Bagdad, Tamaulipas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bagdad
Port of Matamoros
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Former settlement
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Sunset over the floodplains just west of Bagdad Beach
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| Country | Mexico |
| State | Tamaulipas |
| Municipality | Matamoros |
| Founded | 1848 |
| Abandoned | 1880 |
Bagdad was a town established in 1848 on the south bank of the mouth of the Rio Grande, in Mexico. Because the town was inside the municipality of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, it was also known as the Port of Bagdad or the Port of Matamoros. It was officially declared non-existent in 1880.
History
One of the first appearances of Bagdad was found on a map entitled "Map of the Country Adjacent to the Left Bank of the Rio Grande Below Matamoros, 1847. During the American Civil War, the town allied with the Confederate States in its rebellion against the United States. The cotton trade in Bagdad brought together more than 20,000 traders and investors from the United States (Union and Confederacy), England, France, and Germany. This led to the growth of Bagdad from a small coastal outpost into a fully developed town. Ships would anchor in the area off Bagdad and unload their legal goods during the day onto smaller boats, while they waited until nightfall to unload any obvious war materials. These materials were immediately sent to the Texas side and were never officially recorded by the Mexican customs authorities.
However, when the American Civil War concluded, it had a devastating impact on the Port of Bagdad, which was left mostly abandoned. Unfortunately, the port has never fully recovered from this crisis, and its decline continues to affect it to this day. Today, nothing remains of the original settlement. However, a small lighthouse is located along the shores of Bagdad Beach about 0.3 km (0.19 mi) east of the former settlement. The resort town of Playa Bagdad is located about 14 km (8.7 mi) to the south.
