Calhoun County Historical Commission
Some of you may have fished around Half Moon Reef. Many of you have seen Half Moon Reef Light House. Some of our older citizens may have seen it in the water as a child. Most have seen it as they cross the causeway on Highway 35 from the east  It’s the first thing on your left as you come into Port Lavaca headed toward your favorite fishing hole. If you come from the west or Highway 87, you might have missed it.
We are the only county in Texas with two remaining light houses, and maybe the only one in the world. Although the one on Matagorda Island was recently refurbished, it is relatively inaccessible at this time. However, we can visit Half Moon Reef Light House and even purchase T-shirts depicting the light houses at the Bauer Center.
The Half Moon Reef Light House became operational at the south end of Half Moon Reef out in the middle of Matagorda Bay in 1858.   It was erected on special screw pipes. They just threaded the foundations into the floor of the bay and built the octagonal house on the top.  It was a good job because the light house remained there until 1942. It had lived through many hurricanes.  And with the exception of a few years in the Civil War where, for military reasons, it was not in operation, it was a working light house.
One of the early problems with the light house was that sailors making their way towards Pass Cavallo sometimes got its light confused with the Matagorda Island light house. That problem was solved by changing the lamp from white to red.  We mostly think of white lights for light houses. The red light cleared up any confusion.  And history tells us that navigating Pass Cavallo was hard enough.  Just ask LaSalle and others who didn’t get all their boats through.
When the 1942 Hurricane damaged so it wasn’t usable, it had to be taken down.  While the crew was working on that, to move it to Point Comfort, they were informed that in less than an hour the area was to be a bombing range.  Fortunately the bombing test was called off long enough to take it away.  For years it was stored in the Point Comfort area. The intention had been to use it for the Bauer Dredging Company. It sat there for 37 some years till 1979 when arrangements were made to bring it to Port Lavaca as a show piece.  It was refurbished and it is appropriate that it sets at the front of the Bauer Center.
The ensuing 27 years left it in a rather unusable condition. Your Calhoun County Historical Commission undertook it to get it ready for the 150th anniversary in 2008.  Now you can visit it and see displays that are kept updated. Hopefully it will last another 150 years.
www.calhouncountymuseum.org