By ABBEY KUNKLE
Special to the PRESS
A spirit of collaboration has spread across the committees of the City of South Padre Island. The Historic Preservation Committee recently jumped on board, making plans to work with the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Committee for an upcoming celebration of the City’s 43rd birthday.
The Historic Preservation Committee has recently considered reviving the City’s Pirate Days celebration, which was last celebrated for the 35th birthday of the City. The celebration has historically lasted for several days, hosting vendors, a casino night, a ball and more. As it is such a large undertaking, the committee sought the help of the Parks Committee to work on plans, hoping to hold the event at the new city park and to tie into the historical significance of the park’s namesake, John L. Tompkins, who was instrumental in the development of South Padre Island.
According to the City’s website, Tompkins was a pioneer developer who purchased the initial 1,470 acres of what he called “Padre Beach.” His promotion, development, and property sales began the advance of the Island as a thriving community. In addition, Tompkins provided land for construction of Padre Boulevard and installed all bilateral and secondary parallel streets as well as fresh water pipelines on the Island.
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