, as well as to San Antonio and Austin, the top two fastest growing economies in the United States. Energy and healthcare powerhouse, Houston, is just three hours up the coast and is headquarters for several major industrial employers in the county. Within an hour of any spot in San Patricio County are beautiful, gulf beaches, a large, freshwater lake, bays and estuaries that offer world class game fishing, some of the best hunting grounds in Texas, two community colleges and two universities, and in Corpus Christi, modern medical centers, a large, newly expanded shopping mall, attractions and museums, a AA professional baseball team, and event and concert venues. 10

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

h i s t o r y Below: Sinton Bank of Commerce circa 1910

(Texas Geneology & History Project/Will Beachamp Collection)

Left: Historic Map of Spanish Expansion in Texas

From Land Grant to Crossroads of Commerce

A Brief History of San Patricio County Today home to some 65,000 residents, the county was founded during times of conflict and turmoil, and grew when agriculture and oil industries boomed.

Artifacts

suggest that the San Patricio County area has been inhabited by humans for at least 6,000 years, and perhaps much longer. The Karankawa Indians probably moved into the area about 1400 A.D. and hundreds of Indian campsites have been identified in the county. A number of Spanish and French explorers, including Alonso Álvarez de Pineda, Alonso De León, Jean Béranger, Diego Ortiz Parrilla, and José de Evia traveled through what is now San Patricio County. These expeditions mapped the Coastal Bend’s system of bays and estuaries, its rivers and barrier islands. The United States economy from 1819 to 1836 was one of great uncertainty and tumult, and included two “panics” and two full-blown depressions. During this period, while thousands of Americans ventured westward in pursuit of a better life, others took advantage of settlement opportunities offered by a newly-independent Mexico, which extended the Spanish colonization policy for its state of Coahuila y Tejas, where empresarios were granted land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for settlers, and for protecting against Indian attacks—Stephen F. Austin being the first, having established Austin’s Colony between the Brazos and Colorado Rivers. Under Mexican law, colonialists were required to learn and speak Spanish, practice Catholicism and men were required to engage in farming or a skilled trade. In 1828 John McMullen and James McGloin contracted with the government of Mexico to settle two hundred Irish Catholic families on eighty leagues (apx. 360,000+ acres) of land north of the Nueces River, the first of which came from the New York Irish community in late 1829. Included in two additional groups to follow were families from Ireland who were among the first Europeans to settle in Texas. The town of San Patricio de Hibernia was established and named in honor of the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, and in 1834 the Municipality of San Patricio was legally established in the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas. Peace under the authority of Mexico would not last long, however, when the Texas Revolution broke out in October, 1835, with the Battle of Go-

liad. The second action of the revolution was the capture of Fort Lipantitlán on the western bank of the Nueces River, south of Mathis, by colonists from San Patricio, and in February, 1836, a battle ensued between Mexican forces and a detachment of Texians led by Francis W. Johnson in which all but four of the rebels were killed or captured. As a result, most of the colonists relocated to Victoria and, for the most part, did not return, although San Patricio County was established as one of the original counties of the Republic of Texas by the independent nation’s first congress. The aftermath of the Texas War for Independence kept most of the original settlers away—incursions from the Mexican army took place for nearly a decade after the war, including a raid on San Patricio by Gen. Rafael Vasquez as late as 1842. During this period the county was classified as “depopulated” and for one year (1845-1846) the county seat of government was Corpus Christi—that was until the territory south of the Nueces River became Nueces County and the seat was moved to San Patricio. Annexation discussions with the United States began almost immediately after Texas won independence, and stabilization to the southern region would come only briefly when Gen. Zachary Taylor established an army encampment near present-day Rockport at the end of 1845, a move that coincided with Texas becoming the 28th state in December of that year. Peace in San Patricio, again, would not last, as the annexation sparked the Mexican-American War in 1846, the final result of which was the establishment of the Rio Grande River as the U.S./Mexican border, along with U.S. territorial possession of California and New Mexico. San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

h i s t o r y Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland was the chosen namesake of the county’s founding settlement, San Patricio de Hibernia. The United States Census of 1850 reported 200 permaperma nent residents, including three slaves, living in San Patricio County, and ac acagriculcording to the agricul tural census, farm lands totaled 40,465 acres, most for raising cattle. In addition to 200 human residents, the county was home to 500 milk cows, 1,200 cattle and 150 sheep. Crop cultivation had not yet been established and only 4,400 bushels of corn, the county’s most important crop at the time, were produced that year. With the peace that followed two wars came a new generation of settlers including John G. Hatch in 1854 on whose Cross S Ranch the Engleside Post Office was established. Youngs Coleman, who would become one of the region’s most successful ranchers and businessmen, established a ranch on Chiltipin Creek, east of present-day Sinton; Eddie and Frank White settled White Point in the southern area of the county on Nueces Bay in 1856, and William Marshall Means, who served as county sheriff from 1862 to 1865, established the town of Meansville three miles south of present-day Odem. Meansville’s heyday would come to a crashing end on January 30, 1876, when Means’ rabble-rousing sons shot up a general store in the Bee County town of Papalote. A posse led by Sheriff Ed Garner chased the Means boys to their father’s ranch where a confrontation ensued that ended with Williams Means’ death. His sons vowed revenge and killed Sheriff Garner in church, in front of his family and community, in August of that year—by 1879 the Texas Rangers “persuaded” the Means clan to clear out of the county for good, which they did in 23 covered wagons. A cemetery is all that remains of Meansville today. Cattle ranching in the 1850’s remained San Patricio County’s main source of income while crop cultivation spread slowly in the southeastern section. In 1858 the county’s current boundaries were established and in the 1860 census the population had grown to 620, including 95 slaves. Farms and ranches of more than three acres had grown to 51 and were home to some 48,000 cattle and almost 4,000 sheep producing over three tons of wool, but only 475 bushels of corn were produced along with modest crops of sweet potatoes, potatoes, beans and peas. Although the county was not on the main battle lines of the Civil War, it was on the “Cotton Road” to Matamoros, Mexico, a major smuggling route used to avoid the federal blockade on the South. A Confederate fort was built at Aransas Pass to combat Union ships on patrol in the Gulf of Mexico, which would periodically bring raiding parties to the shores of Corpus Christi Bay, burning houses and confiscating livestock. The raids and the threat of a greater military conflict resulted in the exodus of many Ingleside residents to Goliad during the war. 12

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

After the Civil War the county saw an influx of Southerners looking for abundant, cheap land on which to settle, especially in the southern part of the county. Around 1870 Sidney G. Borden formed the town of Sharpsburg on the banks of the Nueces River, near where IH-37 and US-77 cross the river today. Borden operated a ferry service and before long Sharpsburg had more residents than San Patricio. By 1870 over 21,000 bushels of corn were produced in the county, but cattle was still the primary industry. In 1871 Thomas M. Coleman, son of Youngs Coleman, along with George W. Fulton and J.M. and T.M. Mathis formed the Coleman, Mathis & Fulton Partnership, the largest cattle firm in the state of Texas, with herds in three counties. An 18-month drought in 1878-79 wiped out much of its stock and the firm d i s s o l v e d —T. H . Mathis took his 64,000-acre share of the company’s land and established what is now Mathis, Texas, in the northwest corner of the county. The remaining partners formed the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company in 1880, with its ranch headquarters located at Rincon, north of presentday Gregory, in a year in which there were fewer than 7,000 head of cattle in the county following the devastating drought.

In 1860, San Patricio County’s human population was 620, plus 48,000 head of cattle and 4,000 sheep producing three tons of wool. The Great Drought of 1878-79 reduce cattle stock to fewer than 7,000 head.

The economy of San Patricio County took a major turn upward in 1885 with the construction of the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway to move cattle, cotton and other goods to and from the newly developed Aransas Harbor and markets to the north and west. By 1890 the towns of Mathis, Sinton and Gregory had been established along the railroad, with new development spurred along by out of state investors like David B. Sinton, the Ohio pig iron mogul who was one of the wealthiest men in America, and a close friend of Fulton’s. Sinton and his son-in-law, Charles P. Taft, invested in the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company, whose ranch headquarters at Rincon soon became known as the Taft Ranch. Taft was the brother of President William Howard Taft and earned his fortune in the newspaper business, having worked as editor of the Cincinnati Times-Star. He served one term in Congress and among his other invest-

ments was the brief ownership of the Chicago Cubs.

In 1893 the Sinton Town Company was formed to develop 640 acres for a town site near the center of the county, and Sinton was named the new county seat of government later that year. By the turn of the century, the agricultural

h i s t o r y economy had recovered and the county was home to 1,312 permanent residents and 190 farms and ranches with 34,000 head of cattle, 2,000 acres of planted corn and 2,100 acres of cotton. Sinton Railroad Station

(Texas Geneology & History Project/Will Beachamp Collection)

With the influx of millions of European immigrants to America came an explosion in the country’s agricultural needs. In 1909 land agents in the county began to spread the word across the United States that ample land was available in San Patricio County, along with railroads and ports to move their goods to market. Before long hundreds of new farmers and their families were moving into the county, along with trainloads of laborers from Mexico hired to clear mesquite from lands to

be farmed. Many of these Mexican immigrants stayed in the area to start new lives and take advantage of the opportunity to work, adding to the cultural diversity of the county. New towns such as Odem, St. Paul, Edroy, and Sodville sprang up along the railroad during this period, and by 1920 there were 11,386 permanent residents and 757 operating farms in San Patricio County. Most significantly, not only had farming overtaken ranching as the leading area of agriculture, but cotton had become the county’s most important crop, with 60,000 acres planted in 1920 and 155,000 acres by 1930. San Patricio County’s new core industry, oil and gas, emerged in the 1920’s, including the construction of a gas pipeline between fields in Refugio County and Aransas Harbor. It was in 1935, however, that the oil business came to the county in a huge way, when the Plymouth Oil Company hit it big on the Welder Ranch, followed by a major discovery in the East White Point Field south of Taft. Today many of these fields have returned to agricultural use, and some to dual-use, with the construction of energy-producing wind turbines. Today, San Patricio County thrives with a combined economy of energy, chemical and maritime industries, agriculture, mariculture, tourism, and soon as a major center of industrial manufacturing.

Ghost of the Wailing Woman Hanged for murder, Chipita said to haunt river banks

Josefa “Chipita” Rodriguez was a MexicanAmerican woman who would host and feed travelers through the county on the porch of her lean-to cabin, located in the banks of the Aransas River. Cotton Road traveler John Savage was found murdered with an ax and stuffed into a burlap sack, presumably for the $600 in gold he was carrying, and Chipita was accused along with Juan Silvera, whom many believed was her illegitimate son. When Savage’s gold was later found in the Aransas River north of San Patricio, the jury at Chipita’s trial recommended mercy, but Judge Benjamin Franklin Neal (the same B.F. Neal who personally financed an artillery company to defend Corpus Christi from Union invaders), ordered her to be executed by hanging. Sheriff William Means held Chipita in his home in Meansville, and thwarted two lynch mobs who showed up to carry out the sentence. Ultimately, however, Chipita was hanged on Friday, November 13, 1863, after being held in leg irons and chained to a wall in the county courthouse, where children would bring her candy and corn husks for cigarettes—the legend is that she may have been giving cover to the real killer, her son Juan. Chipita is said to have moaned after being placed in her coffin. She was buried in an unmarked grave, but over a century of lore persists that Chipita’s ghost still roams the banks of the Aransas River, pictured with a noose around her neck, wailing from the river bottom. The Hanging of Chipita Rodriguez, only the second woman legally hanged in Texas, has been the subject of numerous books and magazine articles, as well as a screenplay and two operas, one of which was performed by the University of Texas music department. On June 13, 1985, Gov. Mark White signed a proclamation sponsored by State Sen. Carlos Truan, and passed by the Texas Legislature, that absolved Chipita of the murder. San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

San Patricio County, Texas â&#x20AC;˘ 2013 Destination Guide

i n d u s t r y Groundbreaking Ceremony for TPCO America-Texas Mill in Gregory on August 26, 2011. (Inset) Tianjin Pipe manufacturing in China.

Building the Coastal Bend’s future:

Major New Development Projects TPCO America-Texas Mill: China’s Largest Industrial Investment in the U.S.

Tianjin

Pipe Corporation (TPCO), based in its namesake city of Tianjin, China’s third largest metropolitan area located 85 miles southeast of Beijing, is one of the world’s largest seamless steel pipe manufacturers. The company supplies energy, construction and infrastructure industries in some 90 countries, principally from the Port of Tianjin, the fourth-busiest in the world, which recently penned a Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of Corpus Christi setting forth the mutual goal of increasing direct trade between the two ports and their respective industrial clients. In 2007 TPCO embarked upon a site search for a North Americabased pipe facility to serve ever-increasing business from oil and gas industries in the Western Hemisphere, and after considering 70 locations throughout the United States, Gregory, Texas, in San Patricio County became the company’s final choice. Contributing to their decision, in no small part, is the county’s strategic location on the Gulf of Mexico in South Texas, an epicenter for on- and offshore oil and gas production. Less than an hour north of San Patricio County is the southern edge of the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas production zone, which is both a booming sales market for TPCO pipe, and offers potential production of almost five million cubic feet per day of natural gas, the primary fuel for the TPCO Texas Mill. The county’s energy and transportation infrastructure, including its thriving relationship with the Port of Corpus Christi, were also major advantages that the Gregory site enjoyed compared to alternatives considered by TPCO. The result is China’s largest manufacturing investment in the United States to date, at just over $1 billion, the 253-acre facility is employing over 2,000 Texans during its 34-month construction phase, plus up to 800 full time jobs when the plant is operating at capacity, sometime after 2014. 16

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Environmental conservation and resource efficiency are key design elements of the TPCO Texas Mill, from source material, to fuel for the plant, to emissions control. At full capacity, the plant will produce 500,000 metric tons of seamless steel pipe per year from scrap iron and pig iron (a by-product of smelting iron ore that is high in carbon content), which will be recycled starting with a melting process using an electric arc furnace rated for secondary steelmaking. In the “minimill” process, steel billets are produced that are then forged in the pipe mill area of the plant into seamless steel pipe that can be used for well casings and tubing, line pipes and other applications in the oil and gas industry. The TPCO Texas Mill is being built to meet the highest environmental standards and will operate under a cutting-edge system known as Consteel© that reduces emissions, conserves energy and decreases environmental impact. An on-site wastewater treatment facility will allow for the plant to reuse 96% of its water, and the company’s manufacturing systems are designed to capture and reuse heat produced in its processes. A ground breaking ceremony was held on August 26, 2011, and work began in spring 2012 on the first phase of the project, a pipe finishing and heat treatment facility. Considerable excavation and road work has been completed by local firms Haas-Anderson Construction and Bay, Ltd. The first phase is scheduled for completion in March 2013 and the entire mill is scheduled to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2014—to date, construction is on target. In all, the TPCO Texas Mill cements San Patricio County’s position as a hub for both national and international manufacturing and trade, and opens the door for additional development opportunities with major industrial manufacturers located throughout the world.

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San Patricio County’s Core Industries San Patricio County is the chosen site for some of the world’s leading industrial and petrochemical companies and they are here because few locations in North America offer so many practical business advantages. The county’s location in the friendly environs of the southern United States, in the Texas Coastal Bend on the Gulf of Mexico, is a key import/export point via interstate highways, rail and sea via the Port of Corpus Christi. The region’s vast energy resources include ample, local supplies of natural gas, a modern industrial electrical grid, and fuels supplied by one of the most vibrant refining regions in the United States. Additionally, San Patricio County offers a hospitable business climate with low costs of land, labor and taxes.

Sherwin Alumina Company opened in 1953 at approximately 20% of its current size. The plant’s production capacity has increased from 1,000 metric tons a day to 4,250 metric tons of alumina products daily. Ninety percent of the production is exported. Since 1990, more than $75 million has been invested in modernizing the Sherwin plant which was sold to BPU Reynolds, Inc., in 2000. In 2007, it was sold to Glencore International and currently employs over 600 people.

Kiewit Offshore Services was created in 2001 to pursue opportunities within the offshore fabrication market, and quickly established itself as a leading fabricator for the oil and gas industry. The company’s reputation for successfully delivering large offshore projects on time and within budget has led to a historic role in constructing the world’s largest and deepestdrilling rigs. Kiewit Offshore’s expertise in massive and complex steel erection, using state-of-the-art facilities and methods, is applied to the construction of large structural steel components, and even military applications, in addition to offshore oil and gas projects.

Kiewet Offshore Services constructs some of the world’s largest and deepest-drilling oil and gas rigs.

Port of Corpus Christi Authority was established by the voters of Nueces County in 1922. In 2003, the voters of San Patricio County passed a referendum to join the Port Authority, creating a two county navigation district. The Port opened for commerce in 1926 and has grown into the fifth largest in the United States. The Port’s leading business generator continues to be the petroleum/petrochemical industry, with strong expansion in recent decades to include military and heavy industrial components, such as wind turbines, imported from around the world. With the development of the LaQuinta Trade Gateway and the conversion of docking assets at the former Naval Station Ingleside to industrial use by Occidental Petroleum, both in San Patricio County, the Port continues to diversify and enhance the economic base of South Texas. Occidental Chemical Company (OxyChem) is one of the world’s leading producers of industrial chemicals, and its 1,200 acre Ingleside plant is strategically located on the Texas Gulf Coast, with excellent dock, pipeline and rail facilities that feed both domestic and international trade routes. OxyChem’s chloralkali plant opened in 1977 and has since been expanded significantly: a $40 million ethylene dichloride (EDC) plant was added in 1989, the $300 million OxyMar (a U.S./Japan partnership) vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) plant started production in 1990, and underwent a $150 million expansion in 1997, along with the addition of a $200 million co-generation power plant in 1999. OxyChem employs 236 full time and 170 contract workers in the county. Its parent company, Occidental Petroleum Company, the largest oil producer in Texas, recently purchased heavy docking facilities at the former Naval Station Ingleside from the Port of Corpus Christi for $82 million, where hundreds will be employed in construction and operations. DuPont Corpus Christi Plant, a facility of the DuPont Company, is an integral part of the company’s commitment to the fluorochemical market. In 1990, the plant, which is located in San Patricio County, started up the world’s first HFC134a facility, and another larger, world-scale facility started up in 1993. The HFC-152a process began operation in 1996. These products affect the daily lives of virtually all Americans, and much of the world for that matter—50% of all vehicles in the U.S. and some 20% in the world use air conditioning coolant produced in Ingleside. The 151-acre site employs approximately 200 DuPont and 75 contract employees.

Gulf Marine Fabricators consists of two world-class fabrication facilities certified to ISO 9001-2000 and ISO 18001 standards. The two complexes encompass 360-acres and have more than 3,600 linear feet of bulkheads in water depth of 45 feet. A special feature is an 86’ deep basin for offload of heavylift ships. Gulf Marine Fabricators has a 4,000-ton single-lift capacity with upgrade option to 7,000 short tons. GMF is designed for manufacturing efficiency and equipped with advanced computer technology. A number of specialty fabrication buildings are located on-site, including a deck assembly building, a shot blast building equipped with Rotoblast machinery, and a climate-controlled paint building. Gulf Marine Fabricators specializes in the construction of large topsides, hulls, cell spars, jackets and compliant towers, as well as FPSO, drillship, TLP and semisubmersible integrations. Air Liquide America LP (“Air Liquide America”) is the third largest industrial gas marketer in the United States and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Air Liquide Group, a worldwide leader in industrial and medical gases and related services, with operations in more than 60 countries with 30,800 employees worldwide. Air Liquide America, through the Big Three Industries organization, has been operating facilities in the region since 1936. Locally, Air Liquide America employs approximately 50 employees. San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

The Port of Corpus Christi Economic engine of the Coastal Bend

The fifth busiest port in the United States extends along the heavy industrial and petrochemical zones of San Patricio County.

The U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers took just one year, from January 1925 to January 1926, to dredge a 25-foot deep, 200-foot wide channel from the Aransas Pass at the Port Aransas jetties, across Corpus Christi Bay to the bayou along the shoreline that separates the city from North Beach. On September 14, 1926, seven years to the day that the Great Hurricane of 1919 struck the area, an official statewide celebration marked the opening of the Port of Corpus Christi. In those early days, cotton was king, representing the port’s main export product through its original four cargo docks. In 1930 the port was chosen as site of the first major industrial plant to come to the Coastal Bend, Southern Alkali Corp., which occupied a 400-acre

site northwest of the turning basin. In the decade following the opening of the port, the population of Corpus Christi more than doubled and many towns in the region experienced similar growth.

With the South Texas oil boom of the 1930’s, came refineries along the inner ship channel and today the port is home to seven refineries that produce gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Over the last three decades, port commissioners have worked to diversify business by attracting new cargo including dry and refrigerated goods, steel products, military equipment, forest products and more. Markets have expanded to virtually every corner of the world—most recently in the Far East, particularly China. The Port of Corpus Christi recently penned a trade agreement with the Port of Tianjin, China, the world’s fourth busiest and is preparing to make the most of the historic expansion of the Panama Canal that is currently underway. 18

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

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State Colleges offer Port sees major expansion vocational training for high-demand skills in oil and gas exports Boom in South Texas energy production spurring new development of port industries facilities

The Eagle Ford Shale

oil and gas production zone stretches some 400 miles across South Texas, from Laredo to just east of Austin, and is responsible for the economic boom that has come to the Coastal Bend. Beyond drilling, major expansions of distribution and refining facilities are adding to the thousands of jobs that have come with increased production. Communities linked to the Port of Corpus Christi, especially in San Patricio County, are poised to benefit the most from these new investments. Natural gas that is supercooled into a liquid form is known as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which requires 1/600th the cargo space required for shipping and storage as does the gas form. Houston-based Cheniere Energy is a major LNG producer and marketer, operating a major facility at Sabine Pass near Beaumont. Cheniere is currently in the planning and permitting phase of developing a new, $10 billion LNG terminal on Port property, along the La Quinta Channel north of Portland. While the company originally planned the facility for the import of LNG, the Eagle Ford Shale play has turned the plan into an export project.

A second company, Pangea LNG, majority-owned by Korean giant Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., filed permits for a second LNG plant at La Quinta with an estimated investment of $5 billion. Pangea operates floating LNG facilities off the coasts of Mozambique and Israel.

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Corpus Christi’s DEL MAR COLLEGE has long been the choice for workforce preparation in the Coastal Bend, educating about 6,000 students in technical, occupational and short-term training programs every year. Nationally acclaimed but locally focused, the college provides education directly targeting crucial skills needed by South Texas employers, including those affiliated with the Eagle Ford Shale. Del Mar College also prepares San Patricio County high school students for workforce entry through its dual credit program, allowing them to earn high school and college credits simultaneously toward career fields in demand in the area. Academic, continuing education and customized contract training, Del Mar College offers the flexibility needed to get trained and get to work. Del Mar College | 101 Baldwin Blvd. in Corpus Christi (361) 698-1328 | www.delmar.edu Texas State Technical College (TSTC), which operates campuses throughout the state, offers a Wind Energy Technology program at its Harlingen and West Texas locations. The program was formulated with the cooperation of the wind energy industry, which has expanded at historic levels throughout Texas, including in San Patricio County. TSTC wind energy instructors come from the industry and understand what employers are looking for in service and maintenance personnel. TSTC has partnered with Texas Tech University in establishing a Texas Wind Energy Institute, where Bachelor’s, Master’s and even doctoral degrees can be earned in Wind Energy Technology. Texas State Technical College | Renewable Energy Education Center at Ingleside | (361) 238-2013 | www.txtc.edu

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Wind Energy Powering the Future San Patricio County is home to one of the largest wind farms in the state of Texas, part of a surge in wind energy development that capitalizes on the Coastal Bend’s endless natural resource, while providing low cost electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses, plus income opportunities for the county’s workers and landowners. In 2009, giant wind turbines of almost 400 feet in height, with blades that have a rotating radius greater than the length of a football field, began springing up across the vast cotton and sorghum fields of San Patricio County. Federal tax incentives have spurred this historic expansion of the county’s energy industries, resulting in the construction of almost 200 turbine units that produce almost 380 megawatts of electricity—enough to power 115,000 homes while avoiding over 680,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and the consumption of over a billion gallons of water per year, compared to conventional electricity production. Power produced in the county’s Papalote Creek Wind Farm is sold under a 15-year contract to San Antonio’s City Public Service (CPS) and the Lower Colorado River Authority, which provides power in Central Texas. Wind farm development has added more than $500 million in property value in San Patricio County and more than 20 miles of rural county roads were improved by the project’s developer, E.ON Climate & Renewables North America. The wind farm project has further diversified the county’s production capacity in the energy sector.

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

a g r i c u lt u r e

Agriculture—the County’s

Founding Industry

San Patricio County was built on its agricultural potential, from the opportunities offered to settlers in a newly independent Mexico, to its role as home to one of the world’s largest cattle partnerships, to its place at the lead of cotton and sorghum cultivation in the state of Texas.

Eighty leagues of land

on the northern bank of the Nueces River, perfectly fit for farming and ranching, is what attracted the original 200 Irish Catholic families to a newly-independent Mexico in 1829. The town of San Patricio de Hibernia, named in honor of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, prospered and grew to a population of over 500 until the 1836 Texas Revolution forced them out of the area. Peace did not come to the region until years after statehood, following the Mexican-American War in 1846. By 1850 San Patricio County was beginning to become repopulated, but while just 200 people resided here, farms accounted for over 40,000 acres, mainly for livestock, which included 500 milk cows, 1,200 cattle and 150 sheep. In the period leading up to the Civil War, the Cotton Plantation System grew exponentially across Texas from 58,000 bales in 1850 to over 430,000 bales in 1860—with this growth in cotton production, the number of slaves in Texas rose from 58,161 to 182,586 during the same period. Most of this growth, however, took place north of San Patricio County on the Lower Colorado, Brazos and Trinity Rivers. In fact, cotton production, which has been an agricultural mainstay in the county for almost a century, was not introduced here until well after Reconstruction. In 1860, cattle ranching was the main industry, with some 48,000 head in the county plus almost 4,000 sheep producing 6,440 pounds of 24

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

wool. Cultivation was active on only 1,700 acres, producing small crops of corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, beans and peas. In 1871 the Coleman, Mathis & Fulton Partnership was formed, becoming the largest cattle ranching firm in the state of Texas, and presumably the world, but had been wiped out by the end of the decade due to a great drought. Only 7,000 head of cattle were reported in San Patricio County in 1880. By 1900 the cattle industry had recovered to 30,000 head while about 2,000 acres each of corn and cotton were cultivated in the county. In total, 102,000 acres of land were in agricultural use, divided among 190 farms and ranches. Over the ensuing two decades, that number grew to 470 by 1910 and 757 in 1920—the result of the aggressive marketing of the county by land brokers to farmers across the United States. The greatest area of growth was, ironically, in cotton farming, which rose from 15,000 acres in 1910 to 60,000 in 1920, and 155,000 acres by 1930; vast tracts of ranch land were converted to cropland, resulting in a drop in cattle ranching to 17,000 head in 1930. The aforementioned irony is that while cotton plantations and the slave trade spread rapidly throughout Texas in the years leading up to the Civil War, San Patricio County did not participate, but instead became a major cotton growing region some sixty years later during the national period of farm tenancy and sharecropping.

Farm tenancy in the county peaked in 1930 when more than twothirds (1,128) of the county’s farms were worked by tenants and only 342 fully owned their land. Tenant farmers lived on and worked land owned by others in exchange for a split of crops, one-third of cotton and onequarter of grain to the landowners, and was a preferred arrangement for White, Black and Mexican-American farmers as compared to traditional

and supplies, all at usurious rates of interest due to the complete annual uncertainty related to crop bounty and market prices. During the 1930’s the combined effects of the Great Depression and the over farming of cotton and other crops resulted in price declines of over 60%—this was followed by the Dust Bowl and the economic effects of the New Deal law that provided subsidies to cotton farmers and landowners to not farm their lands, a measure designed to stem The Original Taft Ranch House, circa 1909 the precipitous fall in cotton prices. (Texas Geneology & History Project, The result was farm tenancy becoming Will Beachamp Collection) virtually wiped out as many landowners chose to push tenants off the land rather than convert to grow alternative crops.

agricultural labor. The system was considered a ladder to ownership for laborers who were offered a direct incentive to work and care for their crops. Sharecroppers occupied a lower tier of tenant farming, and were typically rewarded half of their crops by the landowners, who owned the crops, as opposed to tenant farmers, who owned their own crops. The system would falter and eventually collapse as tenants would take on debts against their crops for everything from rent to furnishings, to food

At the same time, in 1935, the then-biggest oil strike in the county’s history was made on the Welder Ranch, and generations-deep farming families suddenly shifted their attention, along with their money and labor, to the South Texas oil fields. Although farming in the county rebounded in the 1940’s, mechanization and modernization resulted in a further decrease in the number of farms, which stood at 816 in 1959, 393 operated by tenants. Today’s agriculture industry in San Patricio County is a testament to efficiency and technological advancement. In 2007, 652 farms and ranches operated on 396,000 acres, with just over 25,000 head of cattle, and producing over 1.5 million bushels of corn and over 8.7 million bushels of sorghum. Agriculture remains a core industry in San Patricio County, and represents the hard work and business acumen of its people.

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

a g r i c u lt u r e

Youth in Agriculture Organizations in county schools bring together young farmers and ranchers to promote core values and lifeskills.

Hard work,

competition, cooperation and resilience are the kinds of characteristics that have carried generations of farmers and ranchers through good times and bad, and are the kind of values that we hope to pass on to our children. 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) are national organizations that promote agricultural education through the public schools, including in San Patricio County.

Across Texas more than 65,000 youth are enrolled in 4-H, including in the county, which is a center of activity for the Coastal Bend (District 11) chapter of Texas 4-H. Whereas 4-H has a long tradition of promoting agricultural activities, the group offers kids the chance to pursue a wide range of interests, from photography to computers and from building rockets to raising sheep. 4-H organizes camps and field trips, along with rodeos, livestock and foodstock shows, and other competitions, and also promotes civic and charitable efforts by its youth members. 4-H actually started off in the early 1890’s as “3-H,” the H’s representing, Head,

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Heart, and Hands. In 1911 a fourth H was added for Health, and what we know as 4-H was born. In San Patricio County, 4-H clubs operate in all seven school districts.

FFA operates in over a thousand Texas public schools and offers a hands-on component to agricultural education. The FFA’s program of Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE’s) include activities such as starting a business, or working in an established business or agricultural production operation. The group promotes the long and rich history of agriculture in America and the lessons learned over generations of agriculturalists. FFA chapters operate in the Odem-Edroy and Taft ISD’s.

recreation

festivals Aransas Pass Shrimporee Photo: GScottImaging.com

A Sense of Community Folks in San Patricio County share a heritage of farming, ranching and shrimping—community festivals celebrate these common bonds.

A diverse history

and culture influenced by settlers from Spain, Mexico, the United States, Ireland, Germany and more recently, Vietnam, makes up what San Patricio County is today. The hard work that these groups did to make their way in South Texas gives identity to each community in the county, and includes cattle ranching, farming, fishing and shrimping, and even maritime industries. The identity of the communities have given reason to celebrate at each of these annual festivals.

Ingleside Round-Up Days, MARCH—N.O. Simmons Park in the heart of Ingleside is the site of the annual Round-Up Days Festival that features a full scale carnival, officially-sanctioned grilling contest with participants from across Texas, a parade, chicken wing eating contest, lots of live music, and of course, the crowning of Miss Round-Up Days. www.inglesidetxchamber.com

Portland Windfest, APRIL—The — Texas Coastal Bend is known as one of the most consistently windy areas of the U.S., and spring is when the Gulf breezes blow at their peak. Attractions include the tra-ditional carnival, but also featured are an arts and crafts show, dozens of food vendors, cooking competitions for ribs, beans and chili, a horseshoe and washer tournament, a morning parade and of course, the everpopular Dachshund Dash (Wiener Dog Races), Doggie Parade and Classic Car Show. A ton of fun packed into a single weekend event! www.portlandtx.org

Aransas Pass Shrimporee, JUNE—Annual town fair that’s all about the pride and joy of Aransas Passians: the mighty and tasty Gulf Shrimp. The weekend long celebration takes place at Johnson Community Park on the south end of town, with non-stop live music and entertainment on stage and under tent. But the star of the show is that tasty pink crustacean, which will be served fried, boiled, grilled, barbequed, sautéed, and just about every way you can imagine. www.aransaspass.org

San Patricio County, Texas • 2012-2013 2013 Destination Destination Guide Guide

Mathis Fall Fest & Cook-Off, NOVEMBER—This day-long celebration of the coming of fall takes place at the 100-Acre Festival Grounds near Mathis and features a lineup of favorite South Texas Country and Tejano bands as well as Mariachis, food and craft vendors and a children’s petting zoo. Contests include cook-offs for menudo, chili con carne, and hot sauce, plus the crowd-favorite jalapeno eating contest. www.cityofmathis.com

recreation

Fishing

LeisureLifestyle—

Saltwater Fun Great fishing

at Our Doorstep Within minutes of any spot in San Patricio County you can enjoy world-class fishing, boating, and the beautiful beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Coastal Bend

is acclaimed as one of the world’s most environmentally diverse regions, with great fishing and boating offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, in its vast system of bays and estuaries, and in the large freshwater Lake Corpus Christi. Over half of the bird species found in North America have been identified in the Coastal Bend, including the storied Whooping Cranes, which winter north of the county at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Our beaches and coastal bays are prime for surfing, kiteboarding, and other “extreme” saltwater sports.

Much of the southern region of San Patricio County is situated along our inland bays, including Nueces Bay, on which Portland West Cliff and unicorporated parts of the county west of Portland are located; Corpus Christi Bay, the northeastern corner of which is coastal Portland East Cliff, Indian Point and NorthShore, and is the body of water that meets Ingleside and Ingleside-on-theBay, and; Aransas Pass is located along the banks of Redfish Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway.

The beautiful beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, on North Padre and Mustang Islands, are within 45 minutes of most parts of the county, and even closer are attractions, event venues, and bay beaches Downtown and on North Beach in Corpus Christi.

is one of the top attractions for visitors to South Texas, and San Patricio County is home to some of the most abundant waters on the Gulf Coast for redfish, flounder, and speckled trout in our bays, and tarpon, mahi mahi (yellowfin tuna), red snapper and dozens of other species in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, the northwest corner of the county is home to Lake Corpus Christi, a large, freshwater body that is popular with fishermen, water skiers and jet skiers. Nueces Bay is situated north of Corpus Christi Bay, demarcated by the Portland Causeway (Hwy 181), and from time to time, in almost any season, can be populated by record-sized redfish and speckled trout. These fish tend to congregate and feed along shallow underwater reefs and shoal formations, which are abundant in the western end of the bay near the mouth of the river. The northern coastline of Nueces Bay can be accessed by wading, kayak, or flats boat from some of the county roads that run along FM 1074 west of Portland, and the southern edge of the bay can be reached from along the causeway frontage road. The southeastern bank of the county, from Portland to Ingleside, runs along Corpus Christi Bay. Indian Point Pier is located just west of Portland along the eastern causeway frontage road at the end of Sunset Lake Park, which is positioned on a peninsula that extends into the bay. Fishing from the pier is always decent, but during the winter months large fish tend to migrate toward the warmer waters in this northeastern corner of Corpus Christi Bay, and in especially windy conditions, Indian Point is known as a great spot to catch black drum. At Ingleside-on-the-Bay in the southeastern corner of the county, two public boat launches, a marina and several free public piers offer easy fishing and boating access to Corpus Christi Bay.

One good day of fishing in Aransas Pass and you will understand why it is called “Saltwater Paradise” by locals and visitors alike. Redfish Bay, as one might infer, is known for terrific game fishing in all seasons of the year, and is the engine of activity for the city of Aransas Pass. Wade fishing in the flats of the bay is accessible at dozens of spots along the city’s coastline, and especially along the Aransas Pass Causeway (Hwy 361), including Stedman Island, toward the Port Aransas ferry landing. The San Patricio County Navigation District operates the Harbor West and Harbor East facilities on Ransom Road in Aransas Pass, which include a full marina with covered and uncovered boat slips, electric and water service, a bait and fuel stand, boat launches and even a bird watching pavilion. The district also operates docks and boat launch facilities at Conn Brown Harbor, where most maritime activity is commercial—the biggest exception of which is Redfish Bay Boathouse, a recently completed, first class “dry stack” boat storage facility that also offers transient berthing for vessels up to 100 feet, as well as Redfish Willie’s waterfront restaurant. San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

recreation Portland offers abundant access to the plentiful waters of Nueces Bay for kayaks and canoes, particularly along the Hwy 181 Causeway South access road. One of the country’s first dedicated kayak and canoe trail systems, the Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trail, was established in the mangroves and seagrass flats of Redfish Bay, between Aransas Pass and Port Aransas. This state-regulated EcoTourism zone is situated in the center of some of the most productive fishing waters on the Gulf Coast, as well as in the middle of a fantastically diverse birdwatching area.

EcoTourism booms in San Patricio Co. The diverse ecology

of San Patricio County is like few regions anywhere in the United States, ranging from marine bays and estuaries to a large, freshwater lake, and from high bluffs and cliffs, to vast prairie lands. Kayaking and canoeing are enjoyed by thousands of locals and visitors, in all seasons of the year, and at a variety of locations in the county— many consider it the very closest one can get to nature.

Lake Corpus Christi State Park offers numerous kayak/canoe launch areas that lead to excellent freshwater fishing and remote natural habitats for native and migrating birds, and even reptile species. The Nueces River is accessible at numerous points south of the Wesley Seale Dam, on the southern edge of the lake, and is known for at least three state fishing record catches, as well as dozens of unique wildlife ecosystems.

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Birding in San Patricio County is among the best in the U.S., as the Texas Coastal Bend is the funnel of the North American Central Flyway, through which millions of birds migrate each year. The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail was organized as a system of birdwatching sites designed to provide greater access to natural habitats.

Four designated sites on the trail are in the county: Newbury Park Hummingbird Garden—Aransas Pass near 3-way intersection of Wheeler, Cleveland and Harrison; Ransom Road Navigation Dist. Park—Aransas Pass, Ransom Rd. off TX-361; Aransas Pass Community Park— Aransas Pass, East Johnson Ave. off TX-36; Live Oak Park—Ingleside, TX-361 south on Main Ave. (FM1069) to Sherry Ave; Aransas Pass Wetlands— TX-361 Causeway Road between Aransas Pass and the ferry to Port Aransas and Mustang Island.

recreation

Experience the Undersea World

The Texas State Aquarium

i s one of the Coastal Bend’s top visitor attractions because it delivers the ultimate Gulf of Mexico experience, bringing the undersea world to you, up close and in person! The artificial reef exhibit in the 125,000 gallon main tank is home to dozens of species of fish, including rays and sharks, as well as countless shellfish and other invertebrates.

The Aquarium’s resident Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins occupy the 400,000 gallon Dolphin Bay exhibit, and who star in daily interactive shows with guests. Grace, an American Bald Eagle that was rehabilitated in Alaska, now finds her home at the Aquarium, along with sea turtles, sting rays, seabirds and other marine animals. 2710 N. Shoreline Blvd. on North Beach, Corpus Christi • www.texasstateaquarium.org

Step Aboard American History The U.S.S. Lexington

CVA-16 was commissioned in 1943 and christened in honor of the original Lexington, which was lost in 1942 at the Battle of the Coral Sea. The new “Lady Lex” set more combat records than any carrier in U.S. Naval history and today rests in Corpus Christi Bay as the U.S.S. Lexington Museum on the Bay, a tribute to those who gave their lives defending America. 2914 N. Shoreline Blvd. on North Beach, Corpus Christi www.usslexington.com 32

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

area attractions

The Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History chronicles over 500 years of South Texas history as well as the archeological and geological profile of the area. Exhibits include artifacts from the oldest scientifically excavated shipwreck in the Western Hemisphere, as well as the wreck of French explorer Robert La Salle’s ship, La Belle, in Matagorda Bay in 1686. The museum is perhaps best known as the home of the life-sized replicas of the Columbus Fleet, which were christened in 1992 by the Spanish government to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America. 1900 N. Shoreline Blvd., Downtown Corpus Christi • www.ccmuseum.org

The Art Museum of South Texas is acclaimed worldwide for its status as a serious institute of art education, preservation and appreciation. The museum is home to a permanent collection that includes work in virtually all media, featuring artists from Texas and from across the world. The art museum’s original building, opened in 1972, was designed by famed architect Phillip Johnson, and a second building opened in 2006 that was designed by Mexican architects Victor and Ricardo Legoretta. 1902 N. Shoreline Blvd., Downtown Corpus Christi • www.stia.org

The South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center is a special place for the young, the old and everyone in between, especially those who appreciate the beauty of the natural world around us. Favorite exhibits include the 2,600 square-foot screened Butterfly House, the new Bromeliad Conservatory, 2,000 orchids, 300 breathtaking roses, the quaint Hummingbird Garden, imaginative Sensory Garden with fascinating artscape, Arid Garden and colorful EarthKind Demonstration Trial Gardens. 8545 S. Staples St., Corpus Christi • www.stxbot.org

recreation

Take a walk through history in Old San Patricio The very origins of what we know today as Texas were settled in the south central region of the state, including San Patricio County, in the days before Mexican independence.

Villa de San Patricio

de Hibernia (the village of Saint Patrick of Ireland) was named as such by the land commissioner of the state of Coahuila y Tejas in the newly-independent Empire of Mexico, so as to show honor and respect to the Catholic Irish settlers whom they hoped to attract to develop and protect the land. The first settlers arrived to this fertile stretch of land on the northern bank of the Nueces River in 1830—the majority making the months-long, life-changing trek from Ireland with all of their riches and hopes in hand. The first temporary shelters were known as “picket houses,” and essentially amounted to a thatch roof atop short tree trunks, stood upright in narrow mud trenches.

By 1834 San Patricio was established as a municipality and 76 land grants were issued, setting the area in line for great growth under the First Mexican Empire, but in 1835 thousands of settlers, most of them American in origin, banded together and demanded independence from Mexico for Texas. San Patricio became involved in the war for independence in December when a band of townsmen joined Capt. Ira Westover and his men from Goliad in capturing Fort

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Lipantitlán, located on the Nueces River, from the Mexican army. On February 27, 1836, Mexican Gen. Jose Urrea surprised the band of rebels led by Col. Francis W. Johnson and the Battle of San Patricio ensued. Most of the San Patricio unit was killed or captured and the town was abandoned as residents fled for safety in Victoria and Refugio. Many of those killed in the battle were buried at the storied Old San Patricio Cemetery.

Old Cemetery on the Hill In addition to serving as the final resting place of many original Irish colonists and those killed at the Battle of San Patricio, the town’s Old Cemetery on the Hill is where members of the county’s founding families are laid to rest. For generations, however, stories have circulated about some souls who may not be resting so peacefully—and with so many similar accounts of ghosts and wayward spirits appearing in and around the Old San Patricio Cemetery, the town has earned a reputation as one of the most haunted locations in Texas. The ghost of Empresario John McMullen is said to have returned to San Patricio to inform the town’s co-founder and his son-inlaw, John McGloin, that he had been killed in San Antonio, which in fact had been the case. Josepha “Chipita” Rodriguez is said to haunt the banks of the Aransas River and its surrounds, having been the first woman legally hanged in Texas for a murder she did not commit. A Texas rebel who was brutalized at the hands of the Mexican army is said to ride through the town from the north, alas the socalled Headless Horseman Hill, which runs south from Mathis to San Patricio.

World Championship Rattlesnake Races What better way to honor the rich Irish heritage that so many of San Patricio’s founders shared than with the annual World Championship Rattlesnake Races? In fact, every St. Patrick’s Day in Old San Patricio is marked with the year’s biggest festival that doubles as a fundraiser for the San Patricio Restoration Society, which serves to preserve the town’s historical landmarks. Rattlesnake handlers from across the fruited plain gather with their jauntiest deadly reptiles to amaze crowds during this much anticipated annual event. San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

education

Ingleside ISD

Investing in our future More than a cliché, San Patricians honor a tradition of strong public education as a foundation for building better communities. San Patricio County’s seven Independent School Districts together serve over 14,000 students covering an area of some 692 square miles. To follow is a break-down of vital information related to each district. Gregory-Portland ISD

Administration: 608 College St., Portland, TX 78374 (361) 777-1091 | www.g-pisd.org 2010 Enrollment: 4,193 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable TAKS Student Test Scores (passing/commended): Reading — 93.2% / 35.1% Mathematics — 88.1% / 31.8% Writing — 94.9% / 37.5% Science — 82.7% / 29.4% Social Studies — 95.3% / 50.4% All Tests — 79.9% / 16.6% Statistics below are ISD / State 4-Year Dropout Rate: 5.5% / 9.4% 4-Year Completion Rate: 93.3% / 89.2% College-Ready Grads, English & Math: 51% / 47% Teacher Career Experience: 13.0 / 11.3 years W.C. Andrews Elementary School (K-4) 1100 Lang Rd., Portland | (361) 777-4048 TEA Rating: Recognized | 331 students (2010) Stephen F. Austin Elementary School (K-4) 308 N. Gregory Ave., Gregory | (361) 777-4252 TEA Rating: Exemplary | 357 Students (2010) T.M. Clark Elementary School (PreK-4) 2250 Memorial Pkwy., Portland | (361) 777-4045 TEA Rating: Exemplary | 555 Students (2010) East Cliff Elementary (K-4) 200 Fulton St., Portland | (361) 777-4255 TEA Rating: Exemplary | 368 Students (2010) Gregory-Portland Intermediate School (5-6) 4200 Wildcat Dr., Portland | (361) 777-4258 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 623 Students 36

Gregory-Portland Junior High School (7-8) 4600 Wildcat Dr., Portland | (361) 777-4042 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 680 Students Gregory-Portland High School (9-12) 4601 Wildcat Dr., Portland | (361) 777-4251 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 1,279 Students

Aransas Pass ISD

Administration: 2300 McMullen Ln. Suite 600 Aransas Pass, TX 78336 | www.apisd.org 2010 Enrollment: 1,879 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable TAKS Student Test Scores (passing/commended): Reading — 83.3% / 22.7% Mathematics — 74.6% / 17.8% Writing — 83.5% / 18.1% Science — 71.9% / 19.5% Social Studies — 92.2% / 37.3% All Tests — 63.1% / 8.4% 4-Year Dropout Rate: 8.4% / 9.4% (ISD / State) 4-Year Completion Rate: 89.3% / 89.2% College-Ready Grads, English & Math: 29% / 47% Teacher Career Experience: 11.8 / 11.3 years H.T. Faulk Early Childhood School (PreK-1) 430 S. 8th St., Aransas Pass | (361) 758-3141 TEA Rating: Recognized | 414 students (2010) W.A. Kieberger Elementary School (2-3) 748 W. Goodnight Ave., Aransas Pass | (361) 758-3113 TEA Rating: Recognized | 277 students (2010) Charlie Marshall Elementary School (4-6) 2300 McMullen Ln., Aransas Pass | (361) 758-3455 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 427 students A.C. Blunt Middle School (7-8) 2103 Demory Ln., Aransas Pass | (361) 758-2711 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 256 students Aransas Pass High School (9-12) 450 S. Ave. A | (361) 758-3248 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 505 students

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Admin: 2664 San Angelo, Ingleside, TX 78362 (361) 776-7631 | www.inglesideisd.org 2010 Enrollment: 2,150 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable TAKS Student Test Scores (passing/commended): Reading — 89.4% / 28.5% Mathematics — 79.9% / 20.4% Writing — 91.5% / 30.4% Science — 82.7% / 23.1% Social Studies — 96.6% / 51.2% All Tests — 72.3% / 11.3% Statistics below are ISD / State 4-Year Dropout Rate: 6.9% / 9.4% 4-Year Completion Rate: 89.3% / 89.2% College-Ready Grads, English & Math: 37% / 47% Teacher Career Experience: 13.8 / 11.3 years Ingleside Primary School (PreK-1) 2100 Achievement Blvd. | (361) 776-3060 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 423 students Gilbert J. Mircovich Elementary School (2-4) 2720 Big Oak Ln., Ingleside | (361) 776-1683 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 525 students Blaschke/Sheldon Elementary School (5-6) 2624 Mustang Dr., Ingleside | (361) 776-3050 TEA Rating: Recognized | 321 students (2010) Leon Taylor Junior High School (7-8) 2739 Mustang Dr., Ingleside | (361) 776-2232 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 324 students Ingleside High School (9-12) 2807 Mustang Dr., Ingleside | (361) 776-2712 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 557 students

Mathis ISD

Admin: 302 E. San Patricio Ave., Sinton, TX 78368 (361) 547-3378 | www.mathisisd.org 2010 Enrollment: 1,636 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable TAKS Student Test Scores (passing/commended): Reading — 83.4% / 21.4% Mathematics — 70.2% / 15.1% Writing — 85.8% / 16.0% Science — 67.4% / 14.0% Social Studies — 95.5% / 32.1% All Tests — 59.4% / 6.7% Statistics below are ISD / State 4-Year Dropout Rate: 9.4% / 9.4% 4-Year Completion Rate: 83.9% / 89.2% College-Ready Grads, English & Math: 20% / 47% Teacher Career Experience: 9.9 / 11.3 years Mathis Elementary School (PreK-3) 500 E. St. Mary’s St., Mathis | (361) 547-4106 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 679 students Mathis Intermediate School (4-6) 516 E. St. Mary’s St., Mathis | (361) 547-2472 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 333 students Mathis Middle School (7-8) 1627 W. San Patricio Ave., Mathis | (361) 547-2381 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 214 students Mathis High School (9-12) 615 E. San Patricio Ave., Mathis | (361) 547-3322 TEA Rating: Academically Unacceptable | 479 students

Taft ISD

Admin: 400 College St., Taft, TX 78390 (361) 528-2636 | www.taftisd.net 2010 Enrollment: 1,143 TEA Rating: Academically Unacceptable* *88.5% Economically Disadvantaged (59% state avg.) TAKS Student Test Scores (passing/commended): Reading — 72.6% / 13.7% Mathematics — 63.1% / 10.8% Writing — 87.1% / 20.4% Science — 62.4% / 10.0% Social Studies — 95.2% / 32.3% All Tests — 50.6% / 4.8%

education Statistics below are ISD / State 4-Year Dropout Rate: 8.1% / 9.4% 4-Year Completion Rate: 83.1% / 89.2% College-Ready Grads, English & Math: 22% / 47% Teacher Career Experience: 13.0 / 11.3 years Woodroe Petty Elementary School 1150 Gregory St., Taft | (361) 528-2636 TEA Rating: Academically Unacceptable | 272 students Taft Junior High School 727 McIntyre Ave., Taft | (361) 528-2636 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 256 Students Taft High School 502 Rincon Rd., Taft | (361) 528-2636 TEA Rating: Academically Unacceptable | 297 students

Sinton ISD

Admin: 322 S. Archer St., Sinton, TX 78387 (361) 364-6803 | www.sintonisd.net 2010 Enrollment: 2,108 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable TAKS Student Test Scores (passing/commended): Reading — 83.9% / 22.6% Mathematics — 76.2% / 19.1% Writing — 85.7% / 27.3% Science — 75.1% / 20.0% Social Studies — 91.1% / 32.3% All Tests — 65.6% / 9.2% Statistics below are ISD / State 4-Year Dropout Rate: 3.1% / 9.4% 4-Year Completion Rate: 96.9% / 89.2% College-Ready Grads, English & Math: 35% / 47% Teacher Career Experience: 11.4 / 11.3 years Welder Elementary School (PreK-2) 600 N. Bowie Ave., Sinton | (361) 364-6621 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 571 students Sinton Elementary School (3-5) 200 S. Bowie Ave., Sinton | (361) 364-6902

TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 498 students E. Merle Smith Middle School (3-5) 900 S. San Patricio Ave., Sinton | (361) 364-6841 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 478 students Sinton High School (9-12) 400 N. Pirate Blvd., Sinton | (361) 364-6652 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 555 students

Regional Higher & Vocational Education

Del Mar College - Corpus Christi The Coastal Bend’s largest community college offers Associate degrees in over 50 university transfer majors, along with Associate in Applied Science degrees and Certificates in over 160 occupational and technical fields. 101 Baldwin Blvd., Corpus Christi, TX Odem-Edroy ISD 78404 | (361) 698-1200 | www.delmar.edu Admin: One Owl Square, Odem, TX 78370 Texas A&M University Corpus Christi (361) 368-8121 | www.oeisd.org The ever-expanding “Island University” now serves 2010 Enrollment: 1,129 over 10,000 students, offers 33 undergraduate maTEA Rating: Academically Acceptable jors, 25 graduate programs and two doctoral deTAKS Student Test Scores (passing/commended): grees, through five colleges—standout programs Reading — 88.1% / 28.8% include nursing, education and environmental sciMathematics — 78.0% / 21.5% ence. TAMUCC is an NCAA Division I school, competWriting — 95.5% / 30.8% ing in basketball, baseball, tennis and other sports. Science — 80.1% / 21.9% 6300 Ocean Dr., Corpus Christi, TX 78412 Social Studies — 90.0% / 28.6% (361) 825-5700 | www.tamucc.edu All Tests — 69.6% / 8.3% Texas A&M University Kingsville Statistics below are ISD / State The oldest public institution of higher learning in 4-Year Dropout Rate: 14.1% / 9.4% South Texas, TAMUK is acclaimed for its engineering, 4-Year Completion Rate: 85.9% / 89.2% agriculture, wildlife and education programs, was College-Ready Grads, English & Math: 37% / 47% the first university in the U.S. to offer a doctoral deTeacher Career Experience: 11.6 / 11.3 years gree in bilingual education, and has the first College of Pharmacy in South Texas. The Javelinas Division II Odem Elementary School (PreK-5) football team has produced numerous NFL stars. One Owl Square, Odem | (361) 368-3381 700 University Blvd., Kingsville, TX 78363 TEA Rating: Recognized | 572 students (2010) (361) 593-2111 | www.tamuk.edu Odem Junior High School (6-8) Coastal Bend College - Beeville One Owl Square, Odem | (361) 368-8661 This regional community college serves over 1,300 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 254 students students on its main campus in Beeville. Noted proOdem High School (9-12) grams include IT, healthcare, drafting and business. One Owl Square, Odem | (361) 368-3401 3800 Charco Rd., Beeville, TX 78102 TEA Rating: Academically Acceptable | 303 students (866) 722-2838 | www.coastalbend.edu

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

h e a lt h c a r e REGIONAL FACILITIES

Healthcare Profile

Local & Regional Healthcare Facilities Healthcare and medical facilities in the Texas Coastal Bend are among the best in South Texas. Corpus Christi is home to five major medical centers including an accredited trauma center, chest pain center, stroke care center, and regional children’s hospital. In San Patricio County, a medium-sized hospital operates in Aransas Pass as well as two recently opened medical clinics in Portland. The county is also home to a number of practicing medical doctors, dentists, psychotherapists, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals.

COUNTY FACILITIES

Care Regional Medical Center (CRMC)—Aransas Pass CRMC is a 75-bed, acute-care medical center set on a 10-acre campus in Aransas Pass. The facility’s emergency room is utilized by EMT units from all cities within the county, as well as from Port Aransas and Rockport to the north. CRMC offers full surgical facilities for general procedures as well as endoscopic, gynecological, podiatric, pacemakers, plastic surgery and others—many of the Coastal Bend’s most acclaimed surgeons operate at CRMC. Essential facilities for radiology, respiratory care, behavioral health and detoxification are also available at CRMC. 1711 W. Wheeler Ave | Aransas Pass, Texas 78336 | (361) 758-8585 www.crmctx.com Northshore Emergency Center—Portland Providing 24/7 care to residents and visitors of the Coastal Bend region, Corpus Christi Medical Center’s Northshore Emergency Center offers medical care for patients who previously had to cross the Harbor Bridge for emergency treatment, diagnostic services and imaging needs. Since opening two years ago, Northshore Emergency Center has provided life-saving medical care to over 20,000 families and visitors. The facility is part of the HCA affiliated, Corpus Christi Medical Center Health Care System, which gives patients peace of mind knowing that they are participating in a larger, trusted continuum of care. 1702 Hwy 181 North Suite A-11 | Portland, Texas 78374 (361) 761-2273 (CARE) | www.northshoreer.com Humpal Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Centers Aransas Pass & Portland Humpal Physical Therapy has built a reputation among patients and healthcare providers as the Coastal Bend’s leading physical therapy and rehabilitation provider. Each of Humpal’s six locations, including two in San Patricio County, offer first-class, state-of-the-art facilities that provide the very latest strength training and evaluation equipment, work hardening and conditioning areas, hand therapy departments, and hydro therapy rooms with full body and extremity whirlpools. Aransas Pass: 2150 W. Wheeler | Aransas Pass, Texas 78336 (361) 758-5199 — Portland: 114 Lang Rd. | Portland, Texas 78374 (361) 643-8243 | www.humpalphysicaltherapy.com 38

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Christus-Spohn Health System Dr. Arthur Spohn and his partners, the Catholic Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, opened Corpus Christi’s first hospital on North Beach in 1905, serving the young city of 7,000 as well as people throughout the region. Over a century later, Christus-Spohn Health System is the Coastal Bend’s leading healthcare provider, operating three major medical centers, three regional hospitals and numerous satellite specialty facilities. Christus-Spohn offers cutting edge treatment in cancer care, obstetrics, physical rehabilitation, and neurological care, and operates accredited trauma, stroke and chest pain centers. The closest facilities to San Patricio County are Christus-Spohn Hospital Shoreline and Christus-Spohn Memorial Hospital. (361) 881-3000 | www.christusspohn.org Corpus Christi Medical Center Affiliated HCA, Corpus Christi Medical Center is accredited by The Joint Commission and is a nationally recognized health care system. With an outstanding team of more than 1,200 medical professionals and over 600 medical staff members, Corpus Christi Medical Center boasts a combination of superior medical services, leading edge technology and personalized care. From caring for fragile newborns to complex cardiovascular patients, Corpus Christi Medical Center is this region’s designated primary stroke and chest pain center. The eight campuses of Corpus Christi Medical Center are conveniently located throughout Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend, which includes Northshore Emergency Center in Portland. The campuses of Corpus Christi Medical Center are Doctors Regional, Bay Area, The Heart Hospital, Northwest, Bayview Behavioral Hospital, Northwest Behavioral Health Center, Northshore Emergency Center, and Radiation Oncology at Corpus Christi Cancer Center. (361) 761-1000 | Physician Referral (361) 761-5000 www.ccmedicalcenter.com Driscoll Children’s Hospital Clara Driscoll was a giant of her time. Born into a wealthy, founding Texas family in 1881 and educated in the finest private academies, she became known as an author and playwright after the turn of the century. In 1903 she was recruited into the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, a group organized to save the Alamo, which had been targeted for demolition. When the group’s fundraising efforts fell short, she wrote a personal check and became known as the Savior of the Alamo. When Clara Driscoll died in 1945, her will designated a fund to build a charity hospital for poor children in Corpus Christi, which started with just 25 beds in 1953. In 1970, Driscoll Children’s Hospital expanded its mission beyond charity care and was opened to all children in need of medical care. In the decades since, DCH has expanded its facilities into the Rio Grande Valley, Laredo and Victoria, and has established its place among the very best pediatric healthcare facilities in the U.S. DCH now serves 31 Texas counties, has 250 physicians on staff covering 30 specialties, in addition to 1,800 employees and 340 volunteers. 3533 S. Alameda St. in Corpus Christi | (361) 694-5000 | www.driscollchildrens.org

The city of Odem

was established in 1909 by John James Welder and David Odem, who was county sheriff at the time and the town was consequently named after him. The crossing of the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway through the area in 1907 led to the founding of the town. Throughout the 20th Century, Odem experienced the economic and cultural transitions that shaped all of San Patricio County, including the development of cattle and cotton industries, followed by the oil and gas boom.

Peaceful Country Living at its best in Odem Energy industry workers, retirees, families with young children, all finding their new home in Odem, where hospitality, good schools and good people welcome you!

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Odem’s population has hovered around 3,000 for the past two decades, balanced by both young people who grew up in the area venturing to the cities, and new families and couples moving into town to enjoy a laid-back, country lifestyle. Suburbanites who work in Corpus Christi have discovered, in relative droves, the serenity, ease of pace and hospitality that the fine folks of Odem have to offer. Oil and gas professionals who have relocated to South Texas to work in the Eagle Ford Shale development zone have also found Odem, which is less than 30 minutes to the southern edge of the zone. Both families and employers are happy to learn that the Odem-Edroy ISD takes their mission seriously: to provide a quality education and to prepare young adults for the next step in their education or their place in the workforce. City of Odem | 514 Voss Ave. Odem, Tx 78370 (361) 368-2831 | www.cityofodemtx.com

Sinton & Odem South Texas Antique Capital Antiques capture eras of time and offer insight for each new generation into how our people and our civilization came to be. As one might imagine, San Patricio County’s rich and storied history has left large collections of finer remnants of its past—and a few of them make it into the antique shops and cooperatives located in Sinton and Odem. Main Street Gifts & Collectibles—409 W. Sinton St. in Sinton, (361) 364-9200 Kountry Kaboodles—205 E. Sinton St. in Sinton, (361) 364-4310 Sinton Street (US-77 Bus, TX-188, US-181)—Especially on Fridays and weekends, handfuls of independent vendors pop-up along this busy main thoroughfare through Sinton. Echo Antiques—111 Main St. in Odem, (361) 368-2994 Keeping Up with the Jones’—1205 Voss Ave. in Odem, (361) 368-3020

Odem/Edroy Commitment to Education Public education has been a priority to the Odem-Edroy community for almost a century, when the first one-room schoolhouse was opened. In the generations since, the Odem-Edroy Independent School District has established a tradition of supporting students and parents in academics, athletics and vocational education, including the founding of a long-respected and active Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter, one of two in the county. These days, the school district has kept up with the times by implementing a technology department that links its campuses, teachers, students and parents. The HEROES Program motivates students to expand their interests and to serve the community in tangible ways, and the district’s Texas Literacy Initiative Grant funds targeted methods of helping students achieve literacy goals, throughout their K-12 education.

Odem-Edroy ISD | One Owl Square, Odem TX 78370 (361) 368-8121 | www.oeisd.org

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

s i n t o n

At the Center of History

The San Patricio County Seat occupies a strategic location at the center of business, transportation and trade in South Texas.

All points lead

to Sinton! The San Patricio County Seat was established precisely for its strategic location—at the crossroads of trade for farmers, ranchers and oilmen—when in 1886, soon after the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway built through the county, the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company gave 640 acres for a town site named in honor of the company’s majority stockholder, David Sinton. In 1894 a 1,000-acre charter was granted for the Sinton Town Company, organized by town leaders who included prominent South Texas names—Sinton was named the county seat that same year. The City of Sinton was officially incorporated in 1916 during World War I. After the war Sinton experienced a building boom that saw downtown transform into modern, brick buildings, perhaps right in time for the Great 1919 Hurricane that struck Corpus Christi and the entirety of San Patricio County.

On Easter Sunday, 1935, Sinton would change forever when oil was struck on the Welder Ranch by Plymouth Oil, the company largely credited for developing University of Texas fields in West Texas’ Permian Basin. Over the following 20 years Plymouth would establish a headquarters and workers’ camp called Los Encinos near town; it invested heavily in the city including the construction of an office building in 1952 that today is a state historical landmark owned by the county; all the while, royalties, taxes, and payrolls funded the boom of Sinton, especially after World War II.

Sinton Landmark

Sinton Park & Golf

“Agnes,” the World’s Biggest Squirrel Well, a statue of one, at least, is one of Sinton’s most noted and photographed landmarks, located in front of Aunt Aggie De’s Praline Company, 311 W. Sinton St. Agnes is seen enjoying her favorite treat, the Texas Pecan, signature ingredient in nationally-famous Aunt Aggie De’s Praline candies. Agnes’ colorful hat changes with the season!

Rob & Bessie Welder Park This popular, large public park is located just north of Sinton on Hwy 181 and offers a range of recreational and sports facilities. RV sites are surrounded by an 18-hole golf course, and hike and bike trails circle the entire park. Softball/baseball fields are available as well as ample barbecue and picnic sites, a public swimming pool and terrific birdwatching.

Just the FACTS

• Sinton was established in 1886 by the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company • Oil was first struck in the county in 1935 by the Plymouth Oil Company • The semi-pro Plymouth Oilers baseball team won the national title in 1952 • Sinton and Odem together, in the 2010 Census had total population of 14,109 • 4,062 (29%) of residents are under age 18, and 1,746 (12%) are over age 65. • The Sinton ISD covers an area of 200+ square miles and serves 2,100+ students. 42

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Getting More Info Sinton City of Sinton—301 E. Market St., (361) 364-2381 Chamber of Commerce—218 W. Sinton St., (361) 364-2307 • www.sintontexas.org Sinton ISD—(361) 364-6803 • www.sintonisd.net San Patricio County Fairgrounds—219 W. 5th St. (361) 364-9580 • sanpatriciocountyfairgrounds.com

attraction Welder Wildlife Refuge See and learn about South Texas wildlife in its native, undisturbed setting

Ten miles north of Sinton, on the banks of the Aransas River on land originally granted in 1834, rests the Welder Wildlife Refuge. Here visitors experience the abundance of native wildlife and fauna that have remained undisturbed for centuries. The refuge and associated foundations were committed to its cause with the passing of its benefactor, Rob H. Welder, who set forth its mission in his will. “It is my desire and my purpose to further the education of the people of Texas and elsewhere in wildlife conservation and in the knowledge of the breeding and living habits of our wild creatures, and in the relationship of wildlife to domestic livestock on our ranches and farms; to afford students and others interested in wildlife betterment and propagation and in the raising of wildlife along with domestic animals, a place for research and an opportunity for the study thereof; and to develop scientifically methods of increasing the wildlife populations of the state and nation for the benefit of future generations of our people who may not have the opportunity to know and appreciate our wildlife, as I have, unless methods of increasing and conserving our wildlife are scientifically developed. For these purposes I here create a foundation to be known as the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation.” —Rob H. Welder (1890 - 1953)

Sinton’s center of activity

Like most rural communities, Sinton’s center of community activity is high school sports, especially football. The Sinton Pirates carry a long history of success in State 3A competition in football, basketball, track and field and especially baseball, with a number of players making it to the major leagues over the years. The Pirates also field championship teams in the classroom, with its Academic Decathalon team standing out in competition against other South Texas high schools. Sinton ISD has built a repuatation for academic achievement at all grade levels.

Sinton Baseball’s Championship Heritage

Public tours are held each Thursday and on selected Saturdays. Private tours are available for groups consisting of 10 or more members. The Cottam House is available for overnight stays, complete with guided tours. All visiting groups and individuals are guided by expert staff members or trained WWF volunteers. www.welderwildlife.org

Perhaps the single, best-known contribution to Sinton from the Plymouth Oil Company is the Plymouth Oilers, the semi-professional baseball team comprised of company workers who sought to compete in their boyhood pastime while making a few extra bucks and putting on a show for local devotees. Well…the mighty Plymouth (Sinton) Oilers not only dominated the Coastal Bend Baseball League against such powerhouses as the Victoria Rosebuds and Corpus Christi NAS Comets, but in 1951 the Oilers went all the way to win the National Baseball Congress Title in Wichita, Kansas. Citizens gathered in town square to listen to the game live on a loudspeaker via a special phone line. Later that year the team defeated an All-Star team fielded by the Mexican Professional League to win the International Semi-Pro Championship. In 1989 the Sinton High School Pirates brought home the State 3A baseball title, and native son Mike Adams is a star Major League relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

s i n t o n

San Patricio Co. home to first class event facility Fairgrounds represents county’s commitment to providing a modern, flexible events center that attracts visitors from across South Texas.

and RV sites are available for multi-day stays. The Civic Center provides up to 9,600 sq. ft. of exhibit space plus an additional 1,300 sq. ft. of meeting space, and offers multiple configurations for banquets, receptions and trade shows as well as meetings C o u n t y arranged in theater, classroom, conference and u-shaped settings. The Civic Center is Fairgrounds equipped with a catering kitchen, and state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems. is one of the region’s premier public facilities, able to accomThe Exhibition Hall is a venue of over 34,000 sq. ft. of indoor space that hosts modate indoor and outdoor events for small groups or up stock shows, carnivals, dances, flea markets and more. The Events Center features over to thousands at a time. This modern, multi-purpose center 50,000 sq. ft. of covered and heated, open-air space, that is home to birthday paroffers five venues that together provide an endless array of ties, trade shows, corporate retreats, weddings, reunions and even pageants! The Fairoptions for almost any type of event, exposition or meeting. grounds Arena can accommodate crowds of up to 1,600 for rodeos, horse and livestock

The San Patricio

The Fairgrounds hosts large, outdoor, events including shows, concerts and more. The Arena offers first class sounds and lighting systems as carnivals, fairs, festivals and cook-offs. Ample horse stalls well as a well-equipped concession facility.

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

portland

Portland — “Gem City of the Gulf” Amid a boom in development at the end of the 19th Century, one of the most picturesque spots on the Gulf Coast was promoted across the U.S. as a place of beauty and opportunity.

Natural beauty

and business opportunity on a cove of land where Corpus Christi and Nueces Bays meet is what brought legendary businessman and legislator John G. Willacy to Texas in 1891. Willacy was a famer and developer born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1859, and later settling in Portland, Maine. Upon seeing the prospects for success in South Texas, Willacy merged his New England Land Co., New England Real Estate Co., and the Portland Harbor and Improvement Co., of Wichita, Kansas, into a single entity that then purchased 1,920 acres on the coastal southern edge of San Patricio County from the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company. The new town was named in honor of Willacy’s first adopted hometown, Portland, Maine, and lots were made available for sale and advertised across the country. Willacy built a 20-room hotel and chartered the steamboats Mascot and Cleopatra to ferry potential buyers from Corpus Christi—the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway ran special trains to the new town site. Within the first year Portland had grown to over 500 full time residents and a 1,200-foot wharf was constructed by a freight forwarding company. Even a post office was chartered, but

Just the FACTS

the Great Panic of 1893 stopped the boom in its tracks, and before long the hotel was vacant and the buyers were gone. The hotel property was purchased by Thomas C. Clark and renamed Bay View Cottage, which operated until it was destroyed in the 1916 Hurricane. By 1911 Coleman-Fulton had repossessed much of the original land sold to Willacy, who had returned to give it another go, organizing the Portland Development Company. Almost $40,000 in improvements were made by the company, which included streets and power lines and a wharf with railroad facilities, leading to today’s Portland, Texas.

• Portland was named in tribute to Portland, Maine hometown of its founder • Steamships ferried potential land buyers from Corpus Christi in July, 1891 • Bay View Cottage was a city landmark until destroyed in the 1916 Hurricane • Portland’s population was 2,538 in 1960,12,023 in 1980 and 15,099 in 2010 • A recent survey found 87% of Portlandites were “Satisfied” with Quality of Life • Former football coach Ray Akins is the grandfather of Super Bowl QB Drew Brees 46

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Getting More Info Portland City of Portland—1900 Billy G. Webb Dr., (361) 777-4500 • www.portlandtx.com Chamber of Commerce—904-B Memorial Pkwy., (361) 643-2475 • www.portlandtx.org Gregory-Portland ISD—608 College St., 361) 777-1091 • www.g-pisd.org

portland

Portland Neighborhoods Portland is one of the favorite bedroom communities of the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Area of about 420,000 full time residents, and is known for its excellent public schools, parks and outdoor recreation areas. Portland offers a variety of housing options, from luxurious, executive waterfront homes and planned, new subdivisions, to island-style, wood frame on stilt homes and just about everything in between, and in all price ranges. North Shore The development of North Shore Country Club Estates in the 1990’s and 2000’s resulted in one of the most preferred and exclusive neighborhoods in the Coastal Bend, characterized by spacious, high-end construction, sparkling swimming pools, and golf course and bay frontage. The NorthShore Country Club, a private facility, features an 18-hole championship golf course that is known for its sweeping views of Corpus Christi Bay and smart use of natural geographic features, and is home to an active tennis community, fine dining and a first-class event venue. The highest-end homes, generally $250k+, are located south of Olympic Drive, extending west of Broadway Ave. several blocks, and east along the golf course and down Country Club Blvd., where numerous, ultra-high-end homes, some nearing $1 million in value, are situated. This original part of the North Shore development still has room to grow west of Broadway along Long Point Dr., where Braselton Homes is building, and south of Country Club Blvd. leading to the waterfront, where

space is open for dozens of high-end homes, condominiums, as well as parks and other community facilities, years into the future.

the Bay Ridge subdivision is served by the newly opened, state-of-theart, Stephen F. Austin Elementary School in Gregory.

On the north end of the neighborhood, along North Shore Blvd., you will find two relatively new, upperend apartment complexes that each offer spacious units, well-manicured common grounds, and resort-style community swimming pools, as well as the well respected Carriage Inn retirement community. On the north side of North Shore Blvd. and farther north along Broadway Blvd. there are two clusters of mid-level homes of about 50 each, built within the last decade or so, and both fully occupied and very well maintained. At the northern-most end of Broadway Ave., near the Hwy. 181 intersection, Hogan Homes has very successfully developed the Bay Ridge subdivision, offering high-quality construction including the most popular buyer amenities, in the $130k to $280k range. The original North Shore subdivision, south of the intersection of Broadway Ave. and Hwy 181, is served by East Cliff Elementary, and

East Cliff Portland’s first residents built their homes in what is now the southwestern corner of the city, where beautiful cliffs overlook Sunset Lake to the south and Corpus Christi Bay to the east, with Indian Point Peninsula

in between. Sunset Lake Park is one of the most popular canoe and kayaking areas in the entire Coastal Bend, and is visited by hundreds of native and migrating bird species. The southern end of the neighborhood is older with a number of remodels and new builds facing the water, plus several large, legacy lots, many of which are occupied by ranch homes with big front and back yards. The 10-acre Violet Andrews Park off 2nd

Bay Ridge Subdivision,

developed by Hogan Homes, offers quality new construction and high-end amenities (this photo and above)

SanPatricio PatricioCounty, County,Texas Texas •• 2013 2013Destination DestinationGuide Guide San

47 47

portland

Ave. provides a paved walk and bike trail, playground, and bird watching platform, along the rugged, natural shoreline of Corpus Christi Bay. North of this area, on the streets to the bay side of Broadway Ave., is where much of the high-end construction of the booming 1970’s and 80’s took place, with larger and more opulent homes the closer you get to the waterfront. Bayside Park is nestled into a coastal pocket of this neighborhood, and is where you will find Portland’s one, true sandy beach area and direct bay access, via boardwalk, for windsurfers, kiteboarders and other water sports enthusiasts. The East Cliff neighborhood is served by the exemplary East Cliff Elementary School. Central Portland On the west side of Hwy 181 is the modern center of town where city hall, the public library, the swimming center, and other public facilities are located, along with GregoryPortland Intermediate, Junior and Senior High Schools. The west side of Wildcat Dr. is where much of Portland’s commercial activity is situated, including the HEB Grocery store, Starbuck’s and more, and leads

to the neighborhoods of Central Portland including Oak Ridge and Twin Fountains, where you will find clean streets, friendly neighbors and well manicured lawns. Many of the school district’s athletic facilities are open for public use in off-hours, public baseball parks are located on County Rd. 72 behind the high school, and the Portland Municipal Park at Lang Rd. and Memorial Pkwy. offers a basketball court, picnic areas, and two baseball fields. Most of Central Portland is served by T.M. Clark Elementary School, but areas west of Memorial Pkwy. are served by W.C. Andrews Elementary. West Cliff/Briar Cliff/Doyle The southwest area of Portland is characterized by traditional homes

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

and apartment complexes in the midlevels, large, rural properties, uppermiddle level homes close to the Nueces Bay shoreline, and executive homes with sweeping views of the bay and downtown Corpus Christi. Although much of the private property along Moore Ave. on the bay was developed decades ago, large tracts are currently available, some of which is seeing construction activity. Broadway Park, located off Moore Ave. just west of Hwy 181, provides a rugged nature trail leading to the Nueces Bay shoreline. The neighborhood south of Moore Ave. along the bay is Briar Cliff where you will find some of the city’s most beautiful streets and homes, some featuring breathtaking sunsets over Nueces Bay. Farther west, past

the city limits, is the unincorporated community of Doyle, where landowners enjoy the unconstrained freedom to manage their property “as they wish,” but is where Winter Texans and other coastal travelers find the secluded Sea Breeze RV Park, complete with a fishing pier and postcard views of the bay. Four miles west of town rests one of the truly hidden gems of the entire Coastal Bend: the soaring (by Texas standards) cliffs on the northern shoreline of Nueces Bay, on County Rd. 66A. West Cliff, south of Northcliff Dr. and east of Memorial Pkwy., is served by T.M. Clark Elementary School, and areas north of Northcliff/west of Memorial, and west to Doyle and beyond are served by W.C. Andrews Elementary.

Artists’ work seen by thousands daily

One Portland resident

h a s managed to combine her professional and personal passions to build an acclaimed career, with work seen and appreciated by thousands of people on a daily basis. That resident is artist and entrepreneur Dinah Bowman, who is best known for her Japanese-style, Gyotaku fish prints, as well her work in watercolor, acrylic and other media. Her art has been published in magazines such as Smithsonian, Southern Living and Texas Parks & Wildlife, featured on travel television shows, and in educational press, specifically the go-to reference book, Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico.

B o w m a n’s work has been on exhibit in dozens of museums and galleries across the United States and around the world, including the Smithsonian, the American Natural History Museum, the Canadian & Australian National Natural History Museums, and in the University of Texas and California systems, but residents of the Coastal Bend enjoy her work every day, and free of charge. It’s Dinah Bowman’s illustrations of fish and shorebirds that are sculpted into the facades of many of the newer highway and freeway structures in San Patricio and Nueces Counties. Visitors can meet Bowman and see her work in person at her gallery and framing shop at 312 Fifth Avenue in Portland.

The evolution of San Pat’s real estate market Phyllis Lee

is considered the matriarch of real estate in San Patricio County, having entered the profession in 1971. “Our Multiple Listing System consisted of a small, three-ring notebook with typed and mimeographed listing sheets,” Lee recalls of her early days in the business. Portland’s population nearly doubled in the 1970’s, fueled by major industrial expansions including the opening of Reynolds Aluminum (now Sherwin Alumina). “New residential homes were selling for about $19 per square foot,” says Lee, “and interest rates were seven to seven and a half percent. It was a fabulous market for real estate agents—new subdivisions were popping up like mushrooms in those years.” Interest rates crept up to 9.5% by 1978, according to Lee, to a peak of 17.5% in 1982, at the end of a crippling national recession. In 1990 a building boom came to southern San Patricio County with the construction and opening of Naval Station Ingleside. Lee and her husband’s construction company built out hundreds of homes in 13 Ingleside subdivisions, all in a price range that an enlisted Navy family could afford.

Texas was spared much of the housing collapse that affected the rest of the country in 2008-2009 due in large part to more tightly regulated mortgage market, but also due to traditional thinking about personal financial matters. “In our area, realtors and lenders did not recommend adjustable rate mortgages to buyers,” says Lee. “We advise buyers that if you are not going to live in the home a minimum of two-and-a-half to three years, do not purchase. You cannot build equity in that short period of time. That advice is still pertinent today.”

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

ment, and when the school meets completion and drop-out rates required for the Recognized rating, the state’s secondhighest. The highest rating of “Exemplary” indicates that 90%+ of students meet the same standards.

Gregory-Portland ISD among highest rated in South Texas With seven out of seven campuses rated Recognized or Exemplary, GPISD offers best schools in the county.

A decades-long commitment

b y the people of Portland and Gregory to high standards in education has continued to yield measurable, powerful results for the community and its children. Of the district’s seven campuses, four elementary schools, and intermediate, junior high and high schools, in 2010 all earned either “Recognized” or “Exemplary” status by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the state’s administrative body for public education.

GPISD’s elementary schools, T.M. Clark, W.E. Andrews, S.F. Austin, and East Cliff were all rated Exemplary in the 2008-09 school year, with Andrews slipping slightly to Recognized in 2009-10 while the others maintained the highest distinction. The GP Intermediate and Junior High Schools were, for the most part, consistently rated “Academically Acceptable” year after year, until 2008-09 when both campuses improved to Recognized—Gregory-Portland High School joined the group by achieving a Recognized rating in 2009-10.

In 2012 T.M. Clark and S.F. Austin Elementary Schools were awarded an additional, U.S. Department of Education distinction for campuses in which at least 40% of students are classified as economically disadvantaged, but that demonstrate consistent academic improvement over a three year period. This “Title I, Part A Distinguished Schools” designation is a benchmark of the federal effort to The TEA awards individual school campuses the rating “Recognized” when at least expand educational opportunities in schools where students 75% of students pass each school subject, or demonstrate sufficient required improve- face the greatest challenges at home.

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

h o u s i n g

RV RV

Adventure Texas RV Resort—10754 N IH-37 (Exit 34) • (361) 547-6000 Lake Corpus Christi State Park—Over 100 campsites w/water,

electric, and sewer service available. 4 mi. SW of Mathis off Hwy 359 (28.063249 -97.973889) • 1-800-792-1112

SANDIA (78383) BB Knolle Farm & Ranch, Bed, Barn & Breakfast—Working ranch of-

fers high-end accommodations and fine dining, along with hunting, fishing and riding; ancestral home of San Patricio Empresario John McGloin. 13016 FM 70 east of Sandia • (361) 547-2546 • www.knolle.com

SINTON (78387) HM Best Western Sinton—Complimentary breakfast, pool, fitness cen-

Housing Temporary + Corporate HM

Hotel/Motel

Apartments RV RV Park

Bed & Breakfast

MATHIS (78368) HM Lakeside Inn & Suites—40 rooms and suites, newly renovated.

1500 N. State Hwy 359 • (361) 547-3003 • www.lakesideinnmathis.com HM Mathis Inn & Suites—Recently opened, modern rooms, pool, fitness center, WiFi, satellite TV, pet friendly. 12909 IH-37@State Hwy 359 (361) 547-0200 • www.mathisinnsuites.com HM RV Mathis Motor Inn & RV Park—1223 N. Front St. • (361) 547-0177 AP Mariposa Gardens Apartment Homes—Modern construction, well kept grounds w/BBQ pits. 501 S. State Hwy 359 • (361) 547-1600 AP Country Village of Mathis—1500 Hackberry Ln. • (361) 547-9733 RV Wilderness Lakes RV Resort—On Lake Corpus Christi, 6,000 sq. ft. recreation hall w/kitchen. 22552 Park Rd. 25 • (361) 547-9995

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

ter, Internet. 8108 US Hwy 77 • (361) 364-2882 • www.bestwestern.com HM Motel 6 Sinton—On-site laundry, pet friendly, kids stay free. 8154 US Hwy 77 • (361) 364-1853 • www.motel6.com HM Economy Inn—202 Vineyard Ave • (361) 364-3456 RV Rob & Bessie Welder RV Park—Part of city park complex, complete with municipal golf course, walking trails, public pool and sports fields. 2 mi. N of Sinton on US Hwy 181 • (361) 364-9250 RV Hitching Post RV Park—40 hook-up’s most w/concrete patios and picnic tables, recreation hall w/Internet, pet friendly. 900 W Sinton St • (361) 364-3615 • www.hitchingpostrvpark.net AP Windridge Apartments—700 Gordon Ave • (361) 364-4815 AP Casa de Oro—200 Tooter Newlin Dr • (361) 364-1476 AP El Rey Apartments—Swimming pool, close to high school. 1201 E Sinton St • (361) 364-3180

ODEM (78370) HM Budget Inn Odem—Swimming pool, modern rooms, next door to popular Railroad Seafood Station. 1505 US Hwy 77 • (361) 368-2166

PORTLAND (78374) HM America’s Best Value Inn—On Nueces Bay w/boat ramp and fish cleaning station, pool, continental breakfast. 133 US Hwy 181 • (361) 643-4300 • www.americasbestvalueinn.com HM Best Western Plus NorthShore Inn—Complimentary breakfast, pool, fitness center, Internet. 1707 US Hwy 181 • (361) 777-3100

HM Days Inn Portland—Free breakfast, pool, fitness center. 1703 US Hwy 181 • (361) 643-2222 • www.daysinn.com HM Hampton Inn—Free hot breakfast, WiFi in every room, pool, fitness center. 1705 US Hwy 181 • (361) 777-1500 www.hamptoninn.com HM Holiday Inn Express—Recently opened, business and fitness centers, pool, WiFi. 220 Reliant Dr • (361) 777-1100 www.hiexpress.com AP Westcliff & Royal Palms Apartments—Swimming pool, large floorplans, fully equipped kitchens, covered parking. 1400 & 1404 Moore Ave • (361) 643-2802 AP Land’s End Apartment Homes—On Nueces Bay, pool, fitness center, short term leases & furnished units available. 1201 Moore Ave • (361) 643-7531 • www.landsendapts.net AP Bridgepointe Landing—Pool, fitness center, basketball courts and multiple exercise facilities, large units including townhomes, W/D connections. 1090 Lang Rd • (361) 643-4040 AP

Pavilions at NorthShore & NorthShore Landing—

New, high-end communities, two resort swimming pools, fitness center, county club privileges, furnished units available. 301 Northshore Blvd • (361) 643-2500 | 201 Northshore Blvd (361) 643-4000 • www.thepavilionsatnorthshore.com RV Sea Breeze RV Park—On Nueces Bay w/views of bay and city, pool, hot tub, lighted fishing pier, laundry room, club room w/Internet. 1026 Sea Breeze Ln • 888-212-7541 www.seabreezerv.com

TAFT (78390) HM Inland Motel—1010 US Hwy 77 • (361) 368-2166 INGLESIDE (78362) HM Comfort Inn Ingleside—Free hot breakfast, exercise

room, sauna, pool, hot tub. 2800 Hwy 361 • (361) 775-2700 www.comfortinn.com HM Main Stay Suites—Free hot breakfast, fully equipped kitchens, business center, pool, hot tub, pet friendly. 2787 Hwy 361 • (361) 775-2000 HM Studio 6 Ingleside—Fully equipped kitchens, pool, fitness center, WiFi, pet friendly. 2902 Rockland Blvd • (361) 775-1400 AP Portside Villas Apartments—Minutes to industrial parks, pool, clubhouse. 2706 Hwy 361 • (361) 776-7900 AP Downtown Ingleside Apartments—On man-made pond, clubhouse, pool. 2969 Lakeview Garden Homes (361) 776-7295 BB Our Place on the Bay B&B—On Corpus Christi Bay next to marina, themed rooms, gourmet breakfast, lighted fishing pier, event facility. 1233 Bayshore Dr • (361) 776-6484 www.ourplaceonthebay.net

ARANSAS PASS (78336) HM Hawthorn Suites—Free breakfast, fitness center, business

center, pool, hot tub. 501 E. Goodnight • (361) 758-1774 HM Microtel Inn & Suites—Pool and hot tub, WiFi, free breakfast, pet friendly. 355 E Goodnight • (361) 758-8000 HM Super 8—500 E Goodnight • (361) 758-7888 HM Pelican Inn—545 N Commercial • (361) 758-5305 HM Sea Breeze Motel & Cottages—Coastal fishing getaway, WiFi, kitchens in all units, boat parking, pet friendly. 1404 S Commercial • (361) 758-3014 • www.seabreeze7.com RV Aransas Bay RV Resort—Pool, clubhouse w/kitchen, laundry, WiFi, cable. 501 N Avenue A • (830) 423-4322 RV Portobello Village RV Park—Concrete patios, pool, laundry, club house, individual mail boxes. 2009 W. Wheeler (361) 758-3378 RV Ransom Road RV Park—Well-kept grounds, BBQ facilities, marina w/boat launch next door, recreation room, laundry, WiFi. 240 Ransom Rd • (361) 758-2715 • ransomroadrvparkinc.com San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

entertainment Taxidermist—Aransas Wildlife Taxidermy Clay pottery classes and other art events. 130 E. Goodnight • (361) 244-2510 www.aransaswildlifetaxidermy.net Gallery & Shop—Artist Cove Gallery Cooperative of local, coastal artists featuring a variety of artwork and unique gifts. 304 S. Commercial in Aransas Pass (361) 815-2880

Art by Christi Mathews

Local Art + Theater + Music Entertain us! San Patricio County offers a variety of art and entertainment attractions, with additional options just across the bay in downtown Corpus Christi.

Community Art—Portland Creative Arts Center Clay pottery classes and other art events. 822 Market St. in Portland • (361) 643-4868

Movie Theater—NorthShore 8 First run movies in modern multiplex. 251 FM 3239 in Portland (361) 643-8650 • www.northshore8.com

Gallery & Shop—Dinah Bowman Studio Home gallery of famed wildlife artist, known best for Japanese fish prints. Frame shop. 312 5th St. in Portland • (361) 643-4922 www.dinahbowman.com

Live Theater/Music Venue—Rialto Theater Historic movie theater has been refurbished and is home to active group of stage actors and musicians. 327 S. Commercial in Aransas Pass (361) 758-0383 • www.rialtotheater.org

Gallery & Shop—Mathews Gallery & Studio South Texas native Christi Mathews grew as a painter in Florida, returned to open home gallery. 333 S. Commercial in Aransas Pass (361) 758-1838 • www.christimathews.com

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Area Venues Less than half an hour from anywhere in San Patricio County is downtown Corpus Christi, where major, touring shows, musical acts and other events appear at a number of city venues. Multi-Purpose Events Facility American Bank Center Multi-venue facility includes the ABC Arena, home to hockey and basketball games, as well as major concerts and other stage shows; the ABC Convention Center hosts trade shows, expos and conventions, and; ABC Selena Auditorium is home to a wide range of events, from graduations to ballet performances . 1901 N. Shoreline Blvd. in Corpus Christi (361) 826-4700 • americanbankcenter.com

Outdoor Concert Venue Old Concrete Street Amphitheater One of the most picturesque concert settings in Texas is situated near the port, under the illuminated Harbor Bridge. Willie Nelson is among its most anticipated performers. 700 Concrete St. in Corpus Christi (361) 884-8085 • www.concretestreet.net Special Events Center Solomon P. Ortiz International Center Situated directly on the Corpus Christi Ship Channel at the port entrance, the Ortiz Center is the region’s premier space for banquets, fund raisers, weddings and a vast array of professional and social events. 402 Harbor Dr. in Corpus Christi (361) 879-0125 • www.ortizcenter.com

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

g r eg o r y

Gregory prepared for major expansion Founded as a company town over a century ago, major industry returns to this small, friendly community.

Like many towns

in San Patricio County, Gregory was established in 1887 as a company town by the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway and the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company, its site was known then as Corpus Christi Junction where a spur of the railway broke southeast across Nueces Bay. The town was named in honor of Thomas Watt Gregory, an Austin attorney and U.S. Attorney General, and close friend of George W. Fulton. In 1898 Coleman-Fulton moved its headquarters from Rincon to just north of Gregory and by 1912 the company had built a grand, two-story building that housed an events hall, stores and a bank. In 1909 President William Howard Taft made his famous extended visit to the county, and with it came the opening of the Gregory Hotel, which became known as a one of the finest hotels on the coast and popular stop-over place for travel-

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

(Left) The new Stephen F. Austin Elementary School; (Below) Gregory Hotel circa 1909.

ers on as many as a dozen passenger trains that passed through Gregory daily. But in 1922 the building was moved to Taft, along with Coleman-Fulton headquarters, and renamed Hotel Green.

Gregory declined in activity and population and became a sleepy bedroom community, but a resurgence occurred with the opening of Reynolds Metals Company (now Sherwin Alumina) in the 1950’s, but today the city’s newest development project is set to make a historic impact for decades to come. The Tianjin Pipe Group’s (TPCO) seamless pipe plant, China’s largest manufacturing investment in the U.S., will open its first phase in late 2013, and has driven improvements to infrastructure, city services, and even public education. The new Stephen F. Austin Elementary School is a state-of-the-art facility that has earned the state’s highest school rating.

t a f t

Taft the epicenter of the county’s agricultural industry Community has earned a reputation as industrious and hard-working, and today produces crops that feed and clothe people throughout the U.S. and the world.

In the late 1880’s

a railroad flag stop was installed near the center of the county, not far from a Coleman-Fulton company windmill known as Mesquital Mill, as a result, the settlement that sprang up was known as Mesquital. A company town was established in 1900 and named in honor of Charles P. Taft of Cincinnati, Ohio, son-in-law of David Sinton, one of America’s wealthiest men at the time, and brother of President William Howard Taft, elected in 1908. The new town became the center of the Coleman-Fulton Company’s emergence as an agricultural producer, particularly in cotton, which was a new crop for the county at the turn of the 20th Century. Within a few years Taft’s agricultural facilities included a slaughter and packing house, cold storage and ice factory, cottonseed oil mill, cotton gins and a compress, as well as a creamery.

In 1909 the newly inaugurated, 27th President of the United States, William Howard Taft, made his famous visit to the town which shared his namesake and spoke at the school. In 1918 the directors of Coleman-Fulton made the decision to sell the entire Taft Ranch, the company’s headquarters, including the town, all its utilities, businesses and industrial facilities. In June 1921 the company’s auction attracted over 5,000 people and the city of Taft was established as a privately owned community. Oil discoveries just north of town helped Taft avoid much of the pain of the Great Depression—today energy industries operating near Taft include oil and gas, pipelines, and wind energy. Modern agricultural methods and improved technologies have helped make Taft the center of one of Texas’ most production cultivation regions, producing millions of bushels of corn and sorghum as well as cotton that is exported throughout the world.

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

ingleside

Big industry and small town charm in Ingleside Despite the 2010 closing of Naval Station Ingleside, the city is experiencing a resurgence of growth, fueled by expanding local energy and chemical industries, and families looking for good schools.

George C. Hatch

was a son of North Carolina living in Tennessee who volunteered to serve under Gen. Sam Houston in the Texas War for Independence, for which he received 640 acres in Refugio County where he relocated his family in 1841 to farm cotton. In 1854 Hatch began acquiring land totaling almost 4,000 acres on both sides of the bayou that runs through the middle of what is now known as Ingleside Cove, establishing the first community on the peninsula. John W. Vineyard was a successful businessman from Kentucky who purchased land from Hatch on which he established the town of Ingleside, so named for his ancestral home in Scotland. Vineyard operated a booming lumber business and funded a number of area projects including the Morris-Cummins Cut, a narrow channel that connected Aransas Bay to Corpus Christi Bay through the flats of Redfish Bay. Ironically, it was Hatch (and not Vineyard) who successfully developed grape farming in Ingleside, which peaked in the 1910’s and lasted until 1931. Developers Burton and Danforth platted the Ingleside town site in 1909 and the school district was established in 1913, although the Great Hurricanes of 1916 and 1919 destroyed much of the town and slowed growth significantly. In 1927 Humble Oil announced plans for a refinery at Ingleside, to operate alongside its tank farm at Port Ingleside, and construction began on a housing complex and improved local infrastructure. Aluminum fabrication came to town with the Brauer Corp. plant in 1948 and the opening of Reynolds Metals in 1950, which operates today as Sherwin Alumina.

Just the FACTS

The City of Ingleside was incorporated in 1951 and in 1954 the Army Corps of Engineers dredged the La Quinta Channel through Ingleside Point, created the area known as Ingleside-on-the-Bay on the southern end of the cove. The chemical industry came to Ingleside in 1973 with the opening of the DuPont plant, followed by OxyChem, and heavy marine construction arrived subsequently with Kiewit Offshore Services and Gulf Marine Fabricators.

After almost a decade of political maneuvering, led by lofty dreams of an aircraft carrier battle group, Naval Station Ingleside was awarded to Ingleside in 1987 as a minesweeper base, and became operational in 1992. With the Navy came a construction boom of hundreds of homes and multiple, large apartment complexes to accommodate several thousand personnel and their families. However, in 2005, the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) voted to close NS Ingleside, with the last military family departing in 2010. What was considered a devastating blow to the community has begun to turn around, sparked by the successful effort of the Port of Corpus Christi to sell the former naval station to new developers, namely Occidental Petroleum Corp. and Flint Hills Resources, and by the continued boom in the South Texas oil and gas industry. Ingleside’s reputation as a friendly, small coastal town is attracting new families and businesses, who discover clean streets and neighborhoods, wonderful parks and public facilities, and good schools where students and families are top priorities.

• For over 50 years, Grape Farming was Ingleside’s main agricultural industry. • Ingleside was named by John W. Vineyard for his hometown in Scotland. • Minesweeper base Naval Station Ingleside was open from 1992 to 2010. • 2000 population was 9,388 including 3,200 military personnel and their families. • 2010 population was 9,387 a year after the Naval Station saw its last ship leave. • There are 2,980 families living in Ingleside, 45.4% with children under age 18. 58

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Getting More Info Ingleside City of Ingleside—2671 San Angelo, (361) 776-2517 www.inglesidetx.gov Chamber of Commerce—2867 Avenue J, (361) 776-2906 • www.inglesidetxchamber.org Ingleside ISD—2664 San Angelo, (361) 776-7631 www.inglesideisd.org

annual events

Family Fun for All MARCH—Ingleside Round Up Days One of the Coastal Bend’s favorite town fairs takes place in Ingleside each spring and features music, food and tons of family fun. A three-day carnival opens Friday evening and the festival officially opens with the Round Up Days Parade on Saturday morning. Events include a hot wing eating contest, beauty pageant, and barbecue cook-off. Live entertainment goes on throughout the weekend and headliners include local and Texas rock, country, and Tejano bands. APRIL—Ingleside Car & Motorcycle Show Car, truck and motorcycle enthusiasts and collectors from throughout Texas convene in Ingleside at the end of April

for this annual competition and show. Categories include Trucks, Fast & Furious, Motorcycles, Mustangs, Corvettes, Classics, Antiques and Contemporary. DECEMBER—Ingleside Renaissance Fair For one weekend each December Ingleside transforms into a land of the Golden Age of knights, kings, queens, fair maidens and court jesters for its annual Renaissance Fair. All the classic sports, food, tests of skill, entertainment and craftsmanship associated with Merry Old England are on display in abundance for the enjoyment of all! Kids especially love the magic shows, comedy acts, stage shows, sword play and jousting at the Renaissance Fair. 60

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

aransas pass

Welcome to “Saltwater Heaven”

Located in the center of the Texas Coastal Bend’s fishing and boating activity, Aransas Pass offers an affordable, coastal lifestyle, and a community of friendly, easy-going neighbors.

Aransas Pass

is situated at the center of great fishing, sailing, kayaking and just about every kind of popular saltwater activity in the Coastal Bend. Traditionally, and until recently, the city had remained a shrimping and fishing community that was yet to be widely discovered for its affordable, coastal lifestyle, low crime rate and bustling and growing business community. Aransas Pass occupies a pivitol location for recreational boaters and fishermen, directly on Redfish Bay, just south of Aransas Bay, and a direct shot via two available channels to the Gulf of Mexico.

The successful development of the high-end Bay Harbor and Pelican Cove waterfront subdivisions proved to any remaining doubters that Aransas Pass could, in fact, attract and keep an affluent audience of saltwater enthusiasts. Now that closeby maritime and industrial facilites are expanding, new families are discovering the city’s easygoing way of life.

Conn Brown Harbor is the center of marine activity in Aransas Pass, and was once the homeport to the largest shrimping fleet in the US Its well developed and maintained infrastructure, along with its central location, has made the harbor an attractive development site for recreational boating facilities. As part of the redevelnew boat launches are curplanners and business much, much bigger, becoming a genuine destination.

Just the FACTS • Aransas Pass was home to 8,204 residents in 2010, 1,403 over age 65 • 27% of households have children under 18, and 61% of homes are owner-occupied • Aransas Pass ISD serves over 1,240 students, including Career & Technical programs • Aransas Pass was established using the last United States Land Lottery in 1909 • First effort to build a Deep Water Port was in the 1850’s, interrupted by the Civil War • AP was once home to over 300 Shrimp Boats, the largest fleet on the Gulf Coast

opment of Conn Brown Harbor, rently in the works, but city owners are thinking and in terms of statewide

Getting More Info Aransas Pass City of Aransas Pass—600 W. Cleveland Blvd., (361) 758-5301 • www.aransaspasstx.gov Chamber of Commerce—130 W. Goodnight Ave., (361) 758-2750 • www.aransaspass.org Aransas Pass ISD—(361) 758-4200 • www.apisd.org Newspaper: Aransas Pass Progress 346 S. Houston St., (361) 758-5391 www.aransaspassprogress.com

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

aransas pass

good cause Aransas Pass For Youth Non-profit group offers programs year’round to kids in AP and surrounding area.

Historic Theater’s Rebirth

The Historic Rialto Theater is a center of community activity and led the revitalization of downtown Aransas Pass, entertaining all the way.

The Rialto chain

of movie theaters got its start at the dawn of the motion picture age itself, in the 1910s, and for decades dominated as one of the largest chains of theaters in the United States. The Rialto name was certainly prominent in South Texas, with one located in just about every town center, Aransas Pass as no exception, which saw its Rialto open in 1937. Through decades of wars, hurricanes and economic booms and busts, the Aransas Pass Rialto and the downtown building which it occupies, saw its periods of prosperity and vacancy since its days as a movie theater. It was in 2006, however, that an ambitious group of thespians and other performing arts enthusiasts organized to bring the Rialto back as a new community stage for live theater, music and other productions. As it turned out, the rebirth of the Rialto Theater was something of a precursor to a stunning and brisk revitalization of downtown Aransas Pass, where commercial property is almost completely occupied and the intersection of Goodnight (Hwy 361) and Commercial (Hwy 35) is busier than anyone can remember. www.rialtotheater.org

Bounty of the Sea

Aransas Pass for Youth, Inc., was formed in 1996 as a safety net program for at-risk youth with its after school Latch-Key program and a summer camp serving hundreds of children each year. Affiliated with the United Way of the Coastal Bend, APFY takes on the mission of fostering social skills, a love and respect for literacy, respect for the environment and one another, along with the skills to remain drug free for youngsters in Aransas Pass and the surrounding area. www.aransaspassyouth.com

public space

It really was not until recently, with the premier of the popular History Channel reality series, “Big Shrimpin’,” that most Americans had any real knowledge of how their favorite seafood product made its way from the ocean to the plate.

Community Facility Aransas Pass Civic Center offers modern, first class venue for community events.

South Texans, however, especially old timers along the coast, are familiar with the perlious but profitable life of net-fishing for this most popular crustacean. In recent decades, regulation on the shrimping industry, along with the spread of shrimp farms and increased imports of foreign shrimp, have greatly reduced the fleet across the U.S., including at Conn Brown Harbor in Aransas Pass. While shrimping in San Patricio County remains an important industry, its heyday was decades ago when the Aransas Pass shrimping fleet numbered over 300 boats, the largest on the Gulf Coast.

The 30,000 square foot Aransas Pass Civic Center celebrated its grand opening in April of 2009, and has hosted hundreds of successful events since, ranging from meetings and conventions, to trade shows, and of course banquets and weddings.

Celebrate the Mighty Shrimp! Aransas Pass Shrimporee June 14-16, 2013

www.aransaspass.org 62

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

The civic center is designed with a picturesque Gulf of Mexico setting and features a dividable exhibition hall/ballroom of more than 16,000 square feet, approximately 2,000 square feet of meeting room space, and an outstanding courtyard offering almost 12,000 square feet of event space.

The facility is designed to host meetings, conferences, trade shows, concerts, theatrical events, banquets, and receptions. The Aransas Pass Civic Center prides itself on being a small town facility with capabilities for exquisite events, complimented by a high level of service and style. www.aransaspassciviccenter.com

aransas pass

Getting the most for your Exceptional public facilities real estate dollar in A.P. enhance A.P. quality of life Aransas Pass Over the past decade has been discovered by retirees and waterfront dwellers alike as a hidden coastal gem for finding great “bang for your buck” real estate value. The city is home to two high-end canal-front communities, Bay Harbor and Pelican Cove, where buyers can find luxury waterfront homes, built within the past decade, in the $220/square foot range.

Within a few blocks inland, flood safe stilt homes, the iconic design of classic coastal dwellings, are available in a multitude of styles and conditions for around $100/square foot, a typical range for mid-level condominiums in the region, none of which exist in Aransas Pass.

Development opportunities are abound in Aransas Pass. The city was fully platted decades ago in anticipation of booming growth, on the level of nearby Corpus Christi, that never materialized. As a result, hundreds of acres, all within blocks of Redfish Bay, are open for residential development.

or so the citizens of Aransas Pass have chosen to invest in public facilities that both serve the community and act as a draw for visitors from throughout the North Bay area.

Aransas Pass Aquatic Center bills itself as “a 50,000 gallon kiddie pool” that is a favorite destination for families throughout the county. This first class facility is operated by trained lifeguards and swim instructors, and is open March-October. Classes offered; available for private events. 400 E. Johnson St. | (361) 758-7770 | www.apaquaticcenter.com The San Patricio County Navigation District operates the Harbor West and Harbor East facilities on Ransom Road in Aransas Pass, which include a full marina with covered and uncovered boat slips, electric and water service, a bait and fuel stand, boat launches and even a bird watching pavilion. 426 E. Ransom Rd. | (361) 758-1890

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

M A T H I S

Leisure and industry find crossroads in Mathis Home to the county’s freshwater lake, great schools, and friendly neighbors, Mathis is on a path for growth.

Thomas H. Mathis

was born in Stewart County, Tennessee, in 1834 into an agricultural family that also knew the value of education. He came to South Texas in 1859 to pursue opportunities in the livestock business, but the Union shipping blockade during the Civil War forced him to close his business—ever the enterprising businessman, Mathis went into tobacco smuggling until the end of the war.

In 1867 Thomas and his cousin John M. Mathis built the first wharf in Rockport, took roles in platting out the town, and contributed $5,500 to improve Aransas Pass between St. Joseph and Mustang Islands, allowing access to the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The Mathis cousins became partners in one of the largest cattle concerns in the world, the Coleman, Mathis & Fulton Cattle Co., in 1871, and upon its dissolution in 1879 following a great drought, received a 37,000 acre share of the company’s land. Thomas donated 300 acres for a town and school. In 1913 the San Antonio, Uvalde & Gulf Pacific Railroad reached Mathis and the town became a major trading hub for cattle, cotton and corn for a four county area. In the 1930’s, amid the Midwest drought and the Great Dustbowl, large scale vegetable farming took hold in Mathis. The town was incorporated in 1939 and Dr. William Guynes served as the first mayor and helped establish the area’s first hospital.

Lake Lovenskiold, later renamed Lake Corpus Christi, was artificially created in 1929 and the construction of the Wesley Seale Dam in 1959 raised the lake level to 94 feet above sea level. Residential and recreation lakefront development came rapidly to Mathis, including exclusive luxury homes on the southern lakeshore. In recent years, drought conditions have lowered lake levels and curtailed some water activities, but the current oil and gas boom, along with very good public schools, are together bringing new families and new businesses to Mathis.

Just the FACTS

Mathis Public Schools Leading in International Studies Coastal Bend decision makers perceive Mathis ISD as a “cutting edge” school district. The Board of School Trustees, administrators and faculty create learning environments in which Mathis ISD students are prepared to meet the demands of this century for citizens who can prosper in global political and economic environments. Mathis ISD won a competitive grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to create the first rural high school in the Asia Society’s International Studies Schools Network (ISSN) in 2007. Mathis Middle School for Global Studies joined ISSN in 2010; the district will become the first ISSN member to have all its schools in the network when the Elementary and the Intermediate schools join the program in the 2013-2014 school year. Mathis High School for International Studies students take either Spanish or Chinese. Parents and the community agree that studying Mandarin Chinese engages their children’s language capacity, imagination, and career opportunities. Mathis ISD provides mobile computing devices for high school students, and laptops for all Middle School students. The district maintains close relationships with UT-Brownsville, AMU-Kingsville, TAMU-Corpus Christi, Del Mar College, Coastal Bend College and the Craft Training Center to provide a range of dual-credit and career certification courses for high school students. Forty percent of the 2012 graduating seniors completed dual-credit courses. Recent grants of $6 million are being used to upgrade classroom technologies, to improve middle school and high school math and science innovative teaching, and to provide before and after school academic and enrichment programs that give students the opportunity to be in a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. learning environment five days a week. Mathis ISD students are its ambassadors to the region, and to the world, whether they are 10th graders participating in the Model United Nations in San Antonio, 11th graders touring colleges, China, or Europe, 8th graders visiting Washington D.C., or students and their families hosting exchange students from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, or Vietnam.

• Mathis was established in 1887 by the Thomas H. Mathis of Tennessee • Lake Lovenskiold was man-made in 1929 and later renamed Lake Corpus Christi • The Wesley Seale Dam was built in 1959 and raised the lake level to 49 feet • Lake Corpus Christi State Park spans 356 acres stretched over three counties • The Mathis ISD serves 1,663 students in San Patricio, Bee and Live Oak counties • The City of Mathis covers two square miles and is home to 4,936 residents 64

San Patricio County, Texas • 2013 Destination Guide

Getting More Info Mathis City of Mathis—411 East San Patricio Avenue, (361) 547-3343 • www.cityofmathis.com Mathis ISD—602 East San Patricio Avenue, (361) 547-3378 • www.mathisisd.org Lake Corpus Christi State Park— 23194 Park Road 25, (361) 547-2635 tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/lake-corpus-christi