Port O'Connor, Texas
Encyclopedia
Port O'Connor is an unincorporated village
in Calhoun County
, Texas
, United States
, on the coastline between Galveston
and Corpus Christi
. The ZIP Code Tabulation Area
including Port O'Connor had a population of 1,078 at the 2000 census
. It is part of the Victoria, Texas
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
, trout
, and flounder
among the most common catches. Sports enthusiasts also come to Port O'Connor to hunt duck
, geese and alligator
.
Just off the shore of Port O'Connor lies one of the most pristine natural habitats: Matagorda Island
. Once an army air base, the island is now a National Preserve
and home to a wide variety of endangered migratory birds. Visitors come from all over the country to observe these rare and beautiful species.
The weather in Port O'Connor is warm to hot in the summers, with winters cool to icy. Humidity is rather high, and the area has been host to hurricane landings several times within the past 100 years.
Also due to its small size, all mail is sent to the general post office, which has no door-to-door delivery service. On February 9, 1996 the town started its own newspaper, Dolphin Talk, which covers stories on local events in Port O'Connor and its surrounding areas.
Its initial population growth spanned the ten years from 1909 to 1919. Excursion trains used to run on weekends to Port O'Connor and an estimated 10,000 tourists came every summer.
Four times in the history of Port O'Connor it has been struck by hurricanes. The 1919 Florida Keys Hurricane
brought the "good old days" to a halt, destroying the town. It rebuilt slowly but the 1942
and 1945
hurricanes so close in time were hard to overcome. In 1961 Port O'Connor was in the midst of another growth boom due to the increase of military personnel on nearby Matagorda Island Air Force Base (History of Matagorda Island). That same year Hurricane Carla
destroyed the town again; but times reflect its will to survive, fueled by tourism, commercial fisheries and the petrochemical industry.
Port O'Connor is served by the Calhoun County Independent School District
.
Due to its small population the town only has one school, Port O'Connor Elementary School, which has the dolphin
as its mascot. Port O'Connor Elementary School covers Pre-Kindergarten through grade six. Children are then bussed to the nearby town of Port Lavaca
to finish their seventh through twelfth grade educations. The secondary schools that serve Port O'Connor are Seadrift Middle School, Travis Middle School, and Calhoun High School.
Aside from the school, Port O'Connor has a handful of landmark buildings that mark the town's community. Church worship is a strong part of the community, with two of the oldest buildings being the First Baptist
Church on 5th Street and Jefferson, and Saint Joseph
's Catholic
Church on Adams and Washington. The town has also recently built a community center where local groups and individuals can meet in either a recreation atmosphere or for general meetings. Several watering holes locals take up in are the Hurricane Junction, open under new ownership, and Madden's Lounge. Another local treasure is the Matagorda Island Lighthouse
which is depicted in the town's Chamber of Commerce seal. Formerly it served as a working lighthouse beginning in 1873, but over the years has now served as a landmark monument to times gone by. In 1984 it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
by the United States Department of the Interior
. The black conical
tower, which was automated in 1956, is made of cast iron and features a solar power
ed light. During the summer season another town landmark is often used. It is the Front Beach Pier. Destroyed in 2003's Hurricane Claudette
, it was rebuilt one year later and serves as a scenic look-out point to Matagorda Bay
. Another major landmark in the town is Clark's Restaurant and Marina. At over ninety years old, the marina half of the business is one of the oldest in the state.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Calhoun County
Calhoun County, Texas
Calhoun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, the population was 20,647. Its county seat is Port Lavaca. It is a part of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on the coastline between Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
and Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
. The ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics from Census 2000. This new entity was developed to overcome the difficulties in precisely defining the land area covered by each ZIP code...
including Port O'Connor had a population of 1,078 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. It is part of the Victoria, Texas
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Victoria metropolitan area
The Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in the Coastal Bend region of Texas, anchored by the city of Victoria. The area is sometimes referred to as the Golden Crescent Region, though this term is sometimes...
.
Overview
The primary industry of Port O'Connor is sportfishing and tourism, with shrimping very close behind. The area is renowned for bay, off-shore and wade fishing, with redfishRedfish
Redfish is a common name for several species of fish. It is most commonly applied to members of the deep-sea genus Sebastes, or the reef dwelling snappers, Lutjanus. It is also applied to the slimeheads or roughies , and the alfonsinos ....
, trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, and flounder
Flounder
The flounder is an ocean-dwelling flatfish species that is found in coastal lagoons and estuaries of the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.-Taxonomy:There are a number of geographical and taxonomical species to which flounder belong.*Western Atlantic...
among the most common catches. Sports enthusiasts also come to Port O'Connor to hunt duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
, geese and alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
.
Just off the shore of Port O'Connor lies one of the most pristine natural habitats: Matagorda Island
Matagorda Island
Matagorda Island, Spanish for "thick brush," is a 38 mile long barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast, about seven miles south of Port O'Connor, in the southernmost part of Calhoun County. The island is oriented generally northeast-southwest, with the Gulf of Mexico on the east and south, and...
. Once an army air base, the island is now a National Preserve
National preserve
National Preserve is a designation applied by the United States Congress to protected areas that have characteristics normally associated with U.S. National Parks but where certain activities not allowed in National Parks are permitted. These activities include public hunting, trapping, and oil...
and home to a wide variety of endangered migratory birds. Visitors come from all over the country to observe these rare and beautiful species.
The weather in Port O'Connor is warm to hot in the summers, with winters cool to icy. Humidity is rather high, and the area has been host to hurricane landings several times within the past 100 years.
Also due to its small size, all mail is sent to the general post office, which has no door-to-door delivery service. On February 9, 1996 the town started its own newspaper, Dolphin Talk, which covers stories on local events in Port O'Connor and its surrounding areas.
History
Port O'Connor was laid out in the late 19th century as a fishing settlement called Alligator Head. As it grew in popularity with both permanent residents and tourists, the community took on more municipal like characteristics, earning the formal designation finally in 1912 as the town site of Port O'Connor. It was named after its main land owner at the time who was Thomas M. O'Connor who owned 70,000 acres (280 km²). Aside from local cattle herding and fishing, the town was also a producer of figs and citrus fruit.Its initial population growth spanned the ten years from 1909 to 1919. Excursion trains used to run on weekends to Port O'Connor and an estimated 10,000 tourists came every summer.
Four times in the history of Port O'Connor it has been struck by hurricanes. The 1919 Florida Keys Hurricane
1919 Florida Keys Hurricane
The Florida Keys Hurricane or Atlantic Gulf Hurricane of 1919 was an intense Atlantic hurricane, killing 772 people as it moved through the Florida Keys and Texas. The second tropical cyclone of the 1919 hurricane season, it moved in the proximity of the eastern Greater Antilles and Bahamas...
brought the "good old days" to a halt, destroying the town. It rebuilt slowly but the 1942
1942 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1942 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 16, 1942, and lasted until October 31, 1942. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
and 1945
1945 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1945 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 16, 1945, and lasted until October 31, 1945. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
hurricanes so close in time were hard to overcome. In 1961 Port O'Connor was in the midst of another growth boom due to the increase of military personnel on nearby Matagorda Island Air Force Base (History of Matagorda Island). That same year Hurricane Carla
Hurricane Carla
Hurricane Carla was one of two Category 5 tropical cyclones during the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season. It struck the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, becoming one of the most powerful storms to ever strike the United States. Hurricane Carla was the second most intense storm to ever...
destroyed the town again; but times reflect its will to survive, fueled by tourism, commercial fisheries and the petrochemical industry.
Education
Calhoun County Independent School District
Calhoun County Independent School District is a public school district based in Port Lavaca, Texas . The district's boundaries parallel that of Calhoun County.In 2009, the school district was rated "recognized" by the Texas Education Agency.- Schools :...
.
Due to its small population the town only has one school, Port O'Connor Elementary School, which has the dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
as its mascot. Port O'Connor Elementary School covers Pre-Kindergarten through grade six. Children are then bussed to the nearby town of Port Lavaca
Port Lavaca, Texas
Port Lavaca is a city in Calhoun County, Texas, United States. The population was 12,248 at the 2010 census. The County had a 3.6% growth which brought the county population to 21,381. The city itself is bringing in more business into the area. It is the county seat of Calhoun County...
to finish their seventh through twelfth grade educations. The secondary schools that serve Port O'Connor are Seadrift Middle School, Travis Middle School, and Calhoun High School.
Landmark Buildings
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church on 5th Street and Jefferson, and Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
's Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Church on Adams and Washington. The town has also recently built a community center where local groups and individuals can meet in either a recreation atmosphere or for general meetings. Several watering holes locals take up in are the Hurricane Junction, open under new ownership, and Madden's Lounge. Another local treasure is the Matagorda Island Lighthouse
Matagorda Island Lighthouse
The Matagorda Island Lighthouse is located on Matagorda Island in Calhoun County, in the U.S. state of Texas. Once under the jurisdiction of the United States Coast Guard, the lighthouse is now managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.-History:...
which is depicted in the town's Chamber of Commerce seal. Formerly it served as a working lighthouse beginning in 1873, but over the years has now served as a landmark monument to times gone by. In 1984 it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
by the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
. The black conical
Cone (geometry)
A cone is an n-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a base to a point called the apex or vertex. Formally, it is the solid figure formed by the locus of all straight line segments that join the apex to the base...
tower, which was automated in 1956, is made of cast iron and features a solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
ed light. During the summer season another town landmark is often used. It is the Front Beach Pier. Destroyed in 2003's Hurricane Claudette
Hurricane Claudette (2003)
Hurricane Claudette was the third tropical storm and first hurricane of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. A fairly long-lived July Atlantic hurricane, Claudette began as a tropical wave in the eastern Caribbean. It moved quickly westward, brushing past the Yucatán Peninsula before moving...
, it was rebuilt one year later and serves as a scenic look-out point to Matagorda Bay
Matagorda Bay
Matagorda Bay is a large estuary bay on the Texas coast, lying in Calhoun and Matagorda counties and located approximately northeast of Corpus Christi, southeast of San Antonio, southwest of Houston, and southeast of Austin. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Matagorda Peninsula and...
. Another major landmark in the town is Clark's Restaurant and Marina. At over ninety years old, the marina half of the business is one of the oldest in the state.