The Padre Island Story

by Loraine Daly; Pat Reumert

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

Dedicated To:

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.

Acknowledgements

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.

Contents

[Acknowledgments] vii [Introduction] xi [First Picture Section] Between xii and 1 [The Lusty Past of Lady Padre] 1 [Glittering Graveyard] 7 [Tropical Ladyfinger] 15 [Airy Wanderers] 17 [Bountiful Borderland] 23 [Matadors and Promenaders] 37 [Fun Calendar] 41 [Second Picture Section] Between 44 and 45 [Playfolk and Sportsmen] 45 [Padre’s Promise] 49 [Bibliography] 51

Introduction

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.

Around the corner from Padre, bordering the Valley, is the gay flavor of Mexico. Visits to the border towns are gala occasions, with little or no red tape. Dollars meet their usual welcome.

Opposite the northern tip of Padre Island is the booming city of Corpus Christi, one of the country’s most beautiful coastal towns. On the mainland, beside the long stretch of the island, Texas presents its most historical and natural points of interest.

To playfolk who want year-round resort recreation; to hunters and fishermen or to treasure hunters and those interested in legends and wildlife; to retirement seekers and pioneers, and to easy-livers, the following pages will delineate the past, present and future of Padre Island and its hinterland.

Loraine Daly Pat Reumert