Texas Gulf Coast Stories

by Arcadia Publishing

Overview

The middle Texas coast, known locally as the Coast Bend, is an area filled with fascinating stories. From as early as the days of de Vaca and La Salle, the Coastal Bend has been a site of early exploration, bloody conflicts, legendary shipwrecks and even a buried treasure or two. However, much of the true history has remained unknown, misunderstood and even hidden. For years, local historian C. Herndon Williams has shared his fascinating discoveries of the area's early stories through his weekly column, Coastal Bend Chronicle. Now he has selected some of his favorites in Texas Gulf Coast Stories. Join Williams as he explores the days of early settlement and European contact, Karankawa and Tonkawa legends and the Coastal Bend's tallest of tall tales.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609490324
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	12/03/2010
Series:	American Chronicles
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

C. Herndon Williams lives in Bayside on the site of the abandoned town of St. Mary’s of Aransas. He is a native Texan, born and raised in Houston. In the course of his historical research, Dr. Williams discovered that some of his ancestors played significant roles in the history of Texas. After a career as a chemist, Dr. Williams retired to Bayside and began to indulge his interest by writing a historical-interest column, “Coastal Bend Chronicle,” for local newspapers. He is the chair of the Refugio County Historical Commission, the treasurer of the Bayside Historical Society and the editor/contributor for its quarterly newsletter, the Baysider. He can be reached at [e-mail].

Table of Contents

Introduction 11

Part I Karankawa and Other Indians

The Karankawa Were Tall, Tattooed and Pierced 13

Scalping, War Trophies and Ritual Cannibalism 15

Culture Clash Quasi Complete 16

Where Did the Karankawa Go? 18

Mary Amarro, the Last Karankawa? 20

The Karankawa Were Not So Bad 22

The Karankawa Called Themselves "Clamcoeh" 24

The Last Years of the Karankawa 26

The Atlatl and the Bow and Arrow 27

White Children as Indian Captives 29

Part II Early Explorers and Immigrants

First Europeans to Map Aransas Bay in 1720 31

Languages Spoken in El Copano 32

What Would You Bring to Texas in 1825? 34

Tejas, Texas, Texian, Tejano 36

Cabeza de Vaca, Faith Healer to the Karankawa 37

Bollaert's View of Copano Bay and Corpus Christi in 1842 39

Empresarios of Texas Brought Immigrants and Revolt 41

John Charles Beales Landed at El Copano in 1833 43

Acadian Trail of Tears in the Coastal Bend 47

The Camels that Terrorized the Coast 48

Stephen F. Austin's Militia Saved the Colony 49

Stephen F. Austin in Love 51

Texas Frontier Justice and Compassion 53

Disease and Illness in the Americans before Columbus 55

Disease in Early Texas and Hazardous Remedies 56

Ethnic Folk Medicine in Frontier Texas 58

The Bluest Blue Norther in Texas 59

Part III Early Missions, Ports and Towns

El Copano Was Small but Historic 63

Richly Decorated Altars at Refugio Mission in 1795 65

Copano Bay Navigation Has Always Been Difficult 69

Map and Model of St. Mary's of Aransas in 1869 71

Aransas City Was on Live Oak Peninsula, but Short-Lived 73

Wood Mansion, the Oldest Living House in Refugio County 76

The First Millionaire in Texas 78

The Indian Trails Became Modern Highways 79

The Lighthouse at the Aransas Pass 81

John Wesley Hardin Never Killed Anyone in Refugio County 83

Part IV The War for Texas Independence

A Mexican View of Texas 85

The Texian Army: "A Mob, Called an Army" 87

783^rd Part of the Credit for Victory at San Jacinto 89

San Jacinto: The Eighteen Minutes that Changed the World 90

The Next Few Weeks After San Jacinto: The Important Role of the Port of El Copano 92

The Laura and the Yellowstone: Steamboats that Could 95

Presidio La Bahia Was Once Fort Defiance 97

Shackelford Led the Red Rovers in the Texian Army 99

Santa Anna Lost His Leg to the French Navy 100

Part V Shipwrecks, Treasures, Sculpture and Dominos

Spanish Treasure Was Shipwrecked on Padre Isle in 1554 103

Spanish Gold and Silver Treasure 106

The Treasure of Barkentine Creek 108

Jean Lafitte's Treasure Is Buried at False Live Oak Point 110

Raoul Josset's Sculpture Yet to Be Accepted in Refugio 112

Union Forces at St. Mary's Put to Rout by a Picket Fence 114

Texas 42 Was Invented in Texas, but Where? 115

Timeline 119

Bibliography 123

About the Author 127