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Collegeport is an unincorporated community in Matagorda County, Texas, United States.

Founded in May 25, 1908, Collegeport is located on the Trespalacios Bay which outlets into the Matagorda Bay.

History

Early Days

Collegeport was acquired through a 9,000 acre land purchase in 1908. Ranchers Jonathan Edward Pierce and Abel Brown Pierce sold their land to land developer Burton D. Hurd; in the agreement Hurd would develop a town that would include a college and a port on the Trespalacios Bay.

Families began relocating to Collegeport, also named the Town of Opportunity, after an advertising venture by Hurd which promoted the area's mild climate and the prospective farming lands.

Growth

A year after the land purchase, Collegeport officially opened with Hotel Collegeport also sporting a Federated Church consisting of 14 denominations. A few years later in 1912 the town boasted a population of 496, with a Business Men's League of 90 members, an Episcopal Church, a Woman's Club with a roster of 86 members, and a brick school house was under construction. Collegeport also claimed the first free public library in the county. A Professor Will Travis opened the Gulf Coast University of Industrial Arts and proceeded to make deals with the pioneer orange growers from the north as part of a student labor program.

A point of interest in Collegeport was it's rail station and Pavilion that was perched over the bay.

Collegeport's State Bank was located on what is now Highway 1095 with a capital of $10,000 with Abel B. Pierce as president and J.B. McCain as cashier.

The town also had two newspapers in print, the Collegeport Chronicle and the Collegeport New Era.

Collegeport had, at it's peak, consisted of three hotels, A City State Bank, a telephone exchange, two hardware stores, drugstore, two grocery stores, barber shop, planning mill, carpenters, blacksmiths, boat building shop, doctors, dentist, veterinarian, lawyer, college, high school, ice house, pavillion with boat services, Missouri Pacific Rail Station.

Downfall

Despite Hurd's claims of Collegeport's mild and warm climate, freezes began to plague the town and its farmers. In 1914 a heavy freeze came through killing most of the crops. The aftermath of the freeze brought a drought and a disease that killed off most of the livestock herds. Families took many losses through the freeze causing a number of families to move away from Collegeport.

By 1935 the railroad depot was dismantled and rebuilt as the Mopac House. Less than 30 years later in 1961, many houses faced a grim fate when Hurricane Carla moved in off the Gulf of Mexico causing many of the original families to leave once and for all.

Present day

Currently, there are no accurate numbers on population but at the time of Hurricane Carla, the population had dropped to under 100, and it is estimated to be below that now, significantly.

Collegeport still has a handful of residents that call the town home and supports number of vacationers who choose to spend leisure time in the town. However, Collegeport is still proud of its current two churches, community center, Mopac House, volunteer fire department, and post office.

References

1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Collegeport, Texas. Retrieved on 2008-03-25.
2. "Collegeport Texas Zip Codes & Area Code - FIPS48321". postalcodelookup.ca. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
3. ^ http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txmatago/collegeport.htm
4. http://texasescapes.com/TexasGulfCoastTowns/CollegeportTexas/CollegeportTx.htm

v t e Municipalities and communities of Matagorda County, Texas, United States
County seat: Bay City
Cities	Bay City Palacios
CDPs	Blessing Markham Matagorda Midfield Sargent Van Vleck Wadsworth
Other communities	Allenhurst Ashwood Caney Cedar Lake Cedar Lane Collegeport El Maton Hawkinsville Pledger
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28°43′31″N 96°10′30″W / 28.725267°N 96.174966°W / 28.725267; -96.174966

• Matagorda County, Texas
• Settlements established in 1908
• Unincorporated communities in Texas