, 1934-12-30

A VIVID picture OF some Of the
~ struggles Of early day port
q u workers OF Brownsville is
brought TO mind by DR.. S. K. Hal
lam. m OF that group. in the fol-
lowing discussion Of the port his
tory.
DR.. Hallam. who is now nearing
90. has been an active worker for
the port up to the present day.
The Evolution Of Our Port
When the writer of this story
came TO Brownsville in 1906. the
Gulf Coast Lines had purchased the
old narro guage road from Browns
vile to Point Isabel. While tie sale
ut the time seemed TO be advantage
GUS. Colonel Uriah Lott. who repre-
sented the purchasers. told the writer
that he was instructed 10 buy that
property regardless Of cost. AS the
new purchasers we're not interested
In transportation by water. Port Is
abel ceased to be a port and there
was but little use for the railway.
Our citizens soon began to realize
the loss Of securing freight by water
and began at once an effort to Sc
cure a deep water port at Point Is
abel. A meeting was held in the
autumn Of 1911 and an organization
was formed known as the Browns
vile Waterways association. the
purpose of which vas to give the
Valley again the advantages OF wa
ter transportation.
This association was formed and
directed by some Of the leading
citizens Of Brownsville. The Board
Of Directors consisted OF Louis Co
bolini. VIM. Kelly. Jas. B. Wells,
3. L. Dworman. r. B. Creager. w N.
Pearson, d. Z. Hawkins, Jose Celaya,
j. @. Fernandez, j. B. Scott, K. II.
McDavitt and S. X. Hallam.
The officers Of the association
we're: S. X. Hallam. president, Ben
jamin KowalSki, LIST vice president,
G. p. Barreda, End vice president. X.
II. McDavitt. secretary and j. B.
Scott, treasurer.
The BrazoS- Santiago Deep Water
committee consisted Of Louis CO.
bolini, chairman, James B. Wells,
VIM. Kelly. A. A. Browne. r. B.
Creager.
The Brownsville Ship Channel
committee was composed of S. c.
Tucker, chairman, F. w. Seabury,
r. B. Rentfro, w. K. McDavitt, Col
onel d. p. Gay. NJ. j. Slattery. L. II.
Hallam. w II. Mason. Jr., and G. II.
Moore.
The funds for the preliminary
work were raised by private sub
scription. From an old memoran-
DUN book. I find that on October
q. 1911. the following collections
were made. I believe those men who
contributed at that early date should
have this memorial to their inter-
est in securing this harbor.
A. A. Browne, 5000. which was Us
of his pledge; The First National
Bank, The Merchants National
Bank. The Brownsville Bank g.
Trust company, j. B. McAllen, Col
onel d. p. Gay, James B. Wells VIM.
Kelly and Chas. Champion. each con-
tributed $50.
The Brownsville Hardware Co. the
Hicks Hardware Co. z. L. Hicks.
Jose Celaya, each contributed SIS,
being IA Of their pledbe.
And forty others OF the citizens
contributed amounts ranging from
SIS down to 81 each.
Other collections were made later,
OF which ! find no record. These
small contributions show the general
interest in the proposition then.
Commodore Cobolini. who vas the
only paid officer. gave his entire
time 10 securing the necessary data,
corresponding with the government
engineers and especially with Con-
Rrassman John N. Garner and was
successful in securing an appropria-
ton by Congress for the survey Of
the harbor. This was completed the
following year.
The report Of the engineer show
ed that a 80 foot channel through
the pass and to and including the
turning basin at Point Isabel could
be secured for our Million Two Hun
dred Thousand Dollars and a forty
foot channel for Six Million Dollars.
After this report had been COM
pleted. General Marshall. chief Of
staff, and four other members OF the
engineering board, came TO Browns
VILE TO look over the entire situation
and make their report. They were
known over the entire Valley and
taken to Point Isabel and out through
The Pass.
At that time there was a question
as to the riyht of the state Of Texas
TO grant water rights for irrigation
from the Rio Grande river as under
the Treaty Of Guadalupe with Mex
leo the river had been declared a
navigable stream. On their return
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