Hurricane Ike and Indianola: The Great Hurricane of 1886

DBKP ^ | September 12, 2008 | LBG

[mondoreb]

Before Katrina, Before Ike, Before Hurricanes Even Had Names
The Great Hurricane of 1886 Helped Wipe Indianola Off the Map

Above: Indianola, Texas

With Hurricane Ike bearing down on the Gulf Coast of Texas, most people are unaware of a similar storm: the great hurricane of 1886. That storm hit not only the area known as Matagorda Bay but struck a blow to the dreams of the port city of Indianola, the "Queen of the West".

When most people think of hurricanes and Texas, they think of such monster storms as Rita, Carla, Camille, or the great Galveston storm of 1900. Yet, there's been countless other hurricanes to strike along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Two of those storms changed the destiny of Indianola--a city which at one time was one of the most important ports along the Texas Gulf of Mexico--where settlers landed and headed west. DBKP took a look at the port city which was known as "the Queen of the West" and how two hurricanes--one of which is still known as the fifth largest hurricane to ever hit the U.S.--wiped Indianola off the map, dreams and all.

The history of Indianola, a city that was located on Matagorda Bay on Powderhorn Bayou, was short in duration. Though its history was short, Indianola had become an important natural water port: the chief destination of European settlers looking to relocate to the West.

Union ships bombarded and eventually seized the town during the Civil War. The town was known for such oddities as camels, which were requisitioned by the then-Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, in 1856 and 1857, on their way to the great southwest.

Established as a settlement on what was known as...

[mondoreb]

Thank goodness Ike won't be as bad as the Great Hurricane of 1886.

[Former Fetus]

When it was over, residents gave up their dream and packed their bags, the port city known as the Queen of the West was no more.

At least those folks learned a lesson. The same cannot be said about New Orleans.

[Fiji Hill]

I recall reading about Hurricane Carla, which did considerable damage when it hit Galveston on September 11, 1961. The storm even made the headlines in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, where I was living at the time.

[wita]

One can hope. Forecast indicates a very large storm surge.