Aransas Pass – A Closer Look

As I stated in my earlier post, this is the most economically depressed coastal town I have visited. After studying the town history I realized that Aransas Pass has every reason to be depressed, economically and otherwise. Dating back to 1853 their dream was to make Aransas Pass harbor a major deepwater port for the lower Gulf coast. For various reasons ranging from financial panics to hurricanes, the dream was only partially fulfilled. The harbor channel was eventually deepened and widened and oceangoing vessels began to use the port in the early 1900s. Then successive hurricanes in 1916 and 1919 did major damage to Aransas Pass and harbor shipping facilities and in 1920 the Corps of Engineers selected Corpus Christi to be the primary deepwater port for the lower Gulf coast. Aransas Pass harbor continued as an oil terminal but for all practical purposes no further cargo shipments were made in and out of the harbor. So Aransas Pass lost out to Corpus Christi in a fashion very much like the Galveston port lost out to the Houston port after the great 1900 hurricane. Steady growth of shrimping and fishing fleets operating out of Aransas Pass helped the town recover. At one time the shrimping fleet was the largest on the Gulf coast with over 300 shrimp boats. Allied industries grew up around the port and city to support the fishing and shrimping industries. But once again long term economic success eluded the town. Competition from foreign fishermen and domestic fish and shrimp farms has led to a slow decline in the economic condition of Aransas Pass.

Regardless of all of this, Aransas Pass is a little town of 8000 that keeps trying. They attract larger numbers of boaters and fishermen and they continue to provide numerous community parks, beaches, free fishing piers and public boat ramps. I was also surprised to find that they have a large 24/7 fitness center and an Art, Music & Live Theater that provides an art gallery, acoustic music jams, classic movies, live theater and yoga classes.

Will provide Aransas Pass and Rockport photos later after I move on to Victoria, TX. High speed Internet is very bad in this area, making it impossible to upload photos onto my blog.