Ports & Harbours of the Gulf of Mexico

History

The first non-indigenous settlement of the area was around 1700, when it was Spanish Florida, and called "San José" (the Spanish name for Saint Joseph) by settlers from Spain.

During the Florida Territory era, St. Joseph (or St. Joseph's) was founded in 1835 by businessmen from nearby Apalachicola, which was troubled by legal conflict over land titles.

St. Joseph was the largest city in the Florida Territory by 1837, with an estimated population between 11,000 to 12,000 residents. This was why the location was chosen by 56 delegates to create the Constitution of Florida in order to become a state. The Florida Constitutional Convention of 1838 was a political convention that took place there between December 3, 1838 and January 11, 1839.

Geography

Port St. Joe is located in southern Gulf County within the Florida Panhandle and along the Emerald Coast in North Florida. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.1 square miles (31.3 km2), of which 9.5 square miles (24.5 km2) is land and 2.6 square miles (6.8 km2), or 21.86%, is water. The city limits extend into St. Joseph Bay, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico.

U.S. Route 98 passes through Port St. Joe as Monument Drive in the north and Constitution Drive in the south. US 98 leads northwest along the Gulf shore 36 miles (58 km) to Panama City and southeast 23 miles (37 km) to Apalachicola. Florida State Road 71 (Cecil G. Costin Sr. Boulevard) leads northeast 24 miles (39 km) to Wewahitchka.

Port St. Joe averages only 3 feet (0.91 m) above sea level.

History

Manatee County bought 357 acres (144 ha) in 1965 to launch a Barge Port and Industrial Port which later became known as Port Manatee. The Florida Legislature established the Manatee County Port Authority (MCPA) which is the governing body for the port, in the same year.

The first ship to dock at the port was M/V Fermland on August 7, 1970, unloading 2,000 tons of "Korean plywood". A formal dedication ceremony for the port was held on October 29, 1970 at 2 pm. After the opening ceremony, an open house was held that day allowing members of the general public to visit the port. This open house was held for two more days after the opening ceremony occurred. In the 1970s the port was mainly involved with petroleum and phosphate.

By the 1980s the port became more diversified.

History

The area known as Port Neches was once inhabited by tribes of the coastal-dwelling Karankawa and Atakapa Native Americans. Smith's Bluff (the future site of Sun Oil and Union Oil of California riverside property) and Grigsby's Bluff (now Port Neches) were the only two high land bluffs on the Neches River south of Beaumont, whose name is believed to have been derived from the Caddo word "Nachawi", meaning "wood of the bow", after Spanish settlers called it Río Neches.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.1 square miles (23.6 km2), of which 8.6 square miles (22.4 km2) are land and 0.50 square miles (1.3 km2), or 5.39%, are water.

History

The Karankawa Indians were living a nomadic existence in the region when Spaniards, led by Alonso Álvarez de Pineda, probed the coast in 1519. Governor Francisco de Garay of Jamaica had commissioned him to explore the Gulf Coast from Florida to Vera Cruz. In the summer of 1519, Piñeda, took a fleet of four ships east to west around the Gulf Coast exploring and mapping five passes along the Texas coastline, including what is known today as Aransas Pass.

In 1720, French explorer Pierre-Jean de Béranger was commissioned to explore St. Bernard Bay "Matagorda Bay" to establish a colony for France along its shores. Jean took an old Spanish ship that had been captured in Florida during the war with Spain, christened it St. Joseph, and his travels resulted in the rediscovery of the Aransas Pass.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.1 square miles (31 km2), of which 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) (27.01%) are covered by water. Port Aransas is located at 27°49′39″N 97°4′20″W (27.827373, –97.072205).

Port Aransas experiences a humid subtropical climate, enjoying similar temperatures to those of other Gulf Coast regions, such as Deep South Texas and South Florida. The area experiences an average annual rainfall of 35.55 inches (903 mm), with prevailing winds out of the southeast from the Gulf of Mexico.

Economy

Around 1900, the village was doing big business in sea turtle export. Fishing has always been a staple, especially sport fishing for spotted seatrout and redfish. Some 600+ species of saltwater fish are thought to inhabit the waters off Port Aransas. The fishing industry is still lively in the city, though local battles exist between the Recreational Fishing Alliance and the Coastal Conservation Association. Tourism is the largest section of the economy. The beach at Port Aransas draws thousands of visitors each weekend from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The Port Aransas economy is increasingly focusing on ecotourism. Bird-viewing locations have been established by the city and state agencies. Kayak paddling trails established by the state also contribute to ecotourism.

History

Port Sulphur was originally a typical company town, with its residents and civic life closely tied to the Freeport Sulphur Company. As the company divested itself of much of the town property and governance, it became more of a regular town with private individual land ownership. As the number of employees at the site dwindled, the Freeport Company became less important in everyday life and economic activity. At some point, most of the company-owned land not necessary for the sulphur operation was transferred to Plaquemines Parish or sold to private owners. The economic fortunes of the Freeport Sulphur Company declined during the 1980s and 1990s, resulting from the competitive forces of recovered Sulphur processed from sour oil & gas.