[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 27046]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    THE CENTENNIAL OF RIVIERA, TEXAS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 10, 2007

  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues in the 
House of Representatives to join me in congratulating my constituents 
in the south Texas area from Riviera, Texas, to Baffin Bay--including 
Vattmann and Loyola Beach--on their centennial anniversary on November 
10, 2007.
  Baffin Bay is one of the most celebrated--and secret--fishing spots 
along the Texas gulf coast. And Riviera is so named for the vision of 
its founder--Theodore Frederick Koch--who saw in it a similarity to the 
Riviera of France in the early 20th century.
  When the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway was completed in 
1904, this bit of south Texas land came on the market and caught the 
eye of Theodore Koch, a visionary land developer, who had immigrated 
from the Netherlands. The over-20,000 acre parcel of King Ranch land 
stretching from the railroad to Baffin Bay inspired Koch, who imagined 
a getaway in South Texas similar to the French Riviera.
  Koch's plan was to develop 2 enclaves: Riviera and Riviera Beach. The 
2 were first connected by a dirt road, then later by a boulevard from 
the town site 10 miles to the bay front, modeled after those in 
Pasadena, California, with the center planted with trees and colorful 
flower beds. The remnants of the Boulevard still stand today.
  By 1910 a new bank building and a telephone system came online in the 
area. In 1912 Koch had a railroad line extended from Riviera and the 
futures of both Riviera and Riviera Beach looked bright. The train ran 
several times per month, bringing prospective land buyers and future 
residents.
  But 1916 would bring both beauty and destruction. That year Riviera 
Beach had a park designed by a florist. The resort's infrastructure was 
excellent, but a 7-year drought put a major damper on the area's 
growth. A hurricane on August 16, 1916, nearly wiped Riviera Beach off 
the map. They rebuilt, but things were never the same.
  Yet, Riviera was populated by survivors--whose ancestors had settled 
the American West. The families who remained built a future for their 
children and a legacy for future generations.
  Like much of Texas, the soil was rich and artesian wells were 
plentiful in the area, so crops flourished and an extensive network of 
agricultural, fishing and vacation areas developed in and around the 
area.
  One of my favorite restaurants, the world famous Kings Inn--where 
many of my colleagues have joined me for meals over the years--is 
located at Loyola Beach.
  There is no small town in America today that better exemplifies 
victory of the American spirit over adversity, than Riviera to Baffin 
Bay, Texas. I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
congratulating the communities of Riviera, Riviera Beach, Vattmann and 
Loyola Beach, as they celebrate their centennial on November 10, 2007.

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