Gulf Shores

Gulf Shores Drinking Water Report Info
Bay Shores is consistently perceived as one of the nation's top beaches and family-accommodating communities. History A Brief History of Gulf Shores The completion of the Intracoastal Waterway in 1937, and the opening of the Gulf State Park in 1939 were both critical factors in attracting individuals to the Gulf Shores zone. The first post office opened in 1947. Previous to that time, the territory was sparsely populated except a small fishing community that dates back to the mid-1800s. Incorporation activities began in 1956 with the Town of Gulf Shores at long last getting validation for the incorporation by the legal system in 1958. The Intracoastal Canal Originally the town encompassed some 206 acres topographically located along the banks of the Intracoastal Canal. The 700 feet on the north side of the trench was joined to the bigger section on the south side by a cantilever bridge. Development began shortly thereafter, and by the 1960s the town was thriving with family possessed supermarkets, restaurants, cottages, and motels for the summer tourists. Throughout the fall and winter months, the town was virtually deserted. In an effort to generate business for these seasons the community organized fishing rodeos and a National Shrimp Festival began in 1971. Held in October, it has now become a national tourist attraction with upwards of 200,000 individuals in attendance over a four-day extended end of the week. In 1979, Gulf Shores took a direct hit from Hurricane Fredric. In the aftermath, development surged with increased construction of condominiums, restaurants, and retail outlets. It was during this time the town became the City of Gulf Shores. Population and Tourism Gulf Shores is a coastal city, located in Baldwin County, Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico. The population of Gulf Shores in 2000 was 5,044, with 2,344 permanent households. It is home to a constantly evolving population. Summer months generate a surge of tourists estimated in the hundreds of thousands. In addition, we are visited in the winter months by a huge population known as "snowbirds." Snowbirds visit Gulf Shores for as numerous as three to five months throughout the winter and spring, and afterward return to their main living places in northern states for the rest of the year. Shrimping, oystering, and fishing utilized almost everybody in the zone throughout the early settlement years until the 1970s. Fishing laws and regulations have since diminished this lifestyle. As tourism and land supplanted the fishing industries, Gulf Shores' families began to appreciate a more diversified lifestyle than early settlers..