South of the Nueces River

It was the disputed territory, the despoblado, the Nueces Strip. The Republic of Texas claimed the Rio Grande as its southern border. Mexico insisted on the Nueces River. Neither country occupied the territory between the rivers.

When Texas joined the Union, the Nueces territory became a problem for the United States. And the little village of Corpus Christi became part of that problem.

Zachary Taylor and his army showed the flag by occupying Corpus Christi on the south bank of the Nueces, the only village in the disputed territory. Taylor’s army propelled what was essentially a trading post into a township. (Laredo, on the north bank of the Rio Grande, was in the disputed territory also. Nobody there spoke much English).

Murphy Givens, retired Viewpoints Editor for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, gives us the volume “Corpus Christi. A History.” I’ve enjoyed his columns, and feel a special connection to the Caller-Times. As a paperboy I delivered that newspaper. A great-great-uncle, Eli Merriman, was editor for many years. And finally, the current newspaper building stands on the plot of ground that one housed my great-grandfather. I’m comfortable with the Caller-Times.

Givens constructed his volume “Corpus Christi” largely from newspaper stories, judging by the citations and footnotes he provides. It’s well-written and readable, with a newspaperman’s touch for displaying the facts. I’d like to see more of the personalities of some of the players. I guess that’s another book. Corpus was the site of my childhood vacations, the amusement park on North Beach, Christmas shopping in the five-and-tens. For those with similar roots, I recommend "Corpus Christi."

The notion persists that the Nueces territory was uninhabited land, home to bandits and raiders, unsettled except for Corpus Christi. Not so. Mexicans had working ranches throughout the area, including the Santa Petronilla ranch quite close to Corpus Christi itself. Rancheros usually had residences in Mexico as well, refuges in times of Indian troubles or droughts.

In 1845 those ranchers and their people had to choose -- become US citizens or return to Mexico. One or the other. Angelica Reyes in her neat little novel, “Last Ride on the Ferry,” explains how many of them chose to stay with the land, theirs for generations, whichever nation claimed it.

In that choice - is there some hint of a solution to today’s questions about citizenship and legality? I believe we need to find answers soon. For south and north of the Nueces River. And perhaps the Rio Grande itself.

Dac Crossley
December 18, 2011

“A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.” – Francis Bacon.

Comments

[Caroline Clemmons]

Nice post, Dac. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

[William Doonan]

Wonderful post, Dac. It's strange to think that an issue resolved more than a century and a half ago would still resonate today! Worth remembering too, that territory was never uninhabited. It formed part of the foraging and striking range of the Comanche nation, which at the time, was locally more powerful than either the U.S. or Mexican governments.

William Doonan
www.williamdoonan.com

[Jean Henry Mead]

Wishing you a Merry Christsmas and lots of books sold in the New Year.