The Lake Austin was a Gulf centerboard scow schooner that earned her place in Texas history. Built in Matagorda in 1881, this 56-ton vessel measured 69 feet long with a 21.2-foot breadth and 4.7-foot draft. Her shallow-draft rectangular hull was typical of Gulf coastal vessels of the era.

For two decades, she transported cotton, lumber & merchandise between ports across Texas & Louisiana, including Rockport, Galveston, Port Isabel, Indianola, Brazos Santiago, and Port Charles. But her legacy was shaped by two historic storms:

1886: She and her crew survived the powerful hurricane at Indianola after running aground.

1900: Assisted citizens after the devastating Galveston Hurricane

– She was the first vessel to rescue survivors from being carried to sea amongst floating debris

– She transported residents to safety in Texas City

– Carried Mrs. Griswold, credited as the first woman to leave the devastated city

The schooner Lake Austin’s journey ended in 1903 during a hurricane near Port Aransas. Decades later, in 1966, strong winds and tides revealed her hull on Mustang Island beneath 2 feet of sand. Months after the excavation was completed her hull was burned as a hazard to navigation, a disappointing end for such a storied vessel. It wasn’t until a few years later that laws were enacted to better protect antiquities on public Texas lands.

Visit the Texas Maritime Museum at 1202 Navigation Circle, the museum is open 10-4 Tuesday through Saturday. Thanks to a generous donation, admission to the Texas Maritime Museum is free to the public.

Information for this article is sourced from TSHA Online, written by Amy A. Borgens and Hope Bridgeman, State Marine Archeologist and Marine Archeology Program Intern

https://thc.texas.gov/blog/storm-tossed-ships-lake-austin-and-her-sister-ship-lydia-ann