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| History
in a Seashell
The town was founded after "The
Great Comanche Raid" of 1840 when Comanche Indians swept down from the Hill
Country and destroyed the tiny coastal town of Linnville.
Only a marker remains today to mark the former town.
Former
Linnvillain Thomas McConnell bought land from a De Leon's colonist and called
the place Lavaca. The town succeeded in a short time, eclipsing the commerce that
Linnville had seen before the raid.
Lavaca became county seat with the formation of Calhoun County in 1846.
In November of 1847 a stage line was inaugurated connecting the town to Victoria
but by 1852 Indianola,
with it's deepwater port became the Calhoun county seat.
By 1860 Lavaca's
population was half of Indianola.
During the Civil War the city was bombarded by Union ships in late 1862,
but did not surrender. In late 1863 it was occupied by Union troops. In 1864 an
election gave county seat status back to Lavaca, but after the war it was returned
to Indianola.
The hurricane of 1875 so damaged the railroad that Indianola,
became the only area port with a railroad connection. By 1884 Lavaca's population
was down to only 70 people.
But after Indianola
was obliterated in the 1886 Hurricane, Lavaca's star began another ascent. Lavaca
became the county seat again and railroad service was re-established.
Lavaca, now known as Port Lavaca, was shipping seafood and the railroad ran weekend
excursions to the coast. Port Lavaca welcomed the seafood hungry tourists.
In 1920 a seawall was completed and in 1928 Port Lavaca shipped more shrimp
than any other port in the U.S.
State Highway 35 was the only paved highway
in the county in 1940 when the population was just over 2,000. Hurricane Carla
damaged the causeway in 1961, forcing it to be converted into a fishing pier.
Calhoun
County Courthouse >
Port
Lavaca Hotels
Book Your Hotel Here & Save |
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Entering
Port Lavaca
TE photo, 2001 |
Shrimp
boats in Port Lavaca
TE photo, 2001 |
The
former county jail was demolished after this photo was taken
TE photo, 2001
See
Texas Jails |
Port
Lavaca bay view
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
Port Lavaca Texas Forum During
World War II my mother was
a volunteer air plane watcher. She worked out of a tower overlooking Lavaca Bay.
Most everyone I mention this to think I am crazy. I was about eight years old
then and I remember the tower and the chart on the wall. If a plane flew over
you had to find it on the chart and call it in. She was given a pin for service
that is a small set of wings that has US Army Air Force Observer around the edge
and in the center is AWS. Have you [or any of your readers] ever heard of this
volunteer service or know where I can find out about it? -
Doris Hinds, February 25, 2006 | |
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