1961 By Jennifer Mahan
Brunsman, Howard G, and Wayne F Daugherty. “Inset Map” U.S. Census of Population and Housing, 1960: Census Tracts, Corpus Christi, Tex., Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area, 41. Washington: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1961. La Retama Central Library Local History Room. Corpus Christi Reference.
This publication connects the Census information collected in 1960, on page 41 there is a map that shows where the different tracks of housing are located. If you connect this map with the City Block information and the map then drawn in 1961 to show where the planning of the new interstate highway is planning on being built you will see that the majority of impacted neighborhoods are where there is a high concentration of “Non-White” residence.
Corpus Christi City Council Meeting Minutes. August 9, 1961. Corpus Christi Public Records Online Database. Accessed April 20, 2022
City Council Meeting Minutes from August 9, 1961, found on page 9 a Flour Bluff resident of the newly annexed area presented what she felt was propaganda that was used to illegally obtain votes to acquire the Flour Bluff area, the city council dismissed this and said they would allow the courts to decide the fate of the legality of the annexation.
Corpus Christi City Council Meeting Minutes. October 25, 1961. Corpus Christi Public Records Online Database. Accessed April 20, 2022
City Council Meeting Minutes October 25, 2022, found on page 5, City Council is alerted to issues with Ben Garza Park being too dark and unsafe and that the Southgate School, a predominantly Hispanic populated elementary school located in the westside of Corpus Christi, has had to take measures to protect its students from boys with knives. No other comment is made to the situation other than it would be “investigated.”
Corpus Christi Industry May 1961-April 1966. “Comparison of Industrial Wages,” CCTX Reference 338.05, September 1961, Volume 6 Number 5. La Retama Central Library Local History Room. Corpus Christi Reference.
This publication is a collection of Monthly publications that were published by “the Board of Trade Port of Corpus Christi. “ In the September 1961 issue there is an article titled “ Comparison of Industrial Wages” that touts how Corpus Christi industry is paying at many time above the national average. What they are failing to mention is that only skilled workers can qualify for these types of high paying positions, and in previous publications just the year prior there were surveys that suggested that we had a high level of unskilled Latin-American workers that would be excluded from the benefits being published in this Industry publication.
Progress Party Platform. (1961) Folder CCVF-Elections-City 1960-1969. Corpus Christi Elections Vertical File, La Retama Central Library Local History Room. April 20, 2022.
This publication is the original published platform signed by Ben F. McDonald and the city council who were running in the 1961 election. This platform laid out a 16-point presentation of the things they felt were most important for the city of Corpus Christi. Point number 14 talks about their hopes for “Westside improvement” and how they planned to “bring this area up to living conditions comparable to the rest of the city.” This westside area also known as the Molina Addition that was home to many Mexican American and African American residence who underwent years of neglect and abuse at the hands of city officials and systematic racism.
Walraven, Bill. “Refinery Fire Kills One Man,” Corpus Christi Caller, August 15, 1961, pg. 1, 10A. Accessed April,19 2022. America’s Historical Newspapers.
This article talks about a fatal fire at Howell Refinery on August 14th, 1961. Howell Refinery was one of the many refineries that makes up what locals know as Refinery Row where its residents are forced to deal with the effects of industry living across the street. This fire which burned for over four hours and took the life of Victor Garcia and critically injured Andrew Zach Ballard. The journalist described the men injured as being “turned into human torches.” The article continues page 10 stating that the firemen attempting to extinguish the flames were “hampered to some degree by low water pressures in the area.”
Access information: News articles can be found in the database America’s Historical Newspapers, available at TAMU-CC Bell Library. TAMU-CC faculty, staff, and students can access databases for free both on and off campus. Community members can visit to use the online resources, but need to check in at the circulation desk and asked to be logged on to a computer.
Steinle, John G. “A Survey of Health and Social Welfare Resources of Corpus Christi,” CCTX Reference 362.9764113, June 1960, pg. II-10-II16. La Retama Central Library Local History Room. Corpus Christi Reference.
This publication talks about the population in Corpus Christi and the physical and mental Health of the population in 1960. A Community Survey Committee publishes their findings about social needs that agencies and professionals in Corpus Christi identified and according to the agencies, “it can be assumed that the most urgent needs at the present time [1960] are in the area of services to children.” (pg. II-11) According to the surveys given to local professionals, “many persons especially teachers, mentioned specifically the serious problems encountered among the Latin-American population with its extreme poverty, deprivation and lack of preparation for living in an urban community.” (pg. II-14). This publication goes on to mention that in 1960 Corpus Christi is experiencing high numbers of unemployed, unskilled laborers and that this is a real issue that needs to be addressed.
“Too Careless ‘Treasure’ Hunters Hit,” Corpus Christi Caller, September 22, 1961, 6B. Accessed April,19 2022. America’s Historical Newspapers.
This article talks about how Hurricane Carla which had affected the Coastal Bend area earlier in September of 1961 had uncovered “many invaluable historical treasures.” Those items like skeletons and ships could have provided insight to indigenous people of the area but would be treasure hunters had come and raided the area. Not handling the items with care or taking any measures to ensure they were preserved; meaning the information that those items could have provided to us was lost.
Access information: News articles can be found in the database America’s Historical Newspapers, available at TAMU-CC Bell Library. TAMU-CC faculty, staff, and students can access databases for free both on and off campus. Community members can visit to use the online resources, but need to check in at the circulation desk and asked to be logged on to a computer.
Wayne F Daugherty. U.S. Census of Housing, 1960: City Blocks, Corpus Christi, Tex. Washington: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1961. La Retama Central Library Local History Room. Corpus Christi Reference.
This publication connects the Census information collected in 1960 to the “Inset Map” that shows that the areas that were targeted by the planning of the new interstate highway 37 location were the areas that had a high concentration of “Non-White” residences.
William W. (Bill) and Patricia Green Surveying Collection, Collection 218, Mary and Jeff Bell Library, Special Collections and Archives Department, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
This is a drawn map that shows the proposed project of Interstate 37. If the information from the 1960 Census is used over the areas this map shows that the areas proposed for construction and disruption are largely Non-White residence areas of Corpus Christi.