Examination of Improvements at Aransas Pass, Texas

To “ascertain the character and value of improvements made at Aransas Pass, Tex. by the Aransas Pass Harbor Company.” – pg. 1.

The late 19th century saw several efforts to establish Corpus Christi as a deepwater port on the Gulf Coast. Barrier islands provided a significant obstacle to construction and in 1890 the U.S. Government contracted with the newly-established Aransas Pass Harbor Company to dig a 20 ft. shipping channel through Aransas Pass. After several years of effort and millions of dollars expended, a trio of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers investigators reviewed the site to ascertain its progress.

Their results, seen here, were originally published in a 1899 Congressional volume on internal improvements. Over forty pages of text provide a detailed summary of the work, including reports from the company, correspondence from the War Department, and an extensive financial analysis. An index map of the coastal area presents a geographic overview of the situation, noting the numerous bars, islands, and mud flats that block direct access between the populated bays (Corpus Christi, Aransas, etc.) and the Gulf of Mexico. This sheet is accompanied by larger-scale plans that show the work performed by the Aransas Pass Harbor Company and the results of the government inspectors.

Based on the contents of the maps and report, the contracted work was entirely unsatisfactory. The channel never exceeded 8.5 feet in depth during any of the tests – essentially the same results as if nothing had been done at all. An excerpt prior to the conclusion reads “In consideration of all these facts the Board is of the opinion that the value to the Government of the works of the Aransas Pass Harbor Company for the improvement of Aransas Pass, Tex., is nothing.”