DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm gonna let the story do the talking. Now, if you want to talk about a line that shaped Texas from the water up, you start with the Morgan Steamship Line — and you start in 1835. That's when the Columbia steamed out of New Orleans bound for Galveston, carrying settlers and goods, and made history as the first mail and passenger steamship service from the United States to Texas.
First. Not second. First.
Before long, the Morgan operation had stretched into three cargo and mail lines running along the Texas coast and reaching all the way down to Mexico. By 1850, the fleet had put down roots at Indianola, handling corn, cotton, sugar, and beef. But that was just the day-to-day work.
Morgan ships were also hauling U.S. Army supplies out to the western forts — and here's where it gets interesting — they were carrying loads of gold and silver that had come overland to the Gulf from the mines in northern Mexico, bound for U.S. mints. Gold and silver, on the water, rolling through the Gulf of Mexico.
You had to admire the audacity of it. Then came 1861, and the Civil War reached out and grabbed the fleet with both hands. Morgan ships were seized — some by the United States, some by the Confederacy.
The line was split right down the middle by the same war that split the country. When the smoke cleared, Charles Morgan — born 1795, died 1878 — resumed operations in 1866. He wasn't finished, not by a long shot.
In 1869 he branched into rail transportation, and by 1873 the Gulf, Western Texas and Pacific Railroad had been built all the way to Cuero. He bought other railroads too. The man understood that whoever controls the routes controls the trade, whether the wheels are iron or the hull is wood.
And those captains who'd been steering Morgan ships through Gulf waters? They came ashore and became residents, business leaders, civic leaders — here in DeWitt County and in other Texas towns. The sea had trained them well for whatever came next on dry land.
In 1875, Morgan built the Houston Ship Channel. Affiliates held control of it for many years after. Think on that a moment — a shipping line that didn't just use the infrastructure, it built the infrastructure.
Now, 1883, the Morgan line was sold to the Southern Pacific Railroad. But the name stuck around. The ships kept running under the old name, because some names carry too much weight to just set aside.
And the very last of those ships? Sold to the U.S. Government in 1941, for military use during World War II.
What started as one steamship between New Orleans and Galveston in 1835 ended a hundred and six years later in the service of a world war. That, friend, is not a shipping line. That is a Texas institution.
What the marker says
First mail and passenger steamship service from the United States to Texas. In 1835 put in operation the "Columbia" from New Orleans to Galveston, bringing in settlers and goods; soon had three cargo and mail lines along the Texas coast and to Mexico. In 1850 based fleet at Indianola, to handle corn, cotton, sugar, beef. Brought in U.S. Army supplies for western forts. Carried to U.S. mints loads of gold and silver coming overland to the Gulf from the mines in northern Mexico. Morgan ships were seized in 1861 for Civil War duty -- some by the U.S., some by the Confederacy. In 1866 Charles Morgan (1795-1878) resumed operations. In 1869 Morgan branched into rail transportation -- built (1873) Gulf, Western Texas and Pacific Railroad to Cuero; bought other railroads. Soon captains of the Morgan line became residents and business and civic leaders here and in other Texas towns. The Houston Ship Channel was built by Morgan in 1875 and controlled by affiliates for many years. The Morgan line was sold, 1883, to Southern Pacific Railroad, but continued to operate under old name. Last of the ships were sold to the U.S. Government in 1941 for military use during World War II.