About South Padre Island
General Info about South Padre Island, Texas
South Padre Island is a township located at the southern tip of the state in Cameron County, Texas. While the 2000 census lists the official population as 2,422 permanent residents, the average daily population is much higher. Many Winter Texans and other part-time residents claim South Padre as their home for large portions of the year, and there is a constant flow of vacationers in spring and summer.
Geography of South Padre Island
South Padre is located at 26.111935, -97.169587. This is approximately the same latitude as Miami, Florida. Our climate is similar to that of Miami, and our real estate prices are about half.
The town's total area is about 1,200 acres. The island is approximately 1/2 mile wide and is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico on the east side and the Laguna Madre Bay on the west. The Laguna Madre Bay is one of only five hyper-saline bays in the world. The only saltier body of water in the United States is the Great Salt Lake. This unusual bay is home to diverse species and a nursery to fish. It is estimated that 30% of the Gulf's fish are spawned in the bay. This body of water is also home to young sea turtles, dolphins, endangered brown pelicans, and many more.
Demographics on South Padre Island
The South Padre Island census of 2000 lists 2,422 residents, 1,211 households, and 662 families residing in the town. There were 4,685 housing units. Of the 1,211 households, 15.4% had children in the residence, 47.2% were married couples, 4.2% had a female head of household, and 45.3% were non-families. 35.8% of households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone over the age of 65. The average household size was 2 people, and the average family size was 2.54.
The age of the population was as follows:
under 18 - 12.9%
18 to 24 - 6.2%
25 to 44 - 28.2%
45 to 64 - 34.2%
65 or older - 18.4%
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.9 males.
The median income for a household in South Padre Island was $45,417.
| History of South Padre Island |
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South Padre's rich history reads like an adventure novel. Recorded history begins in 1519 with a Spanish ship bound for the Gulf of Mexico. When passing South Padre Island, the sailors called it the Isla Blanca or White Island. Back then, the island was inhabited by the Karankawa Indians, a tall people rumored to be cannibals.
After the Aztec people of Mexico were conquered by the Spanish, numerous galleons headed for Mexican treasure found their way to the Gulf of Mexico. Several ships were lost to sand bars and storms, and three ships were sunk in 1553. The survivors of these three wrecks reportedly swam to the Padre shore where they were greeted by Indian arrows. Only two of the 300 surviving passengers made it to a safe haven in Mexico to tell their tales. Over the years, many of their coins and treasures have been recovered off Padre's shores. Treasure hunters still search for the lost riches.
We know that Jean Lafitte, the pirate noted for his role in the War of 1812, explored the South Padre territory. A well in Laguna Vista bears his name, and legend says he dug the well and returned often for fresh water.
The island is named after a Catholic missionary priest called Padre Jose Nicolas Balli. He founded a settlement here in 1804 and ranched in the area. The statue in Isla Blanca Park, which welcomes fishermen and seamen safely home, is in his image. The Mexican government eventually gave title of the island to the priest.
John Singer, brother of the inventor of the famous Singer Sewing machine, took up residence on South Padre in 1847 when his ship was lost off the coast. Documents tell us that the family buried thousands in coins and jewelry before they fled during the Civil War. Their fortune was lost to the shifting dunes and remains somewhere on the island to this day.
Important historical battles took place in the area during both the Texas struggle for independence and the Civil War. The last battle was in May of 1865. After this battle, Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant very near the Rio Grande Valley.
In 1950, a pioneer developer named John L. Tompkins purchased the original 1470 acres which includes the entire town of South Padre Island and officially named it "Padre Beach". He promoted it as a thriving seaside community and began to sell property even though there was no causeway for vehicular access, and no roads except on the beach at low tide. His efforts brought development to the island in the early 60s.
The island in those days was accessed by ferry and was largely a fishing village. That changed in 1953 when the initial Queen Isabella Causeway was opened, and Padre Boulevard was constructed by Cameron County on land provided by Tompkins. He also installed all the bilateral streets and secondary parallel streets that run along the Gulf and the Laguna Madre, as well as all of the fresh water pipelines, most of which exist today. This was done at his sole expense with proceeds from the sale of the properties. In 1974 the current version of the Queen Isabella Causeway was opened. At two and a half miles long, it is the longest bridge in Texas.
Tompkins also constructed the first residence as an example for others. He called it "The Pink House", and situated it on the sand dunes overlooking the beach and the Gulf of Mexico. The foundation of his home was concrete slab over concrete supports drilled over 25 feet deep into the clay base of the island. This is the type of construction that underlies all/most of the hotels, commercial and residential construction today.
Original deed restrictions prohibited building structures on piers unless they are fully enclosed. Tompkins' reason for this was to dispel the notion that The Island was subject to frequent high water surges from storms and hurricanes that could wipe structures off the island. The first major hurricane to hit his development directly was in 1967 when the eye of Hurricane Beulah, a Category 5 storm, passed directly over Padre Beach. The resulting damage was relatively slight, and hotels and businesses were reopened just a few days later. This proof of survival stimulated confidence for future growth.
The earliest properties on the island include the Bahia Mar complex, the Tiki Resort, The Padre South Hotel, and a few other wood frame hotels and condos on the beachfront. The majority of the resort and condo complexes were built in the early to mid 80's when there was a surge in development. That great time of progress stopped suddenly when the peso devalued and the savings and loan scandal upset the Texas economy.
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Now the growth on South Padre Island is occurring at a slower but still healty pace. As the North Island territory opens up, a new era of master planned communities and upscale development is anticipated.
