The city began as a settlement and frontier trading post in 1839. Today Corpus Christi is a major deep-water port and a popular seacoast recreational area. The well-known Seawall, with its steps to the water, was built in the 1930s. Institutions of higher learning are Texas A&M--Corpus Christi and Del Mar College. Corpus Christi events include: Buccaneer Days, Texas Jazz Festival, Bayfest, and Harbor Lights.