A ceremony at the North Beach History Plaza in Corpus Christi, Texas, marked the rededication of a Texas Historical Marker commemorating the 1919 hurricane — one of the deadliest natural disasters in the region's history.
The plaza, located along North Shoreline Boulevard near the USS Lexington Museum and Pier 99, opened in October 2022 as a free, outdoor educational space featuring panels, walkways, and seating dedicated to North Beach's history.
The rededicated marker replaced the original, which was placed in 2000 but had deteriorated due to the coastal environment.
"Because of our environment here, it weathered it very quickly, and so we saw the need to replace it... this is a brand new one," Kathy Wemer, associated with the Nueces County Historical Commission, said.
Wemer noted the marker's location as ideal.
"Right in front of Lady Lex. Couldn't be a better location than right here," Wemer said.
The marker's inscription recounts the storm's devastation in detail. On Aug. 31, 1919, a tropical storm formed in the Caribbean and intensified undetected over two weeks before entering the Gulf of Mexico. By midnight on Sept. 13, it was approaching South Texas. Residents were urged to move to higher ground, but by 9:45 a.m. on Sept. 14, water had already reached 3 feet in Corpus Christi.
Though the storm was considered minor in wind velocity, it unleashed tidal waves peaking at 12 feet. Debris, oil, and 14,000 bales of cotton crashed into North Beach and the surrounding bays. Between 300 and 400 homes were destroyed downtown, with only three buildings surviving — including the Oasis Hotel and the power plant. Property damage reached $20 million, and at least 357 people perished, including 286 in Corpus Christi. Rebuilding began immediately, but the city remained vulnerable until the completion of a seawall in 1941.
Wemer described the storm as the defining event in the region's history.
"The 1919 storm is perhaps the most significant event in our city, our county, this area... we all have personal stories," Wemer said.
She said families reached out ahead of the rededication to share firsthand accounts passed down through generations and expressed hope that those stories could be formally preserved.
"We certainly do encourage that one day, maybe, we'll do something with the society that they can come and tell their stories again. Hurricanes are important business here, and we take them seriously," Wemer said.
Barbara Welder, a key figure in the North Beach Community Association and a longtime advocate for local history, opened the ceremony by reflecting on nearly a decade of work that led to the plaza's creation.
"This is a great occasion," Welder said.
Welder said efforts to establish the plaza began around 2017, driven by collaboration between the North Beach Community Association, the Nueces County Historical Commission, and city officials. The goal was to create a space that would both preserve history and attract tourists.
"There wasn't too much history known about North Beach except for the storm, and we're commemorating that today," Welder said.
Funding for the project included $200,000 from Hotel Occupancy Tax funds. An additional $200,000 was later secured through the TIRZ board. The city also donated the land for the plaza. Progress was delayed by Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited access to key research materials at the Museum of Science and History's Doc McGregor Collection.
Welder said the plaza was designed to serve multiple purposes beyond historical education, envisioning it as a venue for mariachi performances, farm-to-market days, lectures, and other community events.
North Beach's history extends well beyond the 1919 storm. Welder highlighted several of the area's historical firsts, including Epworth by the Sea — described as the first tourist attraction in the area, a major Methodist encampment that drew up to 4,000 people per session and featured hotels, offices, stores, and piers. The area was also home to the first golf course, early hotels, and the first country club. Figures including Gen. Zachary Taylor and President Taft visited the area. The precursor to Buccaneer Days, known as Splash Days, also originated there. More than 400 homes existed on North Beach before the 1919 storm.
Welder said four Texas Historical Markers are planned to further enhance the plaza, including the rededicated 1919 storm marker, a marker for Epworth by the Sea, one for the Breakers Hotel, and others.
Future improvements to the plaza include city-planned shade structures with wave designs, additional signage, and amenities. Lighting has also been suggested by Councilman Gil Hernandez.
Wemer outlined the process behind earning a Texas Historical Marker, which involves developing a narrative locally, processing it through the county historical commission, submitting it to Austin for finalization, having it struck at a foundry, and overseeing its installation.
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