Come out and help us celebrate! The City of Seadrift is located in Calhoun County and is situated on San Antonio Bay, and east of the confluence of the Guadalupe and San Antonio Rivers. These two rivers help the bay maintain a healthy supply of fish, crabs and oysters that are still transported nationally and internationally. Now a little history: The Seadrift area was formally assigned a post off
ice in 1891 when the first postmaster was appointed. In the late 1890’s the Guadalupe Valley Railroad (GVR) set their sights on the area and began acquiring track right of way beginning at Bloomington towards the Seadrift area. This was partially completed by early 1900 but slowed when financial difficulties were encountered. By 1906 the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexican Railroad (SBLM), a subsidiary of the Frisco Lines, was purchasing the former GVR right of way along with additional right of way to complete the tract from Bloomington to Port O’Connor. The track was completed in and through Seadrift along with a Depot by 1909. A “Y” was also constructed allowing trains to be turned around. The bottom of the “Y” extended out over San Antonio Bay on pilings creating a railroad wharf. This railroad wharf was used to load agricultural products and baled cotton from across San Antonio Bay from Austwell and Tivoli. Additionally, the abundance of fish, crabs and oysters being harvested from the Bay were also loaded on the rail cars on the wharf. East of Seadrift, a few miles, is Lela-Pens (the red building is still standing) where cattle were herded from surrounding ranches and loaded onto the train for shipment to market. The SBLM also began regular passenger service to Victoria via Bloomington as well as freight service. The SLBM gave the name of this coastal railroad the Gulf Coast Line. The actual beginnings of the City itself began in 1909 when the Calhoun County Cattle Company purchased a large tract of land around and along the path of the railroad. In 1911 A.D. Powers formed the Seadrift Town-site Company and purchased a portion of the large tract from the Calhoun County Cattle Company. Later in 1911 Mr. Powers subdivided his tract into blocks, lots and streets around the railroad right of way, recording the plat at the Calhoun County Courthouse as the Seadrift Town-site. Powers is considered to be the founding father of the City of Seadrift. Lots began selling, houses built, hotels constructed, businesses established, banks formed, a newspaper and everything else that go along with a growing community. In 1912 the City was formally incorporated, as a City, under the laws of the State of Texas, after an election by the town-site’s population, with the majority approving the forming of the City to be named Seadrift. Later Mr. Powers donated property south of Bay Avenue (the Bay Front) from 2nd Street to 15th Street to the City for the exclusive purpose of a park. This is now known as A.D. Powers Bay Front Park where the annual Shrimpfest is held during the second weekend of June.
