Corpus Christi Time Line
1839
Henry Lawrence Kinney established a ranch/trading post
1845
Corpus Christi named a post office
General Zachary Taylor established headquarters at Corpus Christi - Ft. Marcy - first
federal post established in Texas
Old Bayview Cemetery established
1846
Nueces County created
1849
Centennial House completed by Captain Forbes Britton
1850
Population estimate at 689
1851
Merriman-Bobys House built (originally on 801 S. Broadway) by Walter Merriman
1852
City of Corpus Christi incorporated, Benjamin F. Neal elected mayor
First Lone Star Fair promoted by Kinney
1853
First Methodist Church organized
Old Saint Patrick Church organized
1854
Kinney deeds an acre for Artesian Park
yellow fever epidemic
1857
first Courthouse completed
1860
Population: 175 - City, 2,906 - County
Church of the Good Shepherd organized
1862
bombardment of Corpus Christi by U.S. Navy
1867
yellow fever epidemic (300 people died)
First Presbyterian Church organized
1870
Population: 2,140 - City, 3,975 County
Westergren-Young House built
Hebrew Rest Cemetery established
1871
Corpus Christi Pioneer Fire Company No 1 formed
1872
Incarnate Word Academy opened
1873
Lone State Hook and Ladder Company formed
1874
First Morgan Steamship, Gussie, docked after channel dredged to 8 feet
Lichtenstein Store opened
Corpus Christi Fire Department formed from Pioneer and Lone Star Companies
1875
second Courthouse completed
Nuecestown raid
St. John Baptist Church organized
1876
Corpus Christi, San Diego and Rio Grande Railroad completed (later Tex Mex)
Savage-Sidbury-Thompson House built (1402 Chaparral)
1877
The Corpus Christi Free Press newspaper established
1878
First Baptist Church organized
1880
Population: 3,257 - City, 7,673 - County
1883
first cotton shipped from port
Caller newspaper established from Corpus Christi Free Press and Sunday Morning
Ledger
1886
San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad reached Corpus Christi (acquired by Southern
Pacific)
1890
Population: 4,387 - City, 8,093 - County
Corpus Christi Electric company organized
1991
Caller newspaper becomes a daily
1892
first telephone - Dr. Harry G. Heany had telephone number 1
1893
Sidbury House built by Charlotte Cook Scott Sidbury
1900
Population: 4,703 - City, 10,439 - County
1901
Jalufka House built by James L. Jalufka at 1401 N. Mesquite Street
1905
La Retama Club organized
Spohn Sanitarium opened on North Beach - operated by Sisters of Charity of the
Incarnate Word (later became Spohn Hospital)
first oil well drilled at White Point
Gugenheim House built by Simon Gugenheim at 1101 N. Chaparral
Lichtenstein House built by Julius Lichtenstein
1907
Grande-Grossman House built by Benito Grande on Artesian Street
1908
French-Galvan House built by A.M. French
McCampbell House built by Mary Alice Ward McCampbell on Water Street
1909
La Retama Library established
home rule charter adopted
1910
Population: 8,222 - City, 21,955 - County
Times newspaper established
Street Railway Company organized
1911
first Nueces Bay causeway built
1912
Street lights installed
1913
first natural gas well drilled at White Point
Nueces Hotel opened
1914
third Nueces County courthouse completed
San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad reaches Corpus Christi (acquired by Missouri
Pacific)
1915
Confederate Memorial Fountain dedicated
1916
major hurricane strikes Corpus Christi
1919
major hurricane strikes Corpus Christi
1920
Population: 10,522 - City - 22,807 - County
1923
Saxet Gas Field discovered
1924
Chamber of Commerce established (Commercial Club)
1926
bayfront breakwater completed
Port of Corpus Christi opened
1927
Cliff Maus Airport opened
La Retama Library sold to the City
Nixon Building erected (now Wilson Building)
1928
Plaza Hotel opened
Times newspaper purchased by Harte and Hanks
1929
first radio station - KGFI (evolved in KRYS) - owned by Eagle Broadcasting Co.
Caller newspaper purchased by Harte and Hanks
1930
Population: 27,789 - City, 51,779 - County
oil discovered in Saxet Field on the property of John Dunn
1933
Southern Alkali - first industrial plant on ship channel built at Avery Point
1935
Braniff begins first regularly scheduled airline passenger service
1938
Taylor Refining Co. and Columbia Carbon Plant built on ship channel
first dial telephone service (over 6,500 telephones were in service)
1939 Centennial Museum opened (now South Texas Institute for the Arts)
1940
Population: 57,301 - City, 92,661 - County
seawall completed
1941
Naval Air Station commissioned
T-Heads and L-Head completed
1942
Intracoastal Canal completed to Corpus Christi
Driscoll Hotel opened
1944
Memorial Hospital opened
1945
council-manager form of government adopted - Jack Speer - City Manager
1949
University of Corpus Christi opened
1950
Population: 108,287 - City, 165,471 - County
Padre Island causeway opened
1952
City Hall on Shoreline opened
1954
first televisions station, KVDO-TV
1957
Corpus Christi Junior Museum opened
1958
Wesley Seal Dam dedicated
1959
Harbor Bridge opened
1960
Population: 167,690 - City, 221,573 - County
Corpus Christi National Airport opened
1961
ARADMAC opened (now CCAD)
Hurricane Carla
1967
Hurricane Beulah
1968
Padre Island National Seashore dedicated