The Padre Island Story

by LORAINE DALY and PAT REUMERT
THE NAYLOR COMPANY Book Publishers of the Southwest SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
4th Printing
Copyright ©, 1962, by Loraine Daly and Pat Reumert
This Book or Parts Thereof Must Not Be Reproduced Without Written Permission Except For Customary Privileges Granted To The Press And Other Reviewing Agencies
All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 62-13061 Printed in the United States of America
The parents of Loraine Daly and the dear friends of Pat Reumert. We fondly remember how, as children, we tested their tolerance, shared their affection, and grew up under the warmth of the old-fashioned story book variety of their family life.
We wish to thank the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Texas Game and Fish Commission, and the Rio Grande Valley Chamber of Commerce for furnishing photographs.
In our research we were aptly guided by Vernon Smylie of Corpus Christi, Texas. We wish to thank him not only for help, but for the source material he made available.
As you read the following pages, we hope you can feel a bit of the primitive, swashbuckling history of Padre Island. Where once roamed savages, cavaliers, pirates, soldiers and pioneers, there now rises—out of the sand dunes—an isle which every man has pictured for himself. Tropical birds, sea shell treasures and exotic driftwood are cradled among the gleaming white sand dunes. Once in awhile the shifting sands reveal to the lucky hunter an old money cache or relic of a bygone civilization.
Padre Beach, located at the southern tip of the island, is a resort oasis of modern architecture. A National Seashore Park is being considered to preserve the virgin beauty of the center portion of the island. Multi-million dollar causeways stretch majestically over shimmering Laguna Madre to connect the island at both ends to the Texas mainland.
The world famous tropical Rio Grande Valley is Padre’s luxurious neighbor, preening its giant sized fruit trees and breath-taking jungle-like flowers and palms. The civic and industrial richness of the Valley overflow into Padre to revitalize the growth and development of its beaches.