Texas Porch

History

Indianola: The Calhoun County Port That Two Hurricanes Erased

Indianola was once one of the busiest ports in Texas, serving as a gateway for immigrants and frontier supply lines, before back-to-back hurricanes in 1875 and 1886 destroyed the town and pushed the county seat to Port Lavaca.

Calhoun County History & Culture

German settlers came to Indian Point on Matagorda Bay in 1844. The town that grew there was called Indianola. It quickly became one of the busiest ports on the Gulf of Mexico. Ships brought immigrants heading into Texas. Army supply wagons rolled out along the Chihuahua Trail to supply frontier forts. In 1869 the first mechanically refrigerated beef shipment in American history left from Indianola.

A hurricane hit in September 1875. Only eight buildings were left undamaged. Between 150 and 300 people were killed. Survivors rebuilt, but the town never fully recovered. Then a second storm hit in August 1886. A fire came with it. Together they finished off the town. The site was abandoned by 1887. Port Lavaca, which had been the county seat before Indianola, took the title back in 1887.

Today almost nothing is left above ground. Erosion has pushed much of the old townsite under Matagorda Bay. A granite historical marker on the shore marks about where the old courthouse stood. The Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas has a full account of the town and both storms.

Source to confirm: TSHA Handbook — Indianola Hurricanes

More Calhoun County notes

Property tax

Homestead Exemption Cuts Your School Tax Bill

Texas law requires school districts to subtract $140,000 from the appraised value of your primary home before calculating school taxes — but you must apply at the Calhoun County Appraisal District to claim it.

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Property tax

Ag Valuation Taxes Land on Productivity, Not Market Price

Landowners who use property for farming, ranching, or qualifying wildlife management can apply for 1-d-1 open-space appraisal, which bases taxes on what the land can produce rather than its market value.

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Coastal windstorm / TWIA

Coastal Properties Need Separate Windstorm Coverage

Calhoun County is one of the 14 first-tier coastal counties where standard homeowners policies typically exclude wind and hail, so most property owners need a separate TWIA policy.

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Public lands / Fishing / Hunting

Matagorda Island WMA: Fishing, Hunting, and Camping by Boat Only

Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area, accessible only by boat from Port O'Connor, offers 56,688 acres of barrier island for fishing, hunting, camping, and wildlife watching with no motorized vehicles allowed.

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