Storm over the Bay: The People of Corpus Christi and Their Port [1 ed.] 9781603443456, 9781603440882

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Number Sixteen: GULF COAST STUDIES sponsored by

Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi John W. Tunnell Jr., General Editor

Copyright © 2009 by Mary Jo O’Rear Manufactured in the United States of America All rights reserved First edition This paper meets the requirements of ansi / niso z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper). Binding materials have been chosen for durability.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data O’Rear, Mary Jo Holoubek, 1943– Storm over the bay : the people of Corpus Christi and their port / by Mary Jo O’Rear.—1st ed. p. cm. — (Gulf Coast studies ; no. 16) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-60344-088-2 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-60344-088-7 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Corpus Christi (Tex.)—History. 2. Corpus Christi (Tex.)—Politics and government. 3. Corpus Christi Bay (Tex.)—History. 4. Harbors—Texas—Corpus Christi. 5. Hurricanes—Texas—Corpus Christi Bay. 6. Disaster relief—Texas—Corpus Christi—Citizen participation. I. Title. II. Series. f394.c78.o74 2009 976.4'113—dc22 2008042786

To Jim, who brought me to this bay, and to Jessica, Marc, Leyla, and Kenna, who live on the edge of another one.

Contents List of Illustrations and Maps viii Acknowledgments ix Prologue: View from the Blu= 1 part i. the place and the people Chapter 1: Barrier Isles and Bay 7 Chapter 2: Castaways and Cattlemen 11 Chapter 3: Outlets and Immigrants 17 Chapter 4: Promises and Potential 26 part ii. politicians and the port Chapter 5: Populists and Patrónes 39 Chapter 6: Protests and Progressives 48 Chapter 7: Blocs and Balloting 58 Chapter 8: Targets and Trials 67 Chapter 9: Payback and Portents 80 Chapter 10: Devastation and Death 95 Chapter 11: Recovery and Resurgence 114 Chapter 12: Commitment and Construction 124 Postscript: View from the Bay 132 Notes 139 Bibliography 171 Index 180

Illustrations and Maps 1. Land and waterbodies of the Coastal Bend (map) 9 2. Corpus Christi National Bank in the late 1800s 23 3. W. W. Jones mansion 33 4. Young “Cactus Jack” Garner 40 5. Nueces County public roads of 1879 (map) 43 6. Robert J. Kleberg and Roy Miller at King Ranch 60 7. Archie Parr and Walter Pope 69 8. Corpus Christi by early 1919 73 9. Corpus Christi Bay and vicinity in 1918 (map) 84 10. Gordon Boone 91 11. Downtown Corpus Christi after waters receded, 1919 104 12. Wreckage of the Lone Star Ice Factory 106 13. Boater in the storm tide, 1919 109 14. Frontispiece of The Port of Corpus Christi Project 116 15. Editorial illustration in the Corpus Christi Caller 126 16. Port construction along the turning basin 130 17. Front-page invitation to ceremonies 133 18. Celebrants and bascule bridge opening 134

Acknowledgments Less than a city history per se, more than a disaster account, this narrative of Corpus Christi’s drive for a deep seaport had many progenitors. They include the following historians of Corpus Christi: Dan Kilgore, Anita Eisenhauer, Michael Ellis, Diana Fernández, Murphy Givens, Edna Jordan, Richard Laune, Alan Lesso=, Coleman McCampbell, Harry Plomarity, Frank Wagner, Bill and Marjorie Walraven, and Harvey Weil. Their writings about the city, the 1919 hurricane, and the port underpinned my research. Vital as well were archivists whose inspired searches made each visit to their facilities a treat. They include Donaly Brice, Grace Charles, Sister Francisca Eiken, Allison Erlich, Beverly Hadley, Nancy Hebluetzel, Cecilia Hunter, David Kessler, Brother Edward Loch, Gerlinda Riojas, and most especially, Ceil Venable and Jan Weaver. Their counterparts in record keeping, librarians, were founts of patience, including Herb Canales and Laura Garcia of Corpus Christi Public Library and the sta= of Jernigan Library, Texas A&M–Kingsville. Also notably supportive have been editors at Texas A&M University Press, most especially Mary Lenn Dixon and her sta=. Interested, involved, and informative, they have welcomed a novice writer. Nothing could have been accomplished, however, without the contributions of devotees like Joe Fulton, Murphy Givens, Msgr. Michael Howell, Jim Moloney, Dale Miller Jr., and Geraldine McGloin. They shared private collections and personal memories that brought the story of early Corpus Christi to life. Matching their enthusiasm with practical experience were advisors Larry Knight, Les Hunter, Tom Kreneck, Alan Lesso=, and Marshall Schott. Of particular help were Jim Maroney and the late Terry Barragy and Beth Baker Russell, all of whom read earlier versions of this work. They and Steve Schiwetz, who proofed and vetted this version, were especially generous with time and expertise. The errors remaining are my own. Additional thanks goes to the Texas History Mafia and the Victoria Secrets. Participating in your excitement for all things historical has been a joy. Above and beyond everything, the soul of this study rests on the interviewees. The hours spent with Alex and Genevieve Cox, Marian and John

a c k n ow ledg m en t s x

Crutchfield, and Alclair Mays Pleasant were the highlight of my work. Their spirit, mirrored in the taped memories of Ramón Sánchez and J. R. Bluntzer, rea