History
Lavaca Bay was formed when the sea level rose following the last ice age, flooding the Lavaca River-Garcitas Creek basin. The name comes from the Spanish adaptation of the French vache or cow, given to the area by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle for the sightings of Plains Bison, which were once common near the bay and the creeks that feed it. It is believed La Salle established his Fort St. Louis colony near the bay on Garcitas Creek. The first sizable human settlement on the bay shore was at the town of New Port, established in 1831 by Irish merchant John J. Linn as part of De León's colony. The site was later renamed Linnville, and grew to a population of 200 by 1839. It was described as "a place of considerable business" in Sketches of Texas in 1840, and was used extensively during the early years of the Republic of Texas. Future San Antonio Mayor Samuel Maverick owned a warehouse in the town, along with many other prominent Texans. The town was destroyed during the Great Raid of 1840, orchestrated by the Comanche Indians, and was later abandoned.
Port Lavaca or Labaca, developed after the abandonment of Linnville. It grew substantially following the destruction of Indianola, and became a prominent shipping location and national leader in shrimp production. Across the bay and currently connected by Texas State Highway 35, the town of Point Comfort is found. It was incorporated in 1953 at a citywide vote and is known for its large aluminium and petrochemical plants built in the 1960s. The small town of Olivia, which was founded in 1892 as a Swedish Lutheran community, is located on the shores of Keller Bay. The unincorporated towns of Alamo Beach, established around 1900, and Magnolia Beach, founded sometime thereafter, and named for the Magnolia figs produced in the area, are found north of the remains of the ghost town of Indianola.
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