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"Quintana
Founded 1532"
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, July 2007 |
History in
a Seashell
Shortly
after Mexico won her independence from Spain, they established a fort
here at the mouth of the Brazos River. It is reportedly named after
Mexican General Andres Quintana.
For a short time 1853-1857 Quintana had its own post office. They
had another in 1891 and it lasted until 1915. Floods and hurricanes
in 1900, 1913, and 1915 finally made them discontinue the postal service.
Quintana was a major port for Austin's Colony and a vacation spot
for inland families to escape the summer heat.
Descriptions of the region by Mary Austin Holley note that they were
entertained with native oysters and imported champagne, so life wasn't
too bad for some folks in Quintana in the 1830s.
During the Civil War, the same strategic location recognized by the
Mexicans prompted the Confederates to construct a fort and obstructions
(a dam) to prevent Union ships from sailing up the Brazos, which was
then navigable.
Numerous industries over the years failed due to economic problems
and also because of damage inflicted by flooding and hurricanes.
A narrow wagon road built of red brick was uncovered after the 1913
flood and hidden two years later by another. The brick was reportedly
not from Texas - and may have been ballast from arriving ships - discarded
when cargo was taken on. Many buildings along coastal Texas were made
of ballast brick - which was usually free for the taking.
In the early 1880s a family named Kanter had a contract to build jetties
at Quintana. They were unable to finish the project and in 1889 a
syndicate completed the job with granite shipped in from Central Texas.
The construction of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway also contributed
to the decline of Quintana. The channel cut off shipping, which had
been the economic base for both Quintana and Old
Velasco.
Quintana for years has been a favorite destination for beach goers
wanting to avoid Galveston
crowds. |
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Quintana Beach
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, July 2007 |
Brazoria
County 1920s map showing Quintana
From Texas state map #10749
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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