Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, right here in Brazoria County. Now, folks talk about the Suez Canal. They talk about the Panama Canal.

Two of the most famous waterways on the face of the earth. Well, pull up a log and let me tell you about a canal system that is longer than both of them, and carries more tonnage than either one. It's right here.

Stretching from Brownsville, Texas, all the way to St. Mark's, Florida. One thousand, one hundred and sixteen miles of barge canals and natural channels.

The marker calls it the most valuable waterway in America, and after you hear the whole story, you might not argue the point. Now, this thing didn't just appear overnight. It started in 1854, when somebody had the notion to dig a short canal from Galveston Bay to the mouth of the Brazos River.

Help Texas trade along, they figured. Fifty feet wide. Three and a half feet deep.

And here's the part that ought to make you set down your coffee, because there were no fancy machines, no diesel engines humming away. That canal was dug by hand-labor and mule teams. Every foot of it.

Later projects widened the canal, lengthened it along the coast, pushing the system further and further. But the most important period of growth, the marker says, came down to two men. Two Texas businessmen with enough determination to move the whole United States Congress.

Clarence S. E. Holland and Roy Miller.

Between 1905 and 1907, these two organized the initial financial support, arranged the construction, and won the congressional backing needed to make real improvements happen. They pushed, and the waterway grew. Kept growing.

By 1966, the annual total tonnage moving through that system exceeded seventy-eight million, five hundred thousand tons. Hand-labor and mule teams in 1854. Seventy-eight and a half million tons of cargo by 1966.

That's not just a canal. That's a Texas story.

What the marker says

This complex of barge canals and natural channels-- most valuable waterway in America-- stretches 1,116 mi. from Brownsville, Texas, to St. Mark's, Florida. Is longer, carries more tonnage than Suez and Panama canals. Is a vital link in economy of Texas and has been one of main causes of rapid development of Gulf Coast area. The canal system was begun in 1854 when a short canal was built from Galveston Bay to mouth of Brazos River as aid to Texas trade; it was 50 ft. wide, 3.5 ft. deep and dug by hand-labor and mule teams. Later projects widened, lengthened canal along the coast. Most important period in growth of the waterway system was result of determined efforts by two Texas businessmen, Clarence S. E. Holland and Roy Miller. In 1905-07 these men organized the initial financial support, arranged construction and won congressional backing for canal improvements. By 1966 annual total tonnage of the waterway exceeded 78,500,000 tons. (1967)