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BAYSIDE,
TEXAS Refugio
County, Texas Gulf Coast
FM 136/ 2678
17 miles SE of Refugio
25 miles N of Corpus
Christi
Population: 360 (2000) 400 (1990) |
| Bayside
at Bayside
TE photo | |
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History in a Pecan
Shell
In
1908 two experienced developers - E.O. Burton and A.H. Danforth acquired the land
of what had been a community called Black Point. The land was promoted
as being ideal for truck farming. With St. Joseph's Island and the Rockport/ Fulton
peninsula, Bayside seemed well protected against storms.
The town was
platted and beachfront was reserved for public use. In addition, a public well
was drilled and buyers were encouraged by the incentive of a town lot for every
five-acre plot that was sold.
In 1909 and 1910,
the developers acquired adjoining land that was the former town of St. Mary's
of Aransas. The cemetery of St. Mary's is still in use for Bayside residents. |
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A welded tombstone in Old St. Mary's Cemetery
TE photo |
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Bayside was successful
- perhaps a bit too successful.
Although the property was bought immediately,
most of the buyers were speculators and few people actually moved onto the property.
A lack of people usually equals a poor economy.
Bayside got a post office
in 1909, but most trade was inconveniently across Copano Bay at Rockport.
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| The
Bayside School, now Community Center
TE photo | |
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They built a school
in 1912 and a church in 1913. Five different denominations shared the building.
The 1919 hurricane that dashed dreams all along the Texas coast wiped the Bayside
beach clean of improvements.
During the Great Depression delinquent
property was sold at public auction.
The town incorporated in
1977 and the current population is now at the highest point in the town's history.
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| The
historic John H. Wood House c. 1875 weathered both the 1919 hurricane and another
more destructive one in 1942. Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, May 2007 |
John
Howland Wood House Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, May 2007 |
Widow's
walk of the John H. Wood House
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, May 2007 |
The
Bayside water tower
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, May 2007 |
Bayside
Texas Forum Anyone
wishing to share history or photos of Bayside, Texas, please contact
us.
More Ken Rudine
Photos | |
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