Lighthouse at Port Isabel

On the day we visited the Port Isabel Lighthouse, there were several bus loads of school kids taking a field trip to the lighthouse and the surrounding museums. We managed to slip in between groups.

From the outside, the lighthouse did not appear that tall to me, but that impression quickly changed after climbing the steps and looking out from the top. It's plenty tall, and the gusty day guaranteed an even firmer grip on the railing that circled the top platform.

Next to the lighthouse is the lighthouse Keeper's Cottage, which now houses the Chamber of Commerce. The facility has an interesting exhibit on the history of the lighthouse, and this is where you buy lighthouse tickets. We purchased a combination ticket where you can visit the lighthouse and two other museums in town, all within walking distance of one another. The combination ticket is 7 dollars a person; at 3 dollars a site, you save 2 dollars.

Lighthouse History

Before the lighthouse, there was Fort Polk. Tensions were heating up with Mexico after the U.S. annexed the Republic of Texas, which Mexico viewed as a slap in the face. Despite the Republic of Texas winning independence from Mexico in 1836, Mexico never really conceded their loss. To prepare for potential trouble, President Polk sent General Zachary Taylor into south Texas. General Taylor arrived at Port Isabel, which was then known as El Fronton de Santa Isabel, in the Spring of 1846.

The fort was built where the lighthouse now stands and was used as a supply depot and hospital during the war that eventually ensued. Additionally, the town was renamed Point Isabel. The war ended in 1848, and, two years later, the army handed the fort over to the U.S. Treasury Department for customs service use.

In 1850, with urging from Texas delegates, Congress appropriated 15,000 dollars for two navigational aids to serve the harbor at Brazos Santiago. One of these navigational aids was to be a lighthouse, the other a beacon. At first, South Padre Island was considered for the lighthouse location, but local shipping experts argued that the Fort Polk location offered a more stable foundation and was protected more from the onslaught of hurricanes. Also, the government already owned the land at Fort Polk. In the end, this location won out, and South Padre Island got the beacon.

Unlike the cast iron lighthouses serving Galveston and Matagorda at this time, the Port Isabel Lighthouse was constructed with brick. The lighthouse was completed in 1853 and first lit the night sky on March 20, 1853. The light remained lit until the beginning of the Civil War in 1861. Confederates removed the light so it would be useless if Union hands got a hold of it. Two years later, they really tried making it useless by blowing up the tower with gunpowder. The lighthouse survived the explosion and was later repaired. It shone again, after the war, on February 22, 1866.

Things went well until 1882 when the Lighthouse Board realized they had no title papers for the lighthouse. Four years later, the board received a letter from James B. Wells Jr. who claimed ownership; that following year, he sued the lighthouse keeper for trespassing on his property. The board wanted to purchase the property, but Wells' offer of 6,000 dollars was considered exorbitant, so, in 1888, the lighthouse went out of service because of the land dispute.

In 1894, after public pressure to restore the lighthouse, the Lighthouse Board settled out of court with Wells, purchasing the lighthouse and land for 5,000 dollars. On July 15, 1895, the light once again shone from Point Isabel. This lasted for 10 years. With the completion of railways into south Texas, the lighthouse was deemed unnecessary for commerce. It went dark for good on August 1, 1905.

In January of 1928, the lighthouse was sold. It went to the highest bidder, who happened to be a J.S. Ford. He purchased it for 2,760 dollars and turned around and sold it two months later to the Port Isabel Town Company for 5,000 dollars. The town company wanted the landmark to help promote the town, which they renamed Port Isabel, for tourism and industry. The town company later went bankrupt, succumbing to the depression.

In 1947, the Texas Legislature said it was ok for the Texas State Parks Board to acquire the lighthouse, and they put up 25,000 dollars for its repair and maintenance. The state didn't own the property, but this was not an issue. The owners Mr. and Mrs. Lon C. Hill, Jr. donated the lighthouse and surrounding land as a gift in 1950. (I would bet that Lon C. Hill, Jr. is the son of the founder of Harlingen; see a previous post on Harlingen.)

On April 26, 1952, the lighthouse was dedicated as a state park. The Port Isabel Lighthouse is the only lighthouse on the Texas Gulf Coast open to the public.

Books:

• Baker, T. Lindsay, Lighthouses of Texas, College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2001
  


• Parent, Lawrence, Official Guide to Texas State Parks, Austin: University of Texas Press, 2000

Return Home

Lighthouse View (Port Isabel)

Leaving Harlingen, we continued to Port Isabel (pop. 4,900), less than an hour's drive away. This picture was taken atop the Port Isabel Lighthouse.

On the horizon is South Padre Island with its numerous hotels. South Padre Island is one of many barrier islands that run parallel to the Texas coast protecting it from high tides, storms, and erosion.

The body of water between Port Isabel and South Padre Island is Laguna Madre. On the other side of South Padre Island is the Gulf of Mexico.

In the foreground is the restaurant Pirate's Landing; the food and service were excellent on the particular afternoon we were there. Between Pirate's Landing and the pier is a huge yellow fly fishing rod. It's a Guinness World Record holder, projecting into the air at 71 feet, 4.5 inches long (21.75 m).

On the right is the Queen Isabella Causeway. Completed in 1974, it connects Port Isabel to South Padre Island. At 2.37 miles (3.81 km), it's the longest bridge in Texas. This causeway replaced the original 1954 causeway, which was located further south (to the right of the photo). Before the causeways, people had to go by ferry.

On September 15, 2001, ferry travel returned after four loaded barges hit the causeway taking out two 80-foot (24.4 m) sections; a third 80-foot section collapsed later. Cars plunged into the 50-foot (15.24 m) deep Laguna Madre; eight people died in the disaster. The causeway was reopened on November 21, 2001.

Links:

• Port Isabel website
  

• South Padre Island Bridge Collapse

Railroads and Dutch Ancestors: The Naming Of Harlingen

Harlingen was founded in the early 1900s by Leonidas Carrington Hill (Lon C. Hill). He was a lawyer from Beeville, Texas who was on his way to Brownsville to work a case when he recognized the area's potential. His initial land purchase was the Cameron County school lands in 1902. Later, in 1904, he would purchase additional land from Henrietta Chamberlain King (of King Ranch fame).

In 1904, the town got an official name, mainly out of necessity, for a new railroad was coming through, and, well, you need a name for your railroad station. Now, you would think that Hill would name the town after himself, something like Hillsville. Instead, the name Harlingen was chosen, and was suggested by Col. Uriah Lott, president of the railroad company building the rails and a major figure in railroad construction in south Texas.

(That same year, Hill did have the town of Lonsboro named after him, but it was later renamed to its current name Mercedes, located about 15 miles (24.14 km) west of Harlingen.)

He suggested Harlingen because his maternal grandmother's name was Eliza Van Harlingen, and she just so happened to be born in Harlingen, New Jersey, which just so happened to be named after a village in the Netherlands, which just so happened to be the home of her (and his) ancestors. The fact that planned irrigation canals for the area would give the town a certain Dutch flavor sealed the deal. Harlingen would go on to become officially incorporated in 1910.

Links:

• Handbook of Texas Online, Uriah Lott (accessed June 17, 2006)
  

• Handbook of Texas Online, Lon C. Hill (accessed June 17, 2006)
  

• The Chronological History of Harlingen by Norman Rozeff
  - Mr. Rozeff has a lot of interesting information on Harlingen's history.

Forever Living Aloe Plantation (Harlingen)

The south Texas valley region is billed as the aloe vera capital of the nation, and in Harlingen you can find the Forever Living Aloe Plantation. We decided to check it out, but, unfortunately, our expectations were set a little too high.

You enter a main room with side offices and wait for someone from one of those side offices to walk out and notice you. It wasn't a long wait, but you begin to wonder if you entered through the correct door; I didn't see any signs that offered guidance.

After being noticed, we were directed to a viewing room to watch a 15 minute video, which was interesting and informative. One thing I got out of the video is that aloe vera is difficult to harvest, requiring a lot of workers who have to gently handle each plant.

Afterwards, back in the main room, we checked out samples of different aloe vera products. I was interested in purchasing some of these products, but there were none to be seen, just samples. This time, no one came from a side office to assist us. Looking at samples can only hold the interest for so long, so we decided to leave. On our way out someone emerged from one of the offices and said that we could have a free aloe vera plant. We had enough aloe vera plants at home, so we declined.

I imagine that our experience would have been different if we hadn't come during an off time. This was a Friday morning in the middle of May. I was disappointed that I came away empty handed after being prepared to shell out some cash. Perhaps we'll try another time when they're more prepared to see visitors.

Iwo Jima Monument (Harlingen)

You don't have to go to Arlington, Virginia to see the Iwo Jima Monument. At the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen they have the original, full-sized working model that was used to cast the famous bronze replica. The monument was donated by the sculptor Felix W. de Weldon in 1981 and officially dedicated in April 1982.

Murals (Harlingen)

Recently, my wife and I went on vacation to south Texas. One city that really impressed me was Harlingen (pop. near 60,000). You know you are getting close to Harlingen when you start seeing palm trees crop up everywhere. They're all over town and give the place a nice tropical feel, a reminder that you are not too far from the beaches of South Padre Island.

The downtown Jackson Street District is a great downtown with 30+ murals at various locations. The mural above is of Bill “Rock Around the Clock” Haley, a former resident of Harlingen. The Harlingen Chamber of Commerce, also located downtown, offers an informative guide to all the murals.

• Harlingen website