Copano, Texas

The port, which holds the distinction as the first in South Texas,[1] was founded in the early 18th century by the Spanish, and named for the Copane Indians who resided in the area.

General Martín Perfecto de Cos of Mexico, entered at Copano en route to the missions at San Antonio and Goliad in September 1835.

At the end of the war, several Mexican vessels, soldiers, and supplies were taken by the "Horse Marines" led by Texian Major Isaac Burton and the Texas Rangers.

Three wharves were built on the bay front to accommodate traders contributing to the prosperity of the settlement; their primary goods included cotton, hides, and tallow.

[2] During the American Civil War, Copano continued to flourish, unlike other blockaded Confederate ports, because of its location on a point, which allowed goods to be shipped without being noticed by the Union forces.

[2] After several failed attempts to build railroads to Goliad and San Antonio, and trouble maintaining a supply of fresh water, most settlers relocated to Refugio.

[6] An archeological survey by the TAMU Kingsville field school in 2005 found a cistern along with 10 shellcrete homes on the edge of a cliff off Copano Bay.