Alligator Capital of Texas (Anahuac nickname)

Anahuac on the Texas Gulf Coast has held the Texas Gatorfest since 1989, when the town was also declared by the Texas Legislature as the “Alligator Capital of Texas.” The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1963. Alligators outnumber citizens in Anahuac (population about 2,250) almost 3-1.
 
 
Handbook of Texas Online
ANAHUAC, TEXAS. Anahuac, the county seat of Chambers County, is on the northeast bank of Trinity Bay on the Texas Gulf Coast.
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The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1963 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge is located sixteen miles southeast of Anahuac. The Anahuac Area Chamber of Commerce organized the first annual Gatorfest in September 1989, an event that drew 14,000 people to Fort Anahuac Park. In 1990 the population of Anahuac was 1,993. In 2000 the population was 2,210.
 
Texas Gatorfest
A Little Bit About ... Texas GATORFEST takes place in Anahuac, the Alligator Capital of Texas. A designation bestowed on the city by the State Legislature of Texas because the alligators outnumber the humans almost 3 to 1!
 
Historic Fort Anahuac Park located on the mouth of the Trinity River and overlooking Trinity Bay is the festival’s scenic site. This truly unique festival combines the alligator, family and good old fashioned Texas two-stepping fun! A celebration of the alligator and its wetlands habitat, this family oriented festival has something for everyone. Adult carnival rides, kiddie rides, a petting zoo, assorted vendors and arts and crafts booths offer something for almost everyone. Unique attractions like airboat rides, Trinity River Boat Tours and of course the star of the festival, the American Alligator, offer festival goers a coastal Texas experience like no other!

The Great Texas Alligator Roundup, the premier event of GATORFEST, invites Texas alligator hunters to bring in their “harvest” to compete for cash prizes. The festival coincides with the opening of the 20 day alligator season in Texas and the Roundup sees an average of 10% of the alligators harvested from the wild in Texas annually. Previous years’ winners have been over 13 feet long! The Alligator Education Tent, where government and private organizations that deal with the alligator and its wetlands habitat, along with the live alligator displays throughout the festival provided by Texas Parks and Wildlife and specialty vendors offering alligator products, combine with the Roundup to give guests a rare opportunity for an “up close and personal” look at this fascinating reptile.
 
Lone Star Internet
Anahuac Pop. 2,252 Alt. 21
Origin of the name is uncertain. Anahuac could be derived pre-Aztec Nawatlan tribes, or developed from a word of later Native American derivation. The first permanent settlement in this place is considered to have been in 1821, when the port of entry, previously established by the Spanish occupants as a fortress, was made open to American colonists. Today Anahuac is the seat of Chambers County, which remains oriented to an agrarian economy serving rice, cattle, gulf fishing and oil producing interests.

Named Alligator Capital of Texas in 1989 by the Texas Legislature, Anahuac boasts more alligators than people. Also home of the Gatorfest, an alligator hunt staged two days each September September in Fort Anahuac Park during alligator hunting season.
 
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge -
More than 40 species of birds nest in this refuge of over 9,900 acres on East Bay, about 18 miles southeast of town. Managed primarily for wintering and migrating water- fowl, the threatened American Alligator is also found. Bird checklist has 253 species listed - extra large number because birds flying north across Gulf of Mexico eager for first resting place on land. Refuge activities include wildlife observation, birding, photography, waterfowl hunting, fishing, and crabbing. Overnight camping limited, both in duration and location. Contact refuge headquarters for directions or information. (409)267-3337 or write P.O. Box 278, Anahuac, TX 77514.
 
Official Capital Designations - Texas State Library
Alligator Capital of Texas
Anahuac
House Resolution No. 73, Senate Resolution No. 730, 71st Legislature, Regular Session (1989)
   
Texas Legislature
By Zbranek H.C.R. No. 57
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Many proud residents of Chambers County will travel to Austin on February 12, 1997, to celebrate the premier Chambers County Day at the State Capitol; and

WHEREAS, Located along the Gulf Coast between Houston and Beaumont, the area now known as Chambers County played a key role in the development of Texas; it was here that Texas colonists first voiced opposition to the unjust policies of the Mexican government and fired the first shots in one of the earliest battles of the Texas Revolution; in 1858, the Texas Legislature created the county from parts of Liberty and Jefferson counties, and it was named for prominent local politician Thomas Jefferson Chambers; and

WHEREAS, In later years, commercial irrigation canals would bring economic prosperity to this region, as Chambers County became a significant producer of rice, as well as soybeans and timber; combined with a vibrant cattle ranching industry, these crops laid the foundation for a strong agribusiness economy, and today that economy has diversified to include seafood harvesting and processing, petroleum processing, chemical manufacturing, and the storage of natural gas liquids in the area’s geological salt domes; and

WHEREAS, Tourism is also a growing industry in Chambers County, with countless travellers seeking to take advantage of the area’s rich and diverse natural resources; the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge has earned an international reputation as a birder’s paradise, hosting more than 270 species of birds and drawing more than 70,000 visitors annually from every state in the nation and 36 foreign countries; in addition, the county’s 295 square miles of waterways and coastal marshes, as well as its 28 county and city parks, attract hunting, fishing, and other outdoor sports enthusiasts from near and far; and

WHEREAS, While some tourists enjoy the great outdoors, others prefer to hunt for bargains at Larry’s Old Time Trade Days or the area’s many antique shops, and more than 450,000 visitors each year flock to Mont Belvieu’s Houston Raceway Park, one of the finest motor sports facilities in North America and home of the National Hot Rod Association Slick 50 Nationals; in addition, the county hosts such popular annual events as Mont Belvieu’s Pioneer Days, the Barbers Hill Funfest, and the Texas Rice Festival, held in the Winnie‑Stowell area; and

WHEREAS, One of the most anticipated events of the year, the Texas Gatorfest, takes place each September in the county seat of Anahuac, which earned the title “Alligator Capital of Texas” in 1989; the 71st Texas Legislature bestowed this honor in recognition of the fact that alligators outnumber Anahuac’s human citizens by an astonishing margin of almost three to one; and

WHEREAS, The people of Chambers County can take justifiable pride in their community’s heritage and look forward to the future with great anticipation; this unique county and its exceptional citizens have played a significant role in Texas’ development, and their many contributions to the Lone Star State are indeed deserving of special legislative recognition; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby recognize February 12, 1997, as Chambers County Day at the Capitol and join the citizens of that county in paying tribute to one of Texas’ finest communities; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the people of Chambers County as a commemoration of this grand occasion and as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate.