SOCIALIFE
HERITAGE
ISLAND HISTORY
One of the first buildings constructed at Tarpon Beach in 1908, (Today’s Isla Blanca Park) the Casino Hotel (AKA the Gulf Side Hotel) was only open for a short period before disaster struck.
A
hurricane coming ashore during the early summer of 1909 forced visitors to evacuate and seek shelter at the Quarantine Station, which was located in the bay near the southern tip of Padre Island. Many fishing boats were capsized or cast ashore, and one of the ferry-boats was missing. The action of the waves demolished dozens of fishing shanties. No lives were lost, and all who wished to leave were brought to the boat docks in Port Isabel. Another storm swept ashore on August 26th, and again a large group of tourists sought shelter in the quarantine station. At Tarpon Beach, every building except the lighthouse and the quarantine station was either heavily damaged or destroyed. Most of the destruction was caused by the high waves and a general inundation of the Island. The wind itself, which
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SOCIALIFE
barely reached tropical storm status, caused little damage. Repairs took several months, but by 1910, Tarpon Beach and the Casino Hotel were once again open to the public. Over the next 15 years, several violent Gulf storms damaged or destroyed much of Tarpon Beach, including the Casino Hotel. During this period, the only Island hotel consistently open was the Tarpon Beach Hotel, located bayside and built-in 1908 by Jesus Vega of Brownsville. In 1926, James A. Dickinson rebuilt the Casino, complete with a water toboggan slide and two fast speedboats to transport passengers to and from the Island. A bus met every boat upon its arrival to take all passengers to the hotel. There was even a lifeguard stationed on the beach when people were in the water.
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