In 1747, Captain Basterra visited Paraje de los Copanes
(El Cópano), and there is a legend which has persisted,
that José de Escandon chose the site for a pueblo and
presidio. Researchers have reported that José actually
did have an adobe pueblo built there and an ayuntamiento or municipal council, but no records have ever
been found - very possibly lost over the course of 300
years. Also, adobe doesn’t fair so well in the humid
South Texas environment.
By 1749 there was plenty of direct traffic between La
Bahia (Goliad) and El Cópano, and shipments were
making their way from Tampico and Vera Cruz to Copano bay. The voyage by sea was considered far safer
than the overland journey to Matamoros through the
most inhospitable wilds of South Texas.
By 1767, it was considered a significant port to the
Spanish, not only to La Bahia but to Bexar (San Antonio), and in 1785 the Viceroy, Galvez, declared El
Cópano an official port of New Spain.
Piracy and smuggling had become so rampant around
the copano bay area that the Spanish stationed a garrison at Aranzazu on Live Oak Point, and there was
yet another at either Paraje de los Copanes or close to
Mission Bay.
By the 1780’s, Port El Cópano had a warehouse (or
customhouse) and a water tank.
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LORE:
It’s a Cob, and it’s the only
type of Spanish coin that you will likely
find in South Texas. Made in New Spain
(Mexico); the word ‘Cob’ comes from the
Spanish phrase, “Cabo de Barra”, which
means the “end of the bar” - such as a bar
of silver.
The last Cob was minted in 1733, but they
remained in use as United States ‘Legal
Tender’ until the year 1850.