Old Point Isabel Lighthouse, Beacon of Brazos Santiago and Padre Island, Whose Past Lives On in its Legends, Its Restless Winds, and Its Shifting Sands

McKenna, Verna Jackson

Published by Verna Jackson McKenna, Harlingen TX, 1956

About this Item

OLD POINT ISABEL LIGHTHOUSE, BEACON OF BRAZOS SANTIAGO AND PADRE ISLAND, WHOSE PAST LIVES ON IN ITS LEGENDS, ITS RESTLESS WINDS, AND ITS SHIFTING SANDS, Verna Jackson McKenna, softcover, probable first edition, 1956. ITEM CONDITION: very good. The text block is in very good condition, with no tears, dogears, or marks. Minor foxing on title page. No bookplate, but the signature of a prior owner is written on the front cover and inside the front cover. Not a library book or remainder. Saddle-stapled. The blue wraps are in very good condition (some discoloring around edges). 9 x 6, 32 pages, 6 ounces XX (Wikipedia) The Point (Port) Isabel Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse located in Port Isabel, Texas, United States that was built in 1852 to guide ships through the Brazos Santiago Pass to Port Isabel. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 30, 1976. On September 28, 1850, the United States Congress authorized an appropriation of $15,000 for a lighthouse and beacon light at Brazos Santiago Pass. Work began in February 1852. When complete, the lighthouse was an 82-foot-high brick tower and had four lights. By 1854, it had 15 lamps and 21 reflectors. A third order fresnel lens was installed in 1857 and the rotating light was varied by flashes. During the American Civil War the Point (Port) Isabel Lighthouse was occupied by soldiers from both sides as a look-out post. After the Civil War, the lighthouse was refitted and returned to operation in 1866. In 1888, the light was temporarily discontinued as claimants proved that the United States government did not have title to the land, forcing the government to condemn the land in 1894 to acquire title. On July 15, 1895, the light returned to use. It operated for ten years, after which time it was extinguished in 1905. On Sept. 20, 1927, the government sold the lighthouse and land. A local citizen purchased it. In the late 1940s, a movement began to save the lighthouse as a historic site. On October 5, 1950, the Texas State Park Board accepted the lighthouse and surrounding land as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Lon C. Hill Jr., the owners at the time. The Texas State Park Board began restoring the lighthouse in 1951, and it was opened to the public in 1952.

Seller Inventory # 002933

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Old Point Isabel Lighthouse, Beacon of Brazos Santiago and Padre Island, Whose Past Lives On in its Legends, Its Restless Winds, and Its Shifting Sands
• Publisher: Verna Jackson McKenna, Harlingen TX
• Publication Date: 1956
• Language: English
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
• Weight: 6 ounces