From early in Corpus Christi’s history, it’s been a destination. Some of the first big investments made by boosters of the city in the late 1800s focused on tourism, including hotels and railroads.
Nicknames for cities in the region were common in advertisements like the ones seen here. Corpus Christi was the “Bluff City,” the “Texas Riviera” and of course the “Sparkling City by the Sea.” Portland was the “Gem City of the Gulf” and Ingleside was the “Playground of the South.”
After the turn of the century, the region was advertised as the “Naples of the Gulf” and was a popular destination for those seeking improved health, rest and mild winters. Several railroads, including the Gulf Coast Lines, had reached the area, increasing accessibility for easy visits.
In the 1940s, the chamber of commerce marketed the city as “The Port of Play and Profit.” Slogans like “The City of Certainty, Where the Sails Meet the Rails” (Aransas Pass) and “Where They Bite Every Day” (Port Aransas, referring to tarpon) sought to attract visitors with the natural beauty of the area.
The millions of visitors to the Coastal Bend each year are an extension of this early tourist industry, but our method of advertising has changed just a bit.
