story by Mary Craft [email protected] In the 1960s there was an abundance of land development projects going on in the country where the property was sold before the project was developed. It happened on the Island in 1965 when Ben Marks of Marks Company, Oil Producers purchased 3500 acres from the Jones Estate. The Jones brothers from Kansas purchased the land from Colonel Robertson in 1930. The brothers had hoped to develop the Island into a tourist Mecca. They abandoned the idea when a hurricane hit in 1933 and destroyed the Don Patricio Causeway and most of the structures on the Island. Interestingly this hurricane and those since have not done any damage to the Dunn Ranch home built in 1917 near the Packery Channel Park. Marks was a prominent Corpus Christi resident who had invested in many projects in town including Parkdale Plaza on Staples which was a premier shopping plaza at that time. Marks, along with several other investors, formed the Great Western Investment Corporation. The name was later changed to Padre Isles Investment Corporation. The sales office for this developer was where Mimi’s restaurant was located. A nursery was also set up there to determine what plants and trees would thrive in the coastal environment. That explains the banyan tree, not commonly found in Texas, next to Mimi’s pond. In the Hindu religion the banyan is considered sacred. It represents eternal life because of its ever expanding branches. There is a banyan tree in Hawaii planted in 1873 which now covers 2/3 acre. The first one in the United States was planted by Thomas Edison in Fort Myers, Florida. It was given to him by Harvey Firestone who brought it back from India in 1925. When it was planted it was four feet tall and now covers 400 feet making it the third largest in the world. The sales office was moved to the Million Dollar Inn in 1967 and the administrative office remained until it was severely damaged by Hurricane Celia in 1970. The Island Baptist church repaired the damages to the building and used this facility until their church was built on Park Road 22. The large metal building where Island Tire is located was built by Marks to house construction equipment. The developers presented their architectural design before the city council and county commission in 1966. Marks predicted that within ten years, the Island would have 50,000 residents and “Look at the increase in the tax base!” The design included residential homes, condos, hotels and a large marina. Ben’s vision was to model the Island after Fort Lauderdale and he named the new development Padre Isles. He used before and after pictures of that coastal town to convince the city and county that it could happen here. Jerry Sadler was the Land Commissioner and he gave special concessions to connect the man-made canals to the Intracoastal which was critical. Environmentalists fought the construction of what they called dead- end canals that they felt would become septic in 20 years. However, there was little they could do because there were no laws or agencies at the time. The Island project was given the green light and sales offices were put up around the world including Canada, Germany, Mexico and Venezuela. Urban Engineering developed the 20-year master plan community which included the golf course, seawall, canals, bulkheads, lots and a waste water treatment plant. The scale models were made and the schematic maps of the lots were drawn up. Salesmen from around the world were brought in. The sales pitch that was put in large city newspapers was to invest in the Texas coast which would be the next Florida. Potential investors were offered a free weekend on the Island. Fort Lauderdale aerial shots taken in 1950 and in the 1960s that were used by Ben Marks in his presentation to the city council and county commissioners. He used them to demonstrate what kind of development could happen on Padre Island. When the Island Was Young How The Island was Marketed before There was Development PIIC salesmen in front of the administrative office which was located in the building that housed Mimi’s Restaurant. They are pictured with a couple from Germany who were potential investors. See PIIC, page B2 continued:
When the Island was young
Mar 23, 2016
History of North Padre Island
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
August 29, 2008
Year 13. Issue 317
story by Mary Craft [email protected] In the 1960s there was an abundance of land development projects going on in the country where the property was sold before the project was developed. It happened on the Island in 1965 when Ben Marks of Marks Company, Oil Producers purchased 3500 acres from the Jones Estate. The Jones brothers from Kansas purchased the land from Colonel Robertson in 1930. The brothers had hoped to develop the Island into a tourist Mecca. They abandoned the idea when a hurricane hit in 1933 and destroyed the Don Patricio Causeway and most of the structures on the Island. Interestingly this hurricane and those since have not done any damage to the Dunn Ranch home built in 1917 near the Packery Channel Park. Marks was a prominent Corpus Christi resident who had invested in many projects in town including Parkdale Plaza on Staples which was a premier shopping plaza at that time. Marks, along with several other investors, formed the Great Western Investment Corporation. The name was later changed to Padre Isles Investment Corporation. The sales office for this developer was where Mimi’s restaurant was located. A nursery was also set up there to determine what plants and trees would thrive in the coastal environment. That explains the banyan tree, not commonly found in Texas, next to Mimi’s pond. In the Hindu religion the banyan is considered sacred. It represents eternal life because of its ever expanding branches. There is a banyan tree in Hawaii planted in 1873 which now covers 2/3 acre. The first one in the United States was planted by Thomas Edison in Fort Myers, Florida. It was given to him by Harvey Firestone who brought it back from India in 1925. When it was planted it was four feet tall and now covers 400 feet making it the third largest in the world.
The sales office was moved to the Million Dollar Inn in 1967 and the administrative office remained until it was severely damaged by Hurricane Celia in 1970. The Island Baptist church repaired the damages to the building and used this facility until their church was built on Park Road 22. The large metal building where Island Tire is located was built by Marks to house construction equipment. The developers presented their architectural design before the city council and county commission in 1966. Marks predicted that within
ten years, the Island would have 50,000 residents and “Look at the increase in the tax base!” The design included residential homes, condos, hotels and a large marina. Ben’s vision was to model the Island after Fort Lauderdale and he named the new development Padre Isles. He used before and after pictures of that coastal town to convince the city and county that it could happen here. Jerry Sadler was the Land Commissioner and he gave special concessions to connect the man-made canals to the
Intracoastal which was critical. Environmentalists fought the construction of what they called dead-end canals that they felt would become septic in 20 years. However, there was little they could do because there were no laws or agencies at the time. The Island project was given the green light and sales offices were put up around the world including Canada, Germany, Mexico and Venezuela. Urban Engineering developed the 20-year master plan community which included the golf course, seawall, canals, bulkheads, lots and a waste water treatment plant. The scale models were made and the schematic maps of the lots were drawn up. Salesmen from around the world were brought in. The sales pitch that was put in large city newspapers was to invest in the Texas coast which would be the next Florida. Potential investors were offered a free weekend on the Island.
Fort Lauderdale aerial shots taken in 1950 and in the 1960s that were used by Ben Marks in his presentation to the city council and county commissioners. He used them to demonstrate what kind of development could happen on Padre Island.
When the Island Was YoungHow The Island was Marketed before There was Development
PIIC salesmen in front of the administrative office which was located in the building that housed Mimi’s Restaurant. They are pictured with a couple from Germany who were potential investors.
See PIIC, page B2continued:
Art Center for the Islands First Friday Reception will be September 5th, from 5 to 8 pm. Urban Engineering and Woody’s Sports Center will be sponsoring this months event at 323 N. Alister in Port Aransas. The artists represented will be Guy Morrow, Blake Taveapont and Ed Bokamper. Great art, refreshments and live music will be provided and the exhibit is open to the public. Ed Bokamper states, “Texas has such diverse landscapes: this diversity is reflected in my work, from beaches of the Gulf Coast to the Texas Hill Country. The missions in San Antonio and Goliad have inspired me to reflect on life in that time period. Guy Morrow is a teacher, family man, philanthropist, entrepreneur and self-taught artist extraordinaire. Morrow is probably best known for his works in egg tempera, a key to the realism in his paintings. His subjects are generally people surrounded by nature, the ocean or the great outdoors. One has to really look closely to be sure it’s a painting and not a photograph. The art is that real. Blake Taveapont who is part Ute Indian, lives, paints and has also taught painting in Rockport TX. When he was 17 he lived on the Ute Indian Reservation and completed his junior year in White Rocks, Utah in 1974. His paintings and grasp of painting light have come a long way
Morrow
“Paintslingers” Exhibit at First Friday ReceptionMorrow, Taveapont and Bokamper Spotlighted
from when he first arrived in Rockport and started taking classes. Blake states “If you see a bright picture, it comes off the canvass. You have to make it have its own light.” For more information about this First Friday event, contact The Art Center at 361-749-7334 or on line at www.portaransasartcenter.org
Kiwanis Slate Benefit Golf TourneyNewport Dunes Golf Club
The Newport Dunes Golf Club isn’t even open , but its first golf tournament is already scheduled. The first Port Aransas Kiwanis Club Scholarship Golf Tournament is slated for Saturday, September 13th. It is open to the first 120 players to register by Friday, August 29th. Opening day for the course is Thursday, September 4th. The tournament will be a four person scramble using USGA handicaps which must total at least 42 for four players. The 1:30 pm shotgun start will require one tee shot for each player on each side. Each team may have one A player with an eight or less handicap. The entry fee of $100 per player includes green fee, cart, range balls, dinner, soft drinks and prizes. The top four teams will be awarded prizes, closest to the pin for men and women, and longest drive for men and women. If you do not have a team, the rules committee wll be happy to place you on a team. Businesses are invited to form teams for $450 and/or to sponsor a tee or green that will display the company name for the Tournament Founders’ price of $100 per site. Founders will have first option on holes for next year’s tournament. Other options include door prizes and refreshments. To support the tournament through prizes or refreshments, call Rita Reed at 361-749-5379 or Barnes at 361-749-5199. Proceeds from the tournament will go to scholarships for Port Aransas High School graduating seniors.
Port Aransas Churches Hit By Thieves
Four Churches Broken Into
Port Aransas police are looking for the thief or thieves responsible for breaking into four local churches in the past six weeks. There have been a total of six break-ins by burglars looking for cash and valuables.
Lt. Darryl Johnson of the Port Aransas Police Department said the burglars sometimes find an unlocked door for entry, but in some cases have kicked in the door.
Members of the Trinity By The Sea Episcopal Church said they have been victimized twice. In one case the burglars kicked a hole in a wall in the office in order to gain entry to a room next door. They said that in one case the thieves broke in on a Sunday night and got away with the Sunday offering.
“We were guilty of getting careless I guess,” one of the members said. “But who would think that someone would break into a church and steal the donations?”
Saint Joseph Catholic Church was also victimized, along with Community Presbyterian and the First Baptist Church.
Johnson said the break-ins started in July and so far no distinct pattern has emerged. He said the thieves rifle though desk drawers looking for valuable and in at least one case took a blank check book. When caught Johnson said the thieves will face burglary charges.
Meanwhile, church members say they are taking care to remove all valuable and cash from the buildings.
Taveapont
Related Documents
