Fort Terán
Encyclopedia
Fort Terán was a former Mexican
military post
and Texian
settlement located in Tyler County in East Texas
. The post was named after Mexican general Manuel Mier y Terán.
Fort Terán was located at the head of navigation on the Neches River
. The flat rock along the riverbed allowed it be crossed by three major trails between Mexican Texas
and the United States
: the Alabama Trace, the Coushatta Trace
, and the Orcoquisac Trace (or Liberty
-Nacogdoches
Road). As these trails avoided the royal Old San Antonio
and Atascosita Roads, they were frequented by smugglers and illegal American immigrants.
Following Terán's inspection tour of Texas, the fort was constructed as part of an implementation of Mexican President Anastasio Bustamante
's edict banning further American immigration or the importation of further slaves into the territory. Colonel
Ellis Bean
built and commanded the fort between 1831 and 1832. Almost immediately, most of the troops were transferred south, as the government reduced funding and attempted to resist Santa Anna
's rebellion. The remaining soldiers were removed in 1834.
During the Texan Revolution, the Mexican garrison at Fort Nacogdoches fled south past the site, where they were intercepted by a band of Texian rebels. As the custom , rumors of the hidden or abandoned gold led to a number of excavations at the site, including one in 1954 where a man was killed by a premature explosion of his dynamite
.
After the Battle of San Jacinto
led to de facto Texan independence, Samuel Belt operated a ferry and trading post at the site, which developed into a small community on the roads connecting Nacogdoches, Houston
, and Jasper
. It continued to function as a steamer
port and stagecoach crossing until the advent of railroads.
The site is now abandoned. The nearest town is Rockland on U.S. Route 69
.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
military post
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
and Texian
Texian
Texian is an archaic, mostly defunct 19th century demonym which defined a settler of current-day Texas, one of the southern states of the United States of America which borders the country of Mexico...
settlement located in Tyler County in East Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
. The post was named after Mexican general Manuel Mier y Terán.
Fort Terán was located at the head of navigation on the Neches River
Neches River
The Neches River flows for through east Texas to its mouth on Sabine Lake near the Rainbow Bridge. Two major reservoirs, Lake Palestine and B. A. Steinhagen Reservoir are located on the Neches. Several cities are located along the Neches River Basin, including Evadale, Tyler, Lufkin, Silsbee,...
. The flat rock along the riverbed allowed it be crossed by three major trails between Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas is the name given by Texas history scholars to the period between 1821 and 1836, when Texas was an integral part of Mexico. The period began with Mexico's victory over Spain in its war of independence in 1821. For the first several years of its existence, Mexican Texas operated very...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: the Alabama Trace, the Coushatta Trace
Coushatta-Nacogdoches Trace
The Coushatta-Nacogdoches Trace was a trail used primarily by Coushatta Indians on trips from their village on the Sabine River to Nacogdoches, Texas....
, and the Orcoquisac Trace (or Liberty
Liberty, Texas
Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Liberty County, Texas, United States and a part of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 8,033 at the 2000 census....
-Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
Road). As these trails avoided the royal Old San Antonio
Old San Antonio Road
The Old San Antonio Road was a historic roadway located in the U.S. states of Texas and Louisiana. Parts of it were based on traditional Native American trails. Its Texas terminus was about southeast of Eagle Pass at the Rio Grande in Maverick County, and its northern terminus was at...
and Atascosita Roads, they were frequented by smugglers and illegal American immigrants.
Following Terán's inspection tour of Texas, the fort was constructed as part of an implementation of Mexican President Anastasio Bustamante
Anastasio Bustamante
Anastasio Bustamante y Oseguera was president of Mexico three times, from 1830 to 1832, from 1837 to 1839 and from 1839 to 1841. He was a Conservative. He first came to power by leading a coup against president Vicente Guerrero...
's edict banning further American immigration or the importation of further slaves into the territory. Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Ellis Bean
Peter Ellis Bean
Peter Ellis Bean was a United States filibuster in Texas and Mexico, and a Mexican revolutionary....
built and commanded the fort between 1831 and 1832. Almost immediately, most of the troops were transferred south, as the government reduced funding and attempted to resist Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
's rebellion. The remaining soldiers were removed in 1834.
During the Texan Revolution, the Mexican garrison at Fort Nacogdoches fled south past the site, where they were intercepted by a band of Texian rebels. As the custom , rumors of the hidden or abandoned gold led to a number of excavations at the site, including one in 1954 where a man was killed by a premature explosion of his dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
.
After the Battle of San Jacinto
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
led to de facto Texan independence, Samuel Belt operated a ferry and trading post at the site, which developed into a small community on the roads connecting Nacogdoches, Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, and Jasper
Jasper, Texas
Jasper is the county seat of Jasper County, Texas, in the United States. The population was 8,247 at the 2000 census. Jasper is situated in the Deep East Texas subregion, about northeast of Houston. The city is best known for the 1998 murder of James Byrd, Jr., an event which gained national...
. It continued to function as a steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
port and stagecoach crossing until the advent of railroads.
The site is now abandoned. The nearest town is Rockland on U.S. Route 69
U.S. Route 69
U.S. Route 69 is a north–south United States highway. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route. The highway's southern terminus is in Port Arthur, Texas at an intersection with State Highway 87...
.
Source
- Arrowsmith, John. Map of Texas, compiled from Surveys recorded in the Land Office of Texas, and other Official Surveys. Soho Square, London, 1844.
- Donovan, Richard. Paddling the Wild Neches. Texas A&M University Press, 2006.
- Marler, Don. Fort Terán on the Neches River. Dogwood Press, 2000.
- Marler, Don. "Ft. Teran Site Visit July 1998." Sons of DeWitt Colony Texas website. Retrieved: 4 February 2010.