In Corpus
- Michael Jay Tucker's explosive-cargo
- Apr 12
- 5 min read
So I’m writing about our recent trip to Corpus Christi, Texas -- which is where we went to celebrate our 43rd(!) wedding anniversary. Last time, I had us on the road.
We arrived in the city toward late afternoon. We still had a little time before we could check in to our hotel, so we took a quick tour. We cruised along the coast a bit, saw something of the extensive beaches, then had a look downtown, and finally went a ways inland.
Corpus is an interesting city. I’m not sure what we expected, but I think on some subconscious level we thought it would be like the Town of South Padre Island.(1) I kind of need to explain that. South Padre Island (the island, not the town) is a long, sinuous, barrier island that stretches all the way up from the border of Mexico to Corpus. The *Town* of South Padre (not the island) is a vacation community right on the Southern tip of the island. I’ve written about it several times because my parents owned a house there and we visited several times.
We thought that Corpus would be a lot like the Town. That is, we thought it was a vacation community, with some tall buildings, but those are mostly hotels, and the economy revolves almost entirely around tourism, gray-haired snowbirds (guilty), and college students cavorting on the beach each spring.
This is not even remotely the case. Corpus is a real city. It has a population of (estimated) 317,863. It does, indeed, get a lot of tourists, but it also has another economy. It is a port--in fact, according to Wikipedia, The Port of Corpus Christi is the fifth-largest port in the United States.(2) I gather it mostly handles mostly oil and agricultural products--which makes sense, this is Texas, after all.
About the photos: First, Corpus is not just a tourist destination. It’s a serious city, as evidenced by the tall buildings you can find downtown. This is American Bank, obviously, among other things. Second, Martha in downtown. This is just outside of the (surprise) Executive Surf Club, a local bar and grill. Seems to have good reviews. Third, a shot of our shadows on the beach. Hey, its corny, but effective.
And, finally, a video on the same theme.
One curious thing about the city. It feels a little linear. That is, it is a long, thin city. Which, again, makes sense. It grew up along Corpus Christi Bay, and if you try to build inland, you soon run into estuaries, and lagoons. Hard to put down foundations on those, unless, of course, you’re Venice.
I don’t know much about the city’s history, but, apparently the area was originally inhabited by the Karankawa people--Native Americans who hunted and gathered along the shore. Unfortunately, they then encountered European settlers, first Spanish from the south, then Anglos from the East. Apparently, Karankawa were almost destroyed, but somehow a few managed to survive...against all odds...and today their descendants work to reclaim their heritage. (3)
After that, the area was tossed about a bit as first Spanish (later Mexican) and then “Texican” (later, Texan, and later still, American) authorities battled over it. Then, it was Confederate territory during the Civil War--during which the city was bombarded by the Union fleet. It recovered, and became a major port...only to be nearly washed off the face of the earth in a massive storm in 1919.(4)
But, Corpus folks are a hardy bunch, and once again they rebuilt and carried on. Through the rest of the 20th century and into this one, they constructed their city as it currently is, and gave it the vibrant economy that it enjoys today.
One interesting aside, Corpus has had a remarkable role in both Civil Rights and Veterans Affairs. In 1929, it was in that city that The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) was formed.(5) The League has worked tirelessly to defend Hispanic Americans and their rights. Similarly, in 1948, the American GI Forum (AGIF), an Hispanic veteran affairs organization, was founded in Corpus. (6)
And, like I say, that’s pretty much it for my knowledge of the city. But, stay tuned, I will try to learn a bit more over the course of this series. (Though, frankly, it’ll probably be necessary for me to go back several times to really get the gist of the place. With much beach-going, sea-fooding, and hotel-napping. Not that I’m complaining. That’s just the kind of stoic guy I am. Impressive really.)
Anyway, so we toured a bit. Then, it was late enough that we could check into our hotel, which we promptly did. We were on the beach and so, not surprisingly, a short while later we were walking on the shore, feeling the sand under our feet, and enjoying the surf as it came up to our ankles.
I took a good many photos. And a video. And naturally, I’m going to torment you with most of ‘em.
Next time, we think about architecture...and age.
More to come.
Footnotes:
1. “South Padre Island, Texas,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Padre_Island,_Texas
2. “South Padre Island,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Padre_Island
2. “Corpus Christi, Texas” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_Christi,_Texas
3. Carol A. Lipscomb (revised by Tim Seiter), “Karankawa Indians,” Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association, accessed November 3, 2025, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/karankawa-indians
4. “Effects of the 1919 Florida Keys hurricane in Texas,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_the_1919_Florida_Keys_hurricane_in_Texas
5. “The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC),” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_United_Latin_American_Citizens. Today, LULAC is based in Washington DC.
5. “American GI Forum,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_GI_Forum.
The Forum’s first big triumph came in 1949, when the remains of a Mexican-American soldier who had died in the Philippines, Felix Z. Longoria Jr., were denied burial in a local “white’s only” cemetery. The Forum protested, and then, with the assistance of the young senator Lyndon Johnson, then newly elected of office, Longoria received burial with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. See “Felix Z. Longoria Jr.,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Z._Longoria_Jr.
Copyright©2026 Michael Jay Tucker
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