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Corpus Christi History
Renewal on Land and Sea 1920-1960

The hurricane of 1919 was the defining moment for the citizens of Corpus Christi in their determination to build a better future. Protection from storm destruction involved building a breakwater in 1926 and completing a sea wall in 1940. The federal deep water port construction eliminated the critical problem of access to the sea that had plagued the community since its founding. The Port of Corpus Christi became a pivotal economic arm of industrial development.

The economy first founded on cattle and sheep ranching, then farming and tourism, was fueled in the 1920’s by unbelievable growth in the petroleum industry. Between 1920 and 1930, Corpus Christi grew from a town into a city, more than doubling in population. The booming oil and gas industries attracted people from other parts of the country.

A new age of transportation and communication arrived with the opening of the Clif  Maus Airport in 1927, Padre Island causeway in 1950 and completion of the Harbor Bridge in 1959. Further economic and population growth occurred when the Naval Air Station was commissioned in 1941. This was also a period in the establishment of civic organizations which gained national significance such as the G.I. Forum and LULAC.