Tale of the Texas Gulf Coast Ghost Town of Indianola

Texas is full of ghost towns. Some of these ghost towns still have a few residents, while others are unpopulated with only decaying buildings left. The thing about these ghost towns is that they all have an interesting history and some were major stops for travelers or for delivering goods. One ghost town along the Gulf Coast of Texas was a major shipping port for the state and a landing point for German immigrants. The town thrived until two hurricanes wiped the town off the face of the Earth.

History of Indianola

Indianola was a major port in Matagorda Bay that began in 1844. The port was created by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, named briefly as Karlshafen, as a landing spot for German immigrants. In 1846, Sam Addison White and William M. Cook officially founded Indian Point. The port served as an army depot for three decades, including during the Mexican War. In 1849, Indian Point was changed to Indianola and became the county seat of Calhoun County from 1852 to 1886.

The town grew quickly and became the second port of Texas. Soon, it became the main port for European immigrants and other Americans to enter to move into West Texas. One interesting bit of history about the port is in 1856 and 1857 two ships brought camels to the port. Those camels were used by the military to transport supplies to troops in the southwestern United States. During the Civil War, Union troops seized the city twice, once in 1862 and again in 1863 and remained in the city until 1864.

Destroyed by Hurricanes

By 1875, the town's population was over 5,000. That year, a massive hurricane struck the area and destroyed the town. Residents were able to rebuild but the town was much smaller after that. Another major hurricane hit the area in 1886 that destroyed the town again and caused a massive fire. By the next year, residents had abandoned the town.

There is one piece of evidence that Indianola ever existed, a statue of French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. He landed there in 1685 by accident thinking he had reached the mouth of the Mississippi River. If you to visit what was Indianola today, you would only find some beach house rentals and a fishing marina in that area.

Sources: tshaonline.org, lavacacountytoday.com