Editing Calhoun County, Texas (section)

==History==
{{Prose|section|date=December 2013}}
* [[Paleo-Indians]] [[Hunter-gatherers]], and later [[Comanche]], [[Tonkawa]], and [[Karankawa]] tribes, first inhabitants.<ref name="Calhoun County">{{cite web|last=Kleiner|first=Diana|title=Calhoun County|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcc02|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=December 2, 2010}}</ref>
* 1685-1690 [[René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle]] lands near Powderhorn Lake in Calhoun County.  [[France]] plants its flag on Texas soil, but departs after only five years.<ref>{{cite book|last=Little|first=Carol Morris|title=A Comprehensive Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in Texas|year=1996|publisher=University of Texas Press|isbn=978-0-292-76036-3|pages=358–359}}</ref>
* 1689 The future county is explored by Spaniards, including [[Alonso De León]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Wade|first=Marian F and Don E|title=The Native Americans of the Texas Edwards Plateau, 1582-1799|year=2002|publisher=University of Texas Press|isbn=978-0-292-79156-5|author2=Hester, Thomas R|page=145}}</ref>
* 1825 Martín De León of Mexico establishes a ranch near the old La Salle fort.<ref name="Calhoun County"/>
* 1831 [[Linnville, Calhoun County, Texas|Linnville]] becomes the first Anglo settlement, established by [[Ireland|Irish]]-born merchant, statesman, soldier John J. Linn.<ref>{{cite web|last=Roell|first=Craig H|title=John Joseph Linn|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fli12|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=December 2, 2010}}</ref>
* 1840 Comanche Indians [[Great Raid of 1840|loot and sack Linnville]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Roell|first=Craig H|title=Linnville Raid of 1840 |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/btl01|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=December 2, 2010}}</ref>
* 1842-1847 Empresario [[Henri Castro]] contracts to bring [[Alsace|Alsatian]] immigrants from [[France]], who use [[Port Lavaca, Texas|Port Lavaca]] as a holding site before moving on to settle [[Castroville, Texas|Castroville]] in [[Medina County, Texas|Medina County]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Morgenthaler|first=Jefferson|title=Promised Land: Solms, Castro, and Sam Houston's Colonization Contracts |year=2009|publisher=TAMU Press|isbn=978-1-60344-119-3|page=135}}</ref>
* 1845 Thousands of German immigrants are stranded at port of disembarkation [[Indianola, Texas|Indianaola]] on [[Matagorda Bay]].<ref name="Indianola">{{cite web|title=Indianola|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasGhostTowns/IndianolaTexas/IndianolaTx.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=December 2, 2010}}</ref>
* 1846 Calhoun County is formed from parts of [[Victoria County, Texas|Victoria]], [[Jackson County, Texas|Jackson]], and [[Matagorda County, Texas|Matagorda]] counties. It is named for then [[United States Senate Committee on Finance|Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee]] [[John C. Calhoun]]. Lavaca was the first county seat.<ref name="Calhoun County"/>
* 1852 Indianola becomes the county seat. The Morgan steamship lines <ref>{{cite web|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/etm01|title=MORGAN LINES|date=June 15, 2010|website=tshaonline.org|access-date=April 10, 2018}}</ref> runs regular service from Indianola to [[New York City]]. Slave trading peaks at Indianola.<ref>{{cite book|last=Obedele-Starks|first=Ernest|title=Freebooters and Smugglers: The Foreign Slave Trade in the United States after 1808 |year=2007|publisher=University of Arkansas Press|isbn=978-1-55728-858-5|page=119}}</ref>
* 1854 [[Polish people|Poles]] begin to arrive in Indianaola.<ref name="Indianola"/>
* 1858 Half Moon Reef Lighthouse is constructed in Matagorda Bay.<ref>{{cite book|last=Jones|first=Ray|title=American Lighthouses, 2nd: A Definitive Guide|year=2002|publisher=Globe Pequot|isbn=978-0-7627-2269-3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/americanlighthou0000robe/page/169 169–170]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/americanlighthou0000robe/page/169}}</ref>
* 1860 County population is 2,642, including 414 slaves.<ref name="Calhoun County"/>
* 1861 Calhoun County votes 276-18 for [[Texas in the American Civil War|secession]] from the Union. Contributes volunteer companies to the Confederate cause.<ref name="Calhoun County"/> Fort Esperanza, on Matagorda Island, is constructed by Confederate forces using slave labor.<ref>{{cite book|last=Townsend|first=Stephen A|title=The Yankee Invasion of Texas|year=2006|publisher=TAMU Press|isbn=978-1-58544-487-8|page=28}}</ref>
* 1862 Union gunboats bombard Port Lavaca.<ref>{{cite web|title=Port Lavaca|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasGulfCoastTowns/Port-Lavaca-Texas.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=December 2, 2010}}</ref>
* 1875 A [[1875 Indianola hurricane|hurricane]] heavily damages Indianola.<ref name="Indianola"/>
* 1886 A [[1886 Indianola hurricane|hurricane]] destroys Indianola and causes much damage to [[Houston, Texas|Houston]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Norcross|first=Bryan|title=Hurricane Almanac: The Essential Guide to Storms Past, Present, and Future|year=2007|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|pages=38–39}}</ref>
* 1892 The [[Lutheran]] community of Olivia is established by [[Swedes]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Oliva, Texas|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasGulfCoastTowns/OliviaTexas/OliviaTx.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=December 2, 2010}}</ref>
* 1909 [[Port O'Connor, Texas|Port O’Connor]] is established. The [[St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway]] establishes a terminus at Port O’Connor.<ref>{{cite web|title=Port O'Connor|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasGulfCoastTowns/PortOConnorTexas/PortOConnorTexas.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=December 2, 2010}}</ref>
* 1920 Port Lavaca builds a seawall to protect itself against hurricanes.<ref name="Calhoun County"/>
* 1931 Lavaca Bay causeway is constructed.<ref name="Calhoun County"/>
* 1934-1935 Oil and natural gas discovered near Port Lavaca.<ref name="Calhoun County"/>
* 1947 [[Alcoa]] opens a plant at [[Point Comfort, Texas|Point Comfort]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Point Comfort|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasGulfCoastTowns/PointComfortTexas/PointComfortTx.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC.|access-date=December 2, 2010}}</ref>
* 1952 [[Union Carbide]] opens a plant near Seadrift.<ref name="Calhoun County"/>
* 1961 Category 4 [[Hurricane Carla]] makes landfall between Port Lavaca and Port O’Connor.<ref>{{cite book|last=Michaels|first=Patrick J|title=Meltdown: The Predictable Distortion of Global Warming by Scientists, Politicians, and the Media|year=2005|publisher=Cato Institute|isbn=978-1-930865-79-2|page=112}}</ref>
* 1983 Matagorda Island State Park and Wildlife Management Area is run by the [[Texas Parks and Wildlife Department]] under an agreement between the United States Department of the Interior and the state of Texas.<ref>{{cite web|title=Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area|url=http://www.wildtexas.com/texas-parks/matagorda-island-wildlife-management-area|publisher=Shannon D. Moore|access-date=December 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101201134042/http://wildtexas.com/texas-parks/matagorda-island-wildlife-management-area|archive-date=December 1, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>