Seadrift became an incorporated city in 1911. Founded by A. D. Powers as the Seadrift
Townsite Company, October 1912, it was built on land formerly owned by the Calhoun Cattle Company, which sold it to A. D. Powers. On
December 27th, 1912, the first City Council was held and the City of
Seadrift was incorporated under Title 22 of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of
Texas.
In 1916, Seadrift built its first City Hall, on the
Bayfront, which was called the park and was a dedicated park on the map, recorded in the Calhoun County Courthouse by A. D. Powers. In a council meeting
September 9th, 1916, the
Bayfront Park was named
Powers
Park after the founder. Location of the
new city hall was on the bay side of
Bay Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets, and it was also known as the “Pavilion”.
Culture
Seadrift’s population of approximately 1500 is comprised of a diverse, multicultural community including Hispanic, several original German settler families since the early 1900s, and the Vietnamese Community, which settled in Seadrift following the Viet Nam War.
Location
Seadrift is located on the southern edge of
Calhoun
County. It is a fishing port town located on
San Antonio
Bay. The City is 20 miles from the
Gulf of Mexico. Being located along HWY185 in the crossroads of
Texas, provides central access to major cities in south and central
Texas. Seadrift is located approximately 35 miles from
Victoria, 60 miles from
Austin, and 150 miles from
San Antonio and
Galveston,
Texas. Seadrift also adjoins its nearby by neighbors such as Rockport,
Port O'Connor, and Port Lavaca.
Coastal Information
Seadrift is the only city on the
San Antonio
Bay.
San Antonio
Bay is is surrounded by several other saltwater bays and waterways. Scattered along the Intercoastal Waterway are several bays which include
Espirito
Santo
Bay,
Hynes
Bay, and
Matagorda Bay. Offshore access to the
Gulf of Mexico is through nearby Pass Cavallo.
Matagorda
Island, a barrier island which borders the
San Antonio
Bay, is also the home of the
Matagorda
Island
State Park and Lighthouse. Freshwater waterways include the
Guadalupe
River and surrounding bayous.
Some native fish species include Redfish, Flounder, Speckled Trout, and Catfish. Other aquatic life includes bay shrimp, blue crabs, stone crabs, and oysters.
Climate
Seadrift is on the north
shore of
San Antonio Bay with prevailing winds south and southeast; cooling gulf breezes in summer, with mild winters. Seadrift’s climate is described as "temperate". Average weather conditions fall somewhere between conditions usually associated with "humid, subtropical", and "semi-arid" climates. As the shadows of evening gather, the sunset and the bays are most beautiful to the lover of nature.
Rainfall in Seadrift averages about 21 inches per year. Peak rainfall months are May and September. Winter months are the driest. Maximum temperatures during the summer months range in the 90’s; temperatures average 58 degrees. Yearly average wind speed is 12.3, providing some of the finest windsurfing and canoeing in the world.
Economy
Farming and Cattle ranching - Splendid farm land, rich black soil which holds the moisture, and gray sand, easily grows rice, cotton, maize, corn and soybeans, and supports herds of cattle.
Chemical Plants - Abounding in
Calhoun
County, they contribute to the local economy, providing employment and community support.
Fishing Industry - Commercial fishing, shrimping, oystering and crabbing are a large part of Seadrift’s industry. Small Business Opportunities - Areas of enterprise and entrepreneurship offer opportunity for new business.
© COPYRIGHT 2007 Seadrift Chamber of Commerce