Page Contents for Seadrift, Texas

Statistics & Facts

Location

History & History-related items

City Attractions

Chamber of Commerce.

Organizations, Churches, and Sports.

Libraries.

Schools.

Miscellany

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Statistics & Facts

The Texas state capital is Austin.
The population of Seadrift is approximately 1,500 (1999), 1364 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 575 (1990), 496 (2010).
The amount of land area in Seadrift is 3.024 sq. kilometers.
The amount of surface water is 0.019 sq kilometers.
The distance from Seadrift to Washington DC is 1381 miles.
The distance to the Texas state capital is 144 miles. (as the crow flies)
Seadrift is positioned 28.41 degrees north of the equator and 96.71 degrees west of the prime meridian.

Location

in Calhoun County, in Southeast Texas, the only city on the San Antonio Bay, about 60 miles from Austin,and 150 miles from San Antonio and Galveston, Texas.
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History & History Related Items

"Seadrift was founded in 1848, it was originally known as Lower Mott. It was founded by German people who originally came to settle in Indianola, as they moved inland to farm. Of course the first inhabitants of the area were the Karankawa Indians. These native Americans lived along the coast and on the islands between what is today the cities of Corpus Christi and Galveston. They used dugout canoes to help supplement their diet with fish, porpoise, oysters and plants from our bay. The Karankawa were driven from the area by the Spanish and French leading to their extinction by about 1858.
The Calhoun County Cattle Co. bought a large amount of land from Thomas M. O'Conner in 1908. The Seadrift Townsite Company bought the land in 1909 and sold it to the American Townsite Co. in 1911.
By 1909 a railroad came to Seadrift followed by the other railroad companies. A channel was dug to the Intercoastal Waterway to facilitate shipping of seafood and vegetables. The 1916 census reported the population for the City of Seadrift was 2,000 people, with expectations of growth. The storms of 1919 and 1929 took tolls on the city. Many residents decided not to rebuild.
Instead of the businesses of the 1900's, we have today, chemical plants, farms, ranches, and commercial fishing boats. Our seafood has been served at such diverse places as the Academy Awards in Hollywood. Products manufactured at the local Union Carbide chemical plant are shipped all over the world.
Seadrift is a quaint fishing and shrimping community nestled along the shores of the beautiful San Antonio Bay. This small, bustling city, otherwise known as, "City of Murals" is a perfect place to relax and get away from it all."
This information from the Seadrift History Book.

Here is a history page for Seadrift.

Seadrift was founded in 1848. Originally, the name of 'Driftwood' was chosen for the town, but that name already existed in the state of Texas. The early settlers then decided upon the great name of 'Seadrift'.

J.A. Peeler was one of the founding settlers also. He had an import export business of livestock, and camels from Saudi Arabia. He was a Master Mason Architect, planned and constructed most of Seadrifts' subdivisions, homes, and general layout of the town. (He used sailing boats for his import/export business, so it could very well be where and why the town 'map' is shaped as a sail. He was also president of the Port Lavaca school board, and was involved with The Lions Club. The first school in Seadrift consisted of a 'one room building', which all children would attend for all grades. J.A. Peeler also served in ' World War II' as a ' Gunnery Officer' with theArmy

Some of Seadrift's early settlers were: Iva Hortense Brown, J.A. Peeler, Susan Jordan Brown, James Henry Brown, Thomas B. Dowda, Mary Strait, as well as the Bindewald; Coward; Cook; Leibold; Dierlam; Cloudt; Steinberg; Buffington; Madden; Willmers; Roemer; and Leake families
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The founding of Seadrift

1848

The incorporation of Seadrift

1911

Attractions

Bayfront Park is equipped for family activities. Located right on the beautiful San Antonio Bay. There is a main covered pavilion with electricity, smaller covered picnic areas, volleyball facilities, public restroom and the seawall to fish and enjoy water activities.
San Antonio bay is known for it's great fishing. Redfish, Black Drum and Flounder are a common catch. There are several murals painted on the local businesses to admire as you drive around the city. You can enjoy the scenery of the Harbor area where you will see the Shrimp boats docking with their days catch. If seafood is your fancy please stop for dinner at the local restaurants. Seadrift is a small community of 1,200 residents with a quaint atmosphere. For more info on the City of Seadrift please call our City Hall at 512-785-2251.

near the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
Refuge Manager
Aransas, N.W.R.
P.O. Box 100
Austwell, TX 77950
Phone: 512/286-3559
Fax: 512/286-3722

Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area
325 bird species!
Matagorda Island State Park
16th Street and Maples
P.O.Box 117
Port O'Connor, TX 77982Phone: 361/983-2215

The Great Texas Water Safari
The World's Toughest Boat Race with 260 miles of non-stop paddling!
held every year in June. This marathon begins at Aquarena Springs in San Marcos and ends in Seadrift.

Art Center Seadrift
Dieter Erhard, Nüremberg, Germany, has created an Art Boat from a 60-foot steel hull shrimp boat that is now complete with studio and gallery in the ship's hull. Exhibits and videos are presented from time to time. Erhard says the focus of his gallery is "international art in a unique framework," with works of art from around the world to be shown and produced at the gallery. Art Center Seadrift and Sculpture Park are located on Hwy. 185 as you enter Seadrift. Erhard enjoys international renown for his versatile artistic creativity both within Germany and abroad. In his hometown of Nüremberg he designed two of the subway stations. He founded the sculpture park in the German art city of Tennenlohe, where he has operated a gallery since 1990. Erhard also initiated the international "Fiesta de Arte" in Tennenlohe and the "Arte en Concreto" project in Guatemala.For more information, check out the web site
Email

Los Vigilantes Pipe Sculpture"Los Vigilantes" pipe sculpture welcomes visitors in the Highway 185 triangle, adjacent to Art Center Seadrift. Juan Pablo Duran, a student at the University of Guanajuato, Mexico, designed the three totems, and explains they represent fire, water, and wind, and are "in charge of watching the harmony of the people." The three pipes are 18 inches in diameter, and 12, 14, and 16 feet tall. His former teacher, Dieter Erhard, Germany, was instrumental in bringing Duran to Seadrift, and is fostering a concept he calls "building cultural bridges through art." Dedicated in October, 1999, the sculpture has become a "shining" example of a community project, with residents joining in to enhance their town.
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Seadrift Chamber

Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 3
Seadrift, TX 77983

Seadrift Organizations

Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 3
Seadrift, TX 77983

Seadrift Libraries

Seadrift Branch Library
P.O. Box 576
Seadrift, Texas
Phone: 512-785-4241
hours: Mon & Wed 12-6 Tues. & Sat 10-2
Over 15,00 Books, Video & audio tapes, Magazines, Newspapers, IRS forms, Interlibrary Loan Service, Summer reading program, Donations & memorials, Computer / Internet use
Loan periods all books for 2 weeks
.10 per day late fee max. fee $ 5.
VCR tapes-- over 18 to rent -- 2 days $ 1.00 per day, renewal limit 1
Childrens tables

Seadrift Schools

This is an education page for Seadrift.

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Seadrift Elementary
phone: 512-785-3551

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Seadrift schools are part of the Calhoun County Independent school District Seadrift

Miscellany

The population of Seadrift was:
1916 - 2,000
1990 - 1,277
1999 - 1,500