From Pioneer Paths to Superhighways - The Texas Highway Department Blazes Texas Trails 1917-1968
H.A. Clapp to the Texas Highway Commission, September 23, 1933
Page 1 of 2
Collegeport, Texas U. S. A.
September 23rd, 1933
The Texas Highway Commission
Austin, Texas
Gentlemen:
In the Houston Chronicle of Friday the 22nd I read “The Highway
Commission to day allotted $825,935. for highway construction, much of it for
emergency work to relieve unemployment.” Bounded on the north by the St. Louis
Brownsville and Mexico railway, on the east by the Colorado river, on the south
an estate of two hundred square miles about 128,000 acres. I have named it
the Magic Bottle because of its potential possibilities and its bottle shape.
Twnety [sic] thousand cattle graze on its bottom lands, ten thousand acres of rice
produced on its rich and wide sprea ing [sic] prairie lands, cotton, corn, feed crops,
poultry and dairy products are produced. It is the home of 1600 folk who
are industrious and ambitious.
This estate is penetrated by a branch of the St Louise [sic] and Brownsville reailway [sic]
and a nine foot pavement with six foot shell shoulder. Penetrated? Yes, for
about half its length. Effective August 27, 1933 the railroad company have
permission from the Interstate Commerce Commission to not only abandon service
but the right of way. For months the service has been simply vile and with
out regard for the rights or comfort of those who live in the territory.
Monday of this week a representative of the Eleventh Division RailwayMail
Service was here and received bids for the transportation of mails byauto [sic] and
the railway company have issued notice that soon as they are relieved from the
mail contract they will substitute for the once a day service a once each week
service. This leaves us dependent on the nine foot pavement which connects
with # 58 sixteen miles north and extends into this community and to within
about 3000 feet of the bay shore.
Across the bay and less than three miles from our post office to theirs is the
town of Palacios, BUT to reach it one is obliged to drive 32.5 miles. In this
journey one goes three miles east of Collegeport and twelve miles north of
a town three miles distant. By reason of this situation we are deprived of
express, telegraf, [sic] gas and electric service all of which we need and desire.
This community is in a condition of dismay, that leads to decay. It is a [sic]
irritating situation that your commission can relieve. We have no desire to
live at the end of a road. We wish to live on a through route. We want
people to pass through our community instead of coming down, turning around and
returning. We wish to live, to expand, to gratify and ambition to enjoy the
comforts that we are entitled to. You can give these things to us. No other
body can. We are in your power and we are praying for relief.
Across the bay, three miles away the Southern Pacific offers rail facilities
and the natural trend of our popu ation [sic] it [sic] towards the nearest convenience.
At present our nearest railway is sixteen miles. The gap between #58 and
Palacios and the end of our County #3 is a part of the Hug The Coast route
adopted by that association at the Freeport meeting held last October.
The building of this connection and viaduct across the bay is a simple thing
at small cost compared with its value to the several thousand who live on each
side of the bay
H.A. Clapp to the Texas Highway Commission, September 23, 1933. Matagorda and Brazoria Counties project files, Texas Highway Department Records, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.