Copano, Texas
Copano (
History
Port usage
After its founding, El Copano was a common port used by pirates and smugglers.
During the
Settlement
James Power and business partner James Hewetson were granted the land between the Lavaca River and the Nueces River as empresarios in 1825, to create an Irish and Mexican settlement. However, in 1828, the settlement was restricted to only include the area between the Guadalupe River and Lavaca. Although this restriction was reversed in 1829, land disputes with local citizens and hostilities between the Texians and Mexicans prevented any colonization attempts at Copano.[3]
After signing the
Decline
During the American Civil War, Copano continued to flourish, unlike other blockaded Confederate ports, because of its location on a point, which allowed goods to be shipped without being noticed by the Union forces.[2] This came to an end in 1864, when a Union fleet anchored just off Copano, causing the settlers to leave for several days.[2] After several failed attempts to build railroads to Goliad and San Antonio, and trouble maintaining a supply of fresh water, most settlers relocated to Refugio.[2] The abandonment was complete by 1888[4] after a wave of destructive hurricanes.[1]
Remains
The ruins of Copano can be accessed from the shore of
References
- ^ a b c "El Copano". The Bayside Historical Society. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
- ^ Huson, Hobart (2001–2006). "Irish Power & Hewetson Colony". Sons of DeWitt Colony Texas. Archived from the original on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ^ a b c d Wolff Jr., Henry (July 2, 2006). "El Copano is heading for a watery grave". The Victoria Advocate.
- ^ Huson, Hobart. "Copano". The TXGenWeb Project. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ^ "Refugio County Historical Markers". Fort Tours. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ^ "El Copano (Ghost Town)". Travel South Texas. Texmaps and Carson Map Company, Inc. 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
Further reading
- Huson, Hobart (1935). El Copano, the ancient port of Bexar and La Bahia. Refugio Timely Remarks.
- Huson, Hobert (1955). Refugio: A Comprehensive History of Refugio County from Aboriginal Times to 1953. Rooke Foundation.