Port Freeport (formally Brazos Harbor Navigation District of Brazoria County) is the smallest (geographically) deep-water seaport along the U.S Gulf Coast. Located in Freeport, Texas (United States). It has rail access, represents both private and public facilities. It is ranked 10th in the nation for chemicals, 19th in the nation for total tonnage, 26th in the nation for container traffic, handles over 100,000 vehicles per year and has more than 1,000 ships per year. Forbes magazine (2017) ranked Port Freeport as one of the top 10 fastest growing seaports for exports in the U.S.
History
Pre-1925
This section covers the early history of the Brazos River from the time Texas was founded until the current entity was formed in 1925.
When Stephen F. Austin landed on the Texas coast in 1825 at the mouth of the Brazos River to form his colony there was no deep channel or rock jetties at that time – it was only a lazy river flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.
Report of Chief of Engineers
A report from the U.S. Army, describes "the Brazos River as one of the principal rivers in Texas. Its length is about 800 miles, and its watershed embraces about 36,000 square miles." "Unlike any other Texas river, the Brazos flows directly into the Gulf of Mexico without the intervention of a bay."
In the late 19th century, work began in a set of jetties but did not get completed until 1900 as the project switched from federal sponsor to private and back to federal.
1866
The Brazos Internal Improvement and Navigation Company was chartered by the legislature of Texas for the purpose of deepening the channel over the bar and improving the river, but after various unsuccessful effort to secure a subsidy from the State the project was abandoned about 1874.
1880
United States (Army Corps of) Engineers proposes spending $40,000 to remove the (sand) bar and add palmetto pilings. Congress approved the budget. However, later that year, The Army amended their proposal to build two parallel jetties consisting of brush, stone, and concrete instead of piles at an estimated cost of $522,890. Work began in 1881 and continued until 1886, when operations were suspended for lack of (federal) funds. At this time, only the north (or eastern) jetty was partially completed with only some of the base of the south jetty complete.
1887
A survey indicated wave actions and subsidence may have contributed to the loss of a considerable amount of the north jetty. The officer in charge, Major O.H. Ernst, opined that money would be better spent deepening the Galveston and Brazos Canal, a canal that connected Port Velasco to Galveston, a forerunner of the Intracoastal Waterway. He recommended work on the jetties at the Brazos River be abandoned.
1888
The Brazos River Channel and Dock Company
During the same year, while federal representatives were preparing to abandon their project, the Texas Legislature added statutes creating the Brazos River Channel and Dock Company (February 1888) for the purpose of constructing, owning, and operating a deep-water channels into the Gulf of Mexico and for constructing, owning, and operating docks in connection with such channels. Their authority extended "as far as necessary to reach a place of its docks that will afford security from cyclones, storms, swells, and tidal waves, with such depth as may suit its concenience and the wants of navigation, not less than 10 feet, and a width of not less than 40 feet." They were authorized to charge and collect tolls "not to exceed 1 cent per barrel bulk of the capacity of each vessel going either way."
Velasco
Port Velasco officially opened in July 1891 and was the predecessor to Port Freeport. Velasco was the settlement originally located at the mouth of the Brazos River near modern day Surfside TX. After an early storm destroyed Velasco, the settlement was moved upriver and rebuilt. Port Velasco was an early port of commerce for Texas but was hampered by silting at the mouth of the Brazos River. The town of Velasco later ( approximately 1957) merged with the town of Freeport to form a single community.
In 1899, the Secretary of War, deemed the maintenance the river mouth “of sufficient public interest to justify the United States to [take over and] complete the works of the Brazos River Channel and Dock Company.” Whereby, he approved Eighty-five thousand dollars in funding for improvements to the river, provided the Brazos River Channel and Dock Company transferred all interest to the United States Government. This project resulted in channel 18 feet deep and 150 feet wide and removed any private interest from owning or operating the channel.