Corpus Christi in Nueces County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Henry Lawrence Kinney
Known as the founder of Corpus Christi, Pennsylvania native Henry Lawrence Kinney (1814-1861) was trained to become a merchant by his father, Simon Kinney. He helped lay out the town of Peru, Illinois, and eventually made his way to this part of Texas in 1838.
The trading post he established in 1839 on a bluff overlooking Corpus Christi Bay opened the way for settlement of the town of Corpus Christi. Much of Kinney's initial trade was in smuggled goods for Mexican Federalists. General Zachary Taylor's choice of Kinney's outpost as a camp site for his army helped to multiply profits rapidly. Kinney served as Quartermaster when the troops moved to the Rio Grande in 1846. A successful politician as well, Col. Kinney, as he was known, represented his district in the state legislature at various times from 1846 until 1861. He eventually came to own most of the land that now makes up Nueces County, selling town lots in Corpus Christi to many of the soldiers in Taylor's army.
Not always a success, Kinney organized the "Lone Star Fair" in 1851 to attract settlers. The enterprise failed, as did later attempts to control part of Nicaragua.
Henry Lawrence Kinney died in Matamoros, Mexico, and is buried there in an unmarked grave.
Erected 1986 by Texas Historical Commission . (Marker Number 6320.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • War, Mexican-American. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #12 Zachary Taylor series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1839.
Location. 27° 47.756′ N, 97° 24.226′ W. Marker is in Corpus Christi, Texas, in Nueces County. Marker can be reached from Leopard Street (State Highway 407) east of North Alameda Street, on the right when traveling east. Marker is located near the east entrance to the Corpus Christi City Hall building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1201 Leopard St, Corpus Christi TX 78401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Captain Enrique Villarreal and Rincón del Oso Land Grant (a few steps from this marker); Antonio E. Garcia (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of Cheston L. Heath School (approx. ¼ mile away); LULAC (approx. ¼ mile away); Kelsey Memorial Methodist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Solomon Coles (approx. 0.3 miles away); Felix Von Blucher (approx. 0.4 miles away); Explosion of the Steamship Dayton (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Corpus Christi.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Henry Lawrence Kinney
Also see . . . Henry Lawrence Kinney. In 1838 Kinney appeared in Texas and settled in the area around the site of present-day Brownsville. He began using the title "Colonel," which he claimed to have earned during the Seminole War in Florida, but there is no evidence that he took part in that conflict. In 1841 Kinney, in partnership with William B. Aubrey, engaged in ranching and trading near Corpus Christi, a city that Kinney helped to found. Some of his business allegedly involved illegal trading with Mexico. He was elected as a senator to the Ninth Texas Congress and served as a delegate to the Convention of 1845. James Pinckney Henderson appointed him to his staff for the campaign in northern Mexico at the beginning of the Mexican War. At the end of the war Kinney returned to Corpus Christi and began trading with a number of Central and South American countries. He also operated a fleet of prairie schooners that transported freight from Corpus Christi to the interior of Texas. (Submitted on June 1, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 9, 2018. It was originally submitted on June 1, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 348 times since then and 31 times this year. Last updated on June 9, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 1, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.