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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Surfside in Brazoria County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
 

Velasco

 
 
Velasco Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Texmexfla, August 15, 2008
1. Velasco Marker
This photo was taken in the late afternoon on a weekday, so it was possible to photograph. Normally this is an area were many people park so it is hard to photograph and/or view.
Inscription. Here was fought a battle-- the first collision in arms between Texas colonists and the Mexican military-- a conflict preliminary to the Texas War for Independence.

On June 26, 1832, when Texans under John Austin and Henry Smith came down river with cannon for use against Mexican forces at Anahuac, they ran against the resistance of Lt. Col. Domingo de Ugartechea. As commander of Mexican forces at Velasco, Ugartechea refused passage through the mouth of the Brazos River to the vessel bearing the cannon to Anahuac. Some 112 Texans attacked the port at midnight, and after 9 hours under the fire of Texas rifles and cannon, the Mexican garrison was forced to surrender.

The Battle of Velasco, brought on by a customs quarrel at Anahuac, was unknowingly fought after the dispute at Anahuac had been peaceably settled. After the victory at San Jacinto 4 years later, President David G. Burnet moved the capital of the Republic of Texas temporarily to Velasco. Here the Treaty of Velasco, ending hostilities between Texas and Mexico, was signed on May 14, 1836. (1965)
 
Erected 1965 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 9605.)
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and CastlesWar, Texas Independence. A significant historical date for this entry is May 14, 1836.
 
Location.
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28° 57.047′ N, 95° 17.162′ W. Marker is in Surfside, Texas, in Brazoria County. Marker is on Blue Water Highway (State Highway 332) near Surf Drive when traveling east. Located 1 block south of Intracoastal Waterway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Freeport TX 77541, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Old Velasco, CSA (here, next to this marker); Historical Jetties (here, next to this marker); Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (a few steps from this marker); The Lively (approx. one mile away); Battle of Velasco Memorial (approx. one mile away); The San Felipe Incident (approx. one mile away); Republic of Texas Battery (approx. 1.1 miles away); Confederate Civil War Forts at Mouth of Brazos (approx. 1.1 miles away).
 
More about this marker. This marker is located next to another Texas Historical Commission Marker and a large stone monument about fifty yards from the entrance booth for autos to the beach (Driving on the beach is permitted in this section)
 
Also see . . .
1. Battle of Velasco. From the Texas State Historical Association’s “Handbook of Texas Online”. (Submitted on October 31, 2015, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.) 

2. Battle of Velasco - Wikipedia entry. (Submitted on October 31, 2015, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.)
Velasco Markers and Jetties Monument image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Texmexfla, August 15, 2008
2. Velasco Markers and Jetties Monument
The large stone monument is dedicated to the various jetties which have been built and lost near this site.

3. Fort Velasco - Wikipedia entry. There were at least four forts at Velasco at almost but not the same location, all called Fort Velasco (see link for more details). (Submitted on March 27, 2021, by Chris Kneupper of Brazoria, Texas.) 
 
Fort Velasco Sketch image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Texmexfla, August 15, 2008
3. Fort Velasco Sketch
This is a sketch of the famous Fort Velasco which represents the fort during the Mexican period of occupation. The sketch is located at the Surfisde City Hall. Although it is possible to judge the size of the fort by estimating the size of the large ocean-going ship in relation to the size of the fort in the sketch, the fort should not be considered small because it was very large.
Location of Part of Original Fort Velasco image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Texmexfla, August 15, 2008
4. Location of Part of Original Fort Velasco
This photo is just a very small portion of the original Fort Velasco. The photo was taken looking toward the mouth of the Brazos River. Across the Brazos is Quintana, where another fort was located. The mouth of the Brazos is still a very important commercial area (See refineries in the distance) During World War II the US Army used the fort at Quintana to protect the oil refineries from enemy attack. Today there is a large artillery piece at the spot in Quintana to commemorate the WWII defenses. Fort Velasco, at Surfside Texas is the site of a current US Coast Guard station which I have purposely not photographed.
View to the Southwest towards Surfside Beach and the Gulf of Mexico image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane Hall, October 7, 2015
5. View to the Southwest towards Surfside Beach and the Gulf of Mexico
View to the Northwest image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane Hall, October 7, 2015
6. View to the Northwest
The intersection of State Highway 332, the Bluewater Highway, and Fort Velasco Drive can be seen in the left background of the image
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on March 27, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 16, 2008, by Texmexfla of Houston, Texas. This page has been viewed 3,636 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 16, 2008, by Texmexfla of Houston, Texas.   5, 6. submitted on October 31, 2015, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024