Padre Island National Seashore: An Administrative History
Jones WD. 1999. Padre Island National Seashore: An Administrative History. Park Administrative Histories
Despite development to the north and south, Padre remains one of the most pristine seashore preserves in the United States and thus offers incomparable scenic and recreational opportunities. The island's diverse and fragile natural environment, however, is the primary focus of the park's interpretive programs as well as being the center of significant efforts in resource conservation. Padre Island National Seashore, authorized by Congress in 1962, covers 66 miles of the approximately 113-mile long Padre Island in South Texas. Padre Island is the longest natural barrier island along the Gulf of Mexico broken only by the Mansfield Channel, a shipping channel dredged to the Port of Mansfield. The island is noted for its expansive white sandy beaches and tall foredunes that run along its eastern edge. On its western boundary, the island shelters the Laguna Madre, a shallow lagoon varying in width from several hundred to six miles in width. The lagoon is one of the richest habitats for sea and animal life along the Gulf Coast. Despite development to the north and south, Padre remains one of the most pristine seashore preserves in the United States and thus offers incomparable scenic and recreational opportunities. The island's diverse and fragile natural environment, however, is the primary focus of the park's interpretive programs as well as being the center of significant efforts in resource conservation. The National Seashore lies approximately 30 miles southeast of Corpus Christi and 50 miles northeast of Brownsville. Interstate Highway 37, Highway 358, South Padre Island Drive, and Park Road 22 provide access to the northern end of the park. Headquarters are based in Flour Bluff 18 miles northwest of the park. Although most of the park is undeveloped, Malaquite Beach offers the largest visitor facilities. Gulf Ranger Station, three miles within the park's northern boundary, houses most of the ranger support facilities. Other areas with facilities include Bird Island Basin and Yarborough Pass. The Malaquitas, a part of a larger tribe of Coahuiltecans, and the Karankawas roamed much of Padre Island for centuries. These Native Americans left few occupation sites, but were reported by European explorers as early as 1519 and again in an ill-fated 1554 Spanish expedition. Padre Nicholas Balli, a Catholic priest, and his nephew, Juan Jose Balli, received a Spanish grant for the first settlement of the island by 1820. The Balli family established the first cattle ranching on the island and is responsible for the name "Padre Island." In 1879 Patrick Dunn, known as the "Duke of Padre," leased part of the island for cattle ranching and continued to expand his ranching operation on the island through the 1920s.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Jones, W.
- Date of Issue
- 1999
- Units
- HIST , PAIS
- Keywords
- A National Seashore for the Future: Managing the Internal and External Threats, Access, Administration, American Contact and Settlement, Cultural Resource Issues, Early History and Use, ehistory, European Exploration and Settlement, executive summary, Facilities and Infrastructure, grazing permits, Historical Accounts, History, Interpretation and Collections Management, Interpretive Activities, legislative history, Location and Setting, Malaquite Beach Facilities, Management and Planning Issues, Master Plan, National Park Service Administration, Native American Inhabitants, Natural Resource Issues, Park Establishment, Park Headquarters, Park Planning and Public Relations, Patrick Dunn's Ranching Empire, Popular Images of Padre Island, Private Development, Public Park or Private Seashore: The Padre Island Dilemma, Scenic and Recreational Opportunities, Special Events and Public Relations, Spoil Islands, Texas State Parks Board