“The City by the Sea”

1 The city by the Sea . Beaches, Bays, Boats, Birds, & Business For more information on events and living or vacationing in Palacios, call: 361-972-2615 or 800-611-4567 or visit our web site: . Palacios Visitors Guide Numbers to Know Utilities Emergencies Palacios Municipal Court 361-972-2583. Water/sewer, Garbage: 911. Police Department Palacios Airport city of Palacios 361-972-2766. Utility Billing Department 361-972-3112. 361-972-3605 Matagorda Sheriff's Dept. city of Palacios Economic 979-245-5526 Dev. Corp. Electricity: 361-972-3729. Central Power & Light Hospital: PCMC Mat. Co. Nav. Dist.

2 #1. 866-322-5563 Harbor Master Office 361-972-2511. AEP 361-972-5556. 877-373-4858 Palacios EMS. 361-972-6589 Mat. Co. (Pal.) Seawall Com. First Choice Power 361-972-5012. 866-469-2464 Palacios Volunteer Fire Dept. 361-972-2121 Palacios Housing Authority Jackson Electric Coop 361-972-3721. 361-782-2423. Useful Info: Texas Marine Specialist Natural Gas: 361-972-3828. Palacios Chamber CenterPoint Retail Coop Pres: Judith Chavez Texas Marine Ed. Center 800-427-7142 420 Main St. 361-972-3774. Palacios, TX 77465 Texas Marine Center College Television: 361-972-2615 361-972-2442. Cable TV. Palacios Public Library Newspaper 866-532-3920.

3 326 Main Street Palacios Beacon Coastal Media Solutions 361-972-3234 361-972-3009. 361-972-3920. Palacios Taxi Friends of Elder Citizens Telephone: 361-972-2197 361-972-2715. Verizon Palacios Recreation Assoc. Fraternal Order of Eagles 800-483-4400 361-972-2387 361-972-3402. Palacios Murals S. top by the Chamber of Commerce office and pick up your guide on Palacios Murals while visiting Palacios. The History and Heritage of Palacios seen in the Murals of Palacios as depicted by renown artist, Dayton Wodrich. There are seven murals, each depicting various times and events in Palacios history.

4 The LaSalle Shipwreck and the famous French explorer to Marsh Menagerie, farming and ranching, the seafood industry, early 1900's to Palacios own cultural heritage. Front page photo by: Linda Parker (as are most photos in visitors guide). Many articles written by: Peggy Hafernick. Palacios Visitors Guide Palacios Hospitality P. alacios' famous hospitality offers visitors a variety of comfortable, affordable and charming lodging options. Choices include five RV. parks, three marinas, numerous self-catering vacation homes, three bed and breakfasts, a motel and a historical hotel. All accommodations are conveniently located to enjoy local shopping opportunities, great fishing, a stroll along the seawall or a fresh cup of coffee on Main Street.

5 Many offer striking water views, lovely sunsets, mystical moon reflections and fresh coastal air anytime of the year. Several occupy fascinating historic buildings which beckons one to a slower pace and a simpler time. All offer friendly service by gracious hosts all too happy to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Come stay a while! . About: This book is published by Color Visual Concepts, Inc. and distributed through the Palacios Chamber of Commerce. For advertising information or questions about this book, please contact Box 250 us at 877-232-3624 or e-mail to All rights reserved.

6 No portion of this book may be reproduced Granbury, Texas 76048 without the expressed written consent of the publisher. We are not Toll Free: (877) 232-3624 responsible for errors and omissions. Please notify us of corrections for next edition. Color Visual Concepts, Inc. 2009. Palacios Visitors Guide History of Palacios F. ounded in 1909 on a secluded stretch of the Texas Gulf Coast, Palacios is bordered on the east and south by Tres Palacios Bay, which opens into Matagorda Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Tres Palacios photo by: Linda Parker is Spanish for three palaces. Legend has it that both the town and the bay were named after a mirage of royal proportions seen by Spanish sailors over 300 years ago.

7 Well, that's a colorful story; however, the bay was actually named after Jose Felix Trespalacios, Mexican governor of the area when Stephen F. Austin established his colony back in the 1800s. Eventually the town became known as Palacios and pronunciation was Americanized to Puh-LASH-uhs rather than the proper Spanish Pa-las-ee-ohs. Texas cattle baron Shanghai Pierce once owned the land where Palacios is today. In 1901 The Texas Rice Development bought the land from Pierce Development Company. They then sold the town site to their own subsidiary The Palacios city Town in 1902. From the beginning, Palacios' developers saw it as a coastal resort.

8 For that reason, the two biggest construction projects in those early years were the Luther Hotel that is still in operation today and an events pavilion overlooking the bay. The present-day Palacios Pavilion, as I'm sure all of the local people know, offers a spectacular setting from which to watch both the sunrise and sunset over the waters of Tres Palacios Bay, The bay, I. learned, is a popular staging area for various community events throughout the year. A little more history: Palacios boomed during World War II with Camp Hulen an Army base where thousands of troops trained before shipping out to foreign battlefields.

9 The camp's photo by: Linda Parker population reached its high point of 15,000. during the war. Today, the population of the town is just over 5,000 people. The area's roots actually date back to 1685 when French explorer LaSalle sailed into Matagorda Bay on his famous expedition and founded nearby Fort St. Louis. Each summer Palacios re-enacts the historic event, with costumed citizens taking the parts of LaSalle and his crew landing on the shores of East Bay. The Port of Palacios covers more than 600 acres of shoreline property. The harbor is home port for more than 300 commercial shrimp boats, as well as commercial boats from other ports in the Gulf photo by: Linda Parker of Mexico.

10 The Marine Fisheries Report for 2002. shows that the Palacios shrimp harvest was million pounds. Not surprising, the Port of Palacios is known as the Shrimp Capital of Texas.. Small Town, Big Museum N. ot everyone realizes that the objects and specimens they see when they visit a museum exhibition are just a fraction of the entire museum collection. Nearly all museums keep and care for many items that the average person rarely has the opportunity to see. The Palacios Area Historical Association (PAHA). Museum is no exception. Collections include thousands of objects from Palacios and its vicinity.