DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. The Port of Matamoros. Established in 1824 — and from the moment it opened for business, this stretch of water was never quite peaceful for long.
Commercial cargo came rolling in, shipped mainly from New Orleans and other U.S. ports, unloaded right here and then hauled overland — overland, mind you — to Matamoros, Reynosa, Camargo, Monterrey, and Mier. That's a lot of ground to cover, a lot of mule-hours, a lot of dust. But goods moved, and the port hummed.
Mexico kept a garrison here and at least one Navy vessel anchored and ready, because a port worth having is a port worth defending. Then came 1836. The Texas Revolution was burning across the land, and the ripples reached all the way to this water.
From 1836 into 1837 — during the revolution and into the months after — this area became the site of numerous naval encounters between the United States and Mexico. Not skirmishes you'd forget easily. Naval encounters.
On the water, right here, where cargo ships had been minding their own business not long before. For a while, the question of who actually held jurisdiction over this port hung in the air like smoke that wouldn't clear. Years passed.
The dispute didn't. Then 1846 arrived, and with it, U.S. General Zachary Taylor.
His forces occupied the area at the outset of the Mexican War, and just like that — or as close to just like that as history ever allows — jurisdiction was finally settled. Established in 1824. Contested through revolution.
Settled by occupation in 1846. Some ports just can't help bein' at the center of things.
What the marker says
The Port of Matamoros was established in 1824. Commercial cargo, shipped mainly from New Orleans and other U.S. ports, was unloaded at the port and transported overland to Matamoros, Reynosa, Camargo, Monterrey, and Mier. Mexico maintained a garrison and at least one Navy vessel at the port. This area was the site of numerous naval encounters between the U.S. and Mexico in 1836-37, during and after the Texas Revolution. Jurisdiction over the port was finally settled in 1846 when forces of U.S. General Zachary Taylor occupied the area at the outset of the Mexican War.