Aransas City, Texas facts for kids
Aransas City was once a busy port town in Texas, but now it's a ghost town (meaning it's abandoned). It was located on the Live Oak Peninsula, close to where Fulton is today. It was an important port on Aransas Bay and Copano Bay in the 1830s and 1840s. However, it lost its important customhouse (a place where taxes on goods are collected) to a nearby town called Lamar, which led to its decline.
History of Aransas City
Founding the Town
Before the Texas Revolution, a man named James Power built his house on the Live Oak Peninsula. This spot was once a Spanish fort called Aránzazu, which protected Copano Bay.
In 1837, Power officially founded Aransas City. He worked with Henry Smith, who used to be the Governor of Texas. Together, they helped organize the town and tell people about it so more settlers would come.
Soon, several stores opened, and about 500 people lived there. In 1839, Aransas City became an official town. It had a customhouse for the Republic of Texas, which was important for collecting taxes on goods coming into the port. It was also the main government center, or county seat, for Refugio County until 1840.
Challenges and Decline
Life in Aransas City wasn't always easy. The town faced attacks from the Karankawa and Comanche Native American groups several times. Mexican soldiers also raided the town in 1838, 1839, and 1841.
Later, a new port city called Corpus Christi was founded by Henry Kinney, who used to live in Aransas City. This meant Aransas City was no longer the westernmost port in Texas.
The biggest problem for Aransas City was losing its customhouse. A nearby town called Lamar became a rival. Lamar was founded in 1839 by James Byrne, who had connections to James Power. Byrne asked the new President of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar, to move the customhouse from Aransas City to Lamar.
President Lamar agreed, even though people in Aransas City protested. Soon after, Aransas City also lost its status as the county seat. These events were part of a bigger political disagreement between President Lamar and former President Sam Houston. James Byrne supported Lamar, while James Power supported Houston.
After these changes, James Power moved away to Copano. By 1847, Aransas City was mostly empty, and its government no longer existed. It became the ghost town it is today.
