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    The Bolivar Peninsula
    The Bolivar Peninsula
    The Bolivar Peninsula
    Ebook205 pages44 minutes

    The Bolivar Peninsula

    By Dr. Melanie Wallace

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    About this ebook

    The Bolivar Peninsula is a quirky coastal community consisting of Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, Caplen, Gilchrist, and High Island. "The peninsula," as locals call it, is a 27-mile-long barrier formation. Bounded on one side by the Gulf of Mexico and on the other by the Intracoastal Waterway, it is a short ferry ride from Galveston, Texas. The history of the peninsula includes filibusterers, pirates, fierce natives, and headstrong settlers. A spirit of independence survives to this day, providing a continuation of the story of this unique landmass and its people. An unlikely conglomeration of cowboys and farmers, third- and fourth-generation landowners, retired executives and professors, fishermen, shrimpers, and birding enthusiasts comes together with weekenders and tourists to enjoy the beauty and bounty of the Gulf Coast. Its beautiful setting and wild, storied past make the Bolivar Peninsula a fascinating place to explore.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateSep 21, 2015
    ISBN9781439653326
    The Bolivar Peninsula
    Author

    Dr. Melanie Wallace

    Dr. Melanie Wallace, a retired educator, is a lifelong visitor and current resident of the peninsula. This book was compiled through countless visits with folks whose ancestors settled the peninsula in the mid-1800s. Their shared photographs and stories, as well as their generosity, hospitality, and wonderful memories, made this book possible.

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      Book preview

      The Bolivar Peninsula - Dr. Melanie Wallace

      fun.

      INTRODUCTION

      Ellen Rienstra states in her introduction to Melanie Wiggins’s definitive tales of the peninsula, They Made Their Own Law, Bolivar Peninsula is a world unto itself. It is truly a place like no other.

      Bolivar Peninsula is named for South American hero Simón Bolívar, the leader of the fight to free South and Central America from Spanish rule. Liberator of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama, Bolívar was the founder and first president of Bolivia.

      The peninsula, as locals call it, is a quirky community made up of the towns of Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, Caplen, Gilchrist, and High Island. It is a 27-mile-long barrier formation in the Gulf of Mexico and a short ferry ride from Galveston, Texas.

      Access to the peninsula can be gained in two ways. One is through Chambers County, on Highway 124, then on to Highway 87 (the Jane Long Memorial Highway). The other is by ferry from Galveston. The public ferries are operated by the Texas Department of Transportation and have been run free of charge since 1934. Summer months and spring break are peak times for travel on the ferries and may require a significant wait in some instances.

      The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway extends the length of the peninsula on the north side, with the Gulf of Mexico to the south. The crystal sand beaches are open and driving on them is permitted. Before Highway 87 was built, the beach was the highway. There were no roads on the peninsula until 1930.

      A well-loved tourist destination famous for fishing, birding, shelling, and sea-bathing, the peninsula boasts a long and fascinating past. Even before written history, native peoples are known to have traversed the upper Gulf coast, as evidenced by the archaeological digs at Caplen Mound. Natives buried their dead at Caplen Mound, a small natural hill made larger by shell refuse. The mound, known locally as the Indian Cemetery, was desecrated over the years by people in search of artifacts.

      Few artifacts were left when a team of University of Texas archaeologists conducted excavations in 1932. Analysis of the 66 human remains found in the mound showed that the people were well-fed, robust, and tall, with no evidence of malnutrition; they adapted well to the coastal environment and lived relatively long lives.

      Explorer Cabeza de Vaca came to the area in 1528 and likely visited the peninsula; some evidence points to his landing at High Island and beginning his explorations from that point. Legend has it that the gentleman pirate Jean Lafitte and his crew of pirates sometimes held parties in a grove of oak trees on the peninsula. Many believe that Lafitte left some buried treasure on the peninsula, but none has been discovered to date. When he retired from life on the high seas, Lafitte’s cabin boy Charles Cronea made his home at High Island. His homestead stood there for over a century. Cronea is buried at the High Island Cemetery with a historical marker.

      Gen. James Long and his wife, Jane Long, the Mother of Texas, were among the most famous residents of the peninsula. In 1821, Jane gave birth to one of the first Anglo children born in Texas. James Long left the peninsula aboard the ship the Three Sisters in the autumn of 1821, leaving Jane, her young daughter Ann, servant girl Kian, and faithful dog Galveston at Fort Las Casas. The remaining 20 soldiers left the peninsula one by one. Eventually, Jane and the young girls were alone at the fort. Her food was running out, and she had only an old rusty cannon for defense. She is reported to have fired the cannon each morning. Then, lacking a proper flag, Jane raised her red flannel petticoat up the flagpole. The natives assumed the fort was still inhabited. Jane’s full story is told in chapter 9.

      According to the 1850 census, 15 families lived along the 27-mile stretch of land between High island and Bolivar Point. The earliest settlers included Martin Dunman of High Island, S.D. Parr, John G. Simpton, J.H. Fredenberg, William Reeves, William Allen, Solomon Bryan, Joseph Atkins, William Dorsett, William Holbrook, Thomas Bostick, and J.B. Benjamin. Other well known early settlers include A.J. Johnson, C.W. Kahla, John Crainer, Frank Crainer, Willie Patton, John Strathan, James A. Crenshaw, R.C. Bouse, Vincent Linder, Jacob Hampshire, R.C. Knuckles, Fred Schneider, R.H. Slaughter, Oscar Flake, R.M. Roberson, George Simpton, W.H. Daily, Samuel H. Hughes, and Reuben Barrow.

      The Bolivar Lighthouse was built in 1852, during the heyday of lighthouse construction on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. It was dismantled during the Civil War by Confederate troops, who used the tower’s iron to make cannonballs. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1872 and served as a beacon to travelers until the 1930s, when more sophisticated navigational devices were employed. Bolivar residents used it as a refuge during the 1900 and 1915 hurricanes. It is now privately owned and still serves as a symbol of the peninsula to residents and visitors alike.

      Bolivar Peninsula boasts a long history of farming and ranching. From the late 1800s through the early 1900s, the peninsula was known as the Breadbasket of Galveston and the Watermelon Capital of Texas. By 1885, the peninsula was also well known as a successful place to raise livestock. Cowboys still run cattle on the salt-grass pastures.

      The Houston Audubon Society is currently one of the largest landowners on the Bolivar Peninsula. The peninsula has world-renowned bird sanctuaries and is considered a paradise to bird-watchers around the world. The Bolivar Christmas Count celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011. The famous count includes the woods of High Island, Rollover Pass,

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