In 1824 Joseph Lawrence of New York, reputed member of Jean Lafitte's privateering band, settled on a nearby marshland ridge. Known as Lawrence's Island, it became the nucleus of later settlement, which included James Haney and members of the Dugat, Stubbs, and Wilburn families. In 1827 A.B.J. Winfree came here from Louisiana and settled on a land grant. The Widespread community around his property soon became known as Winfree's Cove and later simply as Cove. The economy of the Cove community was originally based on cattle, but later included farming, fishing and fur trapping. Several businesses were located here, including ferries, a shipyard and general stores. The settlement also included a post office from 1885 to the 1940s, a school which was established in the 1870s and consolidated with the Barbers Hill District in 1937, and churches. In order to avoid annexation, Cove was incorporated as a municipality in 1973. An important agricultural center for Chambers County and the upper Texas coastal region, the town of Cove has maintained a form of local government that reflects the residents' values, independence and rich heritage. (1982)