In 1855, George and Marcellus Turner settled in the area. In 1857, Marcellus obtained a grant for the first post office. A local general store was opened by George Hatch and Youngs L. Coeman. Henry Nold II operated the Ingleside Male and Female Academy, often referred to as Nold Academy. He operated the boarding school from 1857 until it was destroyed by Union soldiers in 1862. During this period of development, Ingleside's primary industries were farming and ranching. In the 1880s, George Hatch and his son John Hatch introduced grape culture to the area, which developed into a flourishing business. This business lasted until the 1930s, when the vines were killed by blight. Steamships plied the waters of the bay between Corpus Christi and Ingleside, carrying trade goods.