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Corpus Christi!
We have year
round fishing both in the Bay and deep-sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico
with sailing, swimming, and surfing at least eight months of the year or more.
We're known as that "Tennis Town of Texas" with some of the finest tennis
courts in the country, and have seven exceptional golf courses available for
the gold enthusiast.
Corpus
Christi
"The Sparkling City by the Sea"
A growing
metropolitan area in a tropical waterfront setting, Corpus Christi provides
opportunity to dwell in paradise. With a population of over 300,000, Corpus
Christi is considered a metropolitan area. However, the local atmosphere has
remained that of a cozy, comfortable, hometown. All this combined with warm air
and sea breezes makes Corpus Christi the ultimate living experience.
Corpus
Christi is known as one of cleanest, pollution-free cities in the Southwest
and one of the Gulf Coast's favored year round resorts along the Texas Tropical
Trail.
In 1519, on
the Roman Catholic Feast Day of Corpus Christi, Spanish explorer Alonzo
Alvarez de Pineda discovered a lush semi-tropical bay on what is now the
southern coast of Texas. The bay, and the city that later sprung up there, took
the name of the feast day celebrating the "Body of Christ."
The spot
Pineda discovered is now home to the largest city on the Texas Coast and is the
sixth largest port in the nation. Key industries include petrochemical,
tourism, health care, retail, education, shipping, agriculture and the
military. Since its incorporation in 1852, Corpus Christi has grown into a
regional hub for marketing, processing, packaging and distributing agricultural
commodities for a 12-county trade area.
Corpus
Christi began as a frontier trading post, founded in 1838-39 by Colonel
Henry Lawrence Kinney, an adventurer, impresario and colonizer. The small
settlement was called Kinney's Trading Post, or Kinney's Ranch.
It remained
an obscure settlement until July 1845, when U.S. troops under General
Zachary Taylor set up camp here in preparation for war with Mexico. The Army
remained until March 1846, when it marched southward to the Rio Grande to
enforce it as the southern border of the United States.
About a year
later, the city took the name Corpus Christi because a "more definite
postmark for letters was needed." It incorporated on Sept. 9, 1852. Residents
elected a city council and a mayor, Benjamin F. Neal, who served from 1852 to
1855.
Corpus
Christi has year round fishing both in the Bay and deep-sea fishing in the Gulf
of Mexico. There's sailing, swimming, and surfing at least eight months of
the year or more. Corpus Christi is known as that "Tennis Town of Texas" with
some of the finest tennis courts in the country, and it has seven exceptional
golf courses available for the golf enthusiast.
The city of
Corpus Christi provides a variety of facilities and services to the
community, including police, fire and emergency medical services, health, parks
and recreation, which include youth and senior programs, a natural history
museum, libraries, an airport and a marina. Citizens and visitors can easily
access any one of five libraries, or spend a fun and educational day at the
Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History. Another beautiful and popular
attraction has always been the bay-front marina, located a stone's throw from
downtown Corpus Christi.
Portland
The original
Townsite of Portland came into being from 640 acres purchased by John G.
Willacy in November 1890. The land was located on both sides of the San
Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad and overlooked both Corpus Christi and Nueces
Bay. On February 6, 1891 Willacy sold this land to the Portland Harbor and
Improvement Company and on June 19, 1891 officers of the Portland Harbor and
Improvement Co. filed a map of the City at the County Courthouse.
Portland was
called the "Gem City of the Gulf Coast" and was described as being the most
attractive and pleasant spot in Texas. It was situated in a beautiful 30 to
40 foot high bluff and overlooked 150 square miles of dancing waves and fronted
the deepest water in Corpus Christi bay. As a summer and winter resort Portland
was described as being particularly fortunate with her mild climate and
prevailing bay breezes. As a place for sportsmen, Portland offered great
attraction. Ducks and other game were abundant, while the bays abounded with
redfish, tarpon and other varieties of fish. More fish and oysters were taken
from these waters than at any point in the Gulf Coast. Here also was the home
of the sway, crane, heron and other waterfowl.
The New
England Land & New England R.E. Company purchased 1,280 acres of land
east and north of the original 640 acres. Most of the stockholders of these
companies resided in Portland, Maine, thus the town was named in honor of their
hometown.
Portland is a
city of 9.12 miles, located in San Patricio County on the South Texas coastal
plain, fronting on Corpus Christi Bay and Nueces Bay. The Portland City
limit is contiguous with that of Corpus Christi, Texas. The City is joined with
other major cities in the state by two major highways, U.S. Highway 181 and
State Highway 35. It is the gateway city into Corpus Christi and other points
south.
Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce
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