About Port Aransas

 

Port Aransas is the only established town on Mustang Island and inhabits 8 miles of the 18 mile long barrier island. Mustang Island is located north of Padre Island, the longest barrier island in the world. Running parallel to the mainland, barrier islands protect the coast from the full force of powerful storm waves. Our surrounding waters include the Corpus Christi Bay, The Gulf of Mexico, the Lydia Ann Ship Channel and the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. Scattered about are several small islands that contribute to our reputation for great fishing, shelling, birding and nature adventures.

Many experts believe that the islands along the Texas coast began as submerged sand bars about 4,500 years ago. The first island was called Wild Horse Island , then Mustang Island because of the "Mestenos" or wild horses, brought to the island by Spaniards in the 1800's.

The first known human residents of the island were the Karankawas Indians and Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca was probably the first European to meet them in 1528.

Jean Lafitte and his band of buccaneers spent quite of bit of time on neighboring island as well as Mustang Island in the 1820's. There is a legend that somewhere on the island is a Spanish dagger with with a silver spike driven through the hilt marking the sport where Lafitte buried a chest of gold and jewels.

As the natural pass attracted more and more commerce and updated charts were needed, there appeared an 1833 map which noted the location of what would later become Port Aransas, but at that time was then called Sand Point. The pass was given the name Aranzazu, which later became Aransas.

During the 1846-48 Mexican War, a small fort was built on Mustang Island to guard the entrance to Aransas Bay and it was used until after the Civil War.

In the 1850's regular steamship service ran between Mustang Island and New Orleans . The first deep draught steamship went through the Pass in 1859. Mercer Docks was destroyed during the 1875 Storm, thus ending the service.

The town of Mustang Island was called Ropesville during the early 1890's but by 1899 it had changed its name to Tarpon because of the large numbers of the fish being caught in its waters. The population at that time was about 250. Citizens began calling their town Port Aransas about 1910. The storm of 1919 virtually wiped out the town except for a few structures.

At the turn of the century, the village was doing big business in the sea turtle export with some catches weighing up to 500 pounds. They were shipped live, on their backs, to market. It is estimated that some 600+ species of saltwater fish inhabit the waters off the islands.

For additional history and an overview of Port Aransas and Mustang Island , please visit the museum in the City Hall located at W. Avenue A and Cutoff Rd. and the University of Texas Marine Science Institute Visitors ' Center located on Cotter at the beach.

Please visit the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce website at: www.portaransas.org.