Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce History
The concept of the Chamber of Commerce began as early as 1839 when entrepreneur and businessman Colonel Henry Lawrence Kinney advertised nationally and internationally for settlers to come to Corpus, which he dubbed the “Naples of the Gulf.” Colonel Kinney represented the business community and helped it prosper, certainly paving the way for the Chamber of Commerce as it’s known today.
In 1905, the Board of Trade was established with the goal to make Corpus Christi the commercial center of South Texas. At this point, the city’s population was about 7,000 – the largest population south of San Antonio. In 1917, the forerunner organization was renamed the Commercial Club but continued to focus on boosting the economy and representing the business community. When the Club started to fail in 1924 due to financial problems, the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce was created and assumed the Club’s obligations, debts and assets. The name of the organization may have changed but the community’s needs had not. For years, the organization lobbied for an intercoastal waterway and deepwater port, arguing that Corpus Christi’s bay was without rival on the Gulf Coast. In 1926, one of the Chamber’s greatest visions came to fruition – the creation of the Port of Corpus Christi.
The Port
The Port’s opening was celebrated on September 14 and 15, 1926. It was a grandiose celebration, costing $50,000. Parades, bands, visiting dignitaries, speeches, fireworks and a visit from the USS Borie, a U.S. Naval destroyer, highlighted the historic event. The Port is the fifth-largest port in the nation, generating more than 40,000 jobs.
The Chamber Provides Leadership for Other Projects
The Chamber also spearheaded efforts that would build infrastructure securing the city’s downtown from flooding and storm damage. In the 1919 hurricane, a Category 4 storm, tidal waves and high water virtually destroyed North Beach and the downtown area, so it was evident a sea wall was needed. The federal government informed city leadership that this issue needed to be resolved before federal dollars would be made available for the dredging of the Port. The surrounding counties agreed to reroute state tax dollars to Corpus Christi to be used exclusively for the seawall project. Today, the seawall stretches three miles long from Peoples Street to Coopers Alley.
In addition to the seawall project, the Chamber took a leadership role in promoting other aspects of the city, such as tourism. This included providing a cash bonus to anyone who would build a hotel (the Princess Louise Hotel was the first built in 1928). The Chamber, wanting to compete with other vacation destinations, bought a piece of land intended for a golf course. This land was later developed into the city’s first golf course at the Old County Club site on Up River Road.
The 1930-40s
One of the most unique stories in the history of the Chamber is what occurred in 1933. Following the Depression when the nation’s banks were closed, the Chamber of Commerce became the city’s banking center. At the time, the city’s merchants accepted scrip at face value and the Chamber had the power to print tokens for scrip, which the citizens were able to attain by writing checks.
Corpus Christi became known as a Port town and saw real growth during the recovery period from the Great Depression. In the 1930s, the newly discovered oil and gas in the area attracted some of the nation’s leading petroleum companies, such as the company now known as American Chrome and Chemicals, Ltd. Others followed soon after that and Corpus Christi became the center of the Coastal Bend.
With the advent of world unrest in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Chamber members began working to convince military and governmental officials in Washington to locate a naval station in the city. In 1941, the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station opened. Support for the military by the Chamber of Commerce has been unwavering ever since.
The Chamber Supports the Military
The Chamber also supported the idea of Naval Station Ingleside becoming a homeport, a site where battleships and other Navy vessels are permanently based. In the mid-1980s, the Chamber received a request from the Navy for a homeport proposal. Nueces County voters then approved a $25 million bond package to buy the land in San Patricio for the as-yet undesignated base. In 1985, state and county officials received word that the Navy selected the area as a new homeport and the base opened in 1988. Just two years later, the base was on the Navy’s list of bases being considered for closure and no battleships ever called it home. Instead, the base was home to smaller ships and the Navy’s Mine Warfare Units until April 2010 when it was closed by BRAC (Base Closure and Realignment Commission).
Chamber Promotes Recreation
Recognizing the importance of recreation to residents as well as tourists, the Chamber has played a large role in the preservation and improvement of the area’s natural resources. The Chamber supporting conserving the Padre Island National Seashore, (the longest undeveloped barrier island in the United States), Mustang Island, (a 3,703-acre park overlooking the Gulf of Mexico), and creating the Texas State Aquarium, dedicated to the study of plants and animals native to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Chamber’s Work Continues
In the past decade, the Chamber has taken on several major projects on the improvement and maintenance of the city. The Chamber was key in passing a 2001 vote to raise the JFK Causeway over Packery Channel to prevent flooding. The Chamber supported the repair project of the seawall and the expansion of the Convention Center. The Chamber also has sponsored many projects, such as the Wesley Seale Dam, Harbor Bridge, the Texas State Aquarium, Deep Port, Choke Canyon Dam, Interstate Highway 37 and the merger of Texas A&M with Corpus Christi State University.
Looking Toward the Future
The Chamber plays a supportive role in business recruitment by supporting small businesses and acts as a resource for existing and new businesses to expand or develop markets in Corpus Christi. The Chamber of Commerce remains a vital organization promoting the Corpus Christi area, serving the needs of the business community and helping to improve the community’s quality of life and the city’s quality of place.