Shellcrete Immigrants
LORE:
Shellcrete (Oyster
Shell Concrete) was a superior
building material (over Adobe)
in a humid climate that was used
as early as the late 1700’s in
the Aransas-Copano Bay area.
LORE: Prior to 1835, a
Rhode Islander named, Seth
‘Jim’ Ballou and his wife
Ann, along with his brothers
Lugenio, and Wilfred, are
considered the first residents
of Lookout Point on the Lamar Peninsula.
Prior to the 1830’s, the Spanish still held the Port of El Cópano (and an outpost called Aránzazu on Live Oak Point, as
well as, an outpost on San José Island), just as Texas was
still a part of New Spain, but things were about to change,
as the Spanish Government was now allowing foreigners to
receive Land Grants (Empresario contracts), after pledging
their allegiance to Spain, of course. Soon after, European
Immigrants began arriving at our Copano & Aransas Bays.
Somewhere around 1833 to 1835, an Irishman named James
Power built a house on his personal Empresario lands at
Live Oak Point, which was formerly Fort Aránzazu. In
1836, he Partnered with a Kentuckian named Henry Smith,
and they established a Port called Aransas City at Live Oak
Point overlooking Copano Bay.
Another Irishman, James W. Byrne, arrived (1835-36), and
he setup the Lamar Colony (named after Mirabeau Lamar)
on the northern side of the Aransas-Copano strait. (See Map
on Bottom, Left, Corner)
Aransas City & Lamar become two opposing Ports, and their
shellcrete communities grew simultaneously. By 1839, Lamar had about 60 residents.
LORE: Jim Ballou established a
83
Steam Ferry that tavelled between
Lookout Point (on the Lamar side)
and Live Oak Point (on the Aransas
City side) - where the Copano Bay
Causeway is now.