Port Isabel, Sonora
Encyclopedia
Port Isabel was a seaport established in 1865 during the American Civil War
in Sonora, Mexico near the mouth
of the Colorado River
on the Sea of Cortez to support the increased river traffic caused by the gold rush that began in 1862 on the Colorado River
and the Yuma Quartermaster Depot
newly established in 1864 to support the Army posts in the Arizona Military District
. Port Isabel replaced Robinson's Landing
as the place where cargo was unloaded in the river from seagoing craft on to flatbottomed steamboat
s and carried up to Fort Yuma
and points further north on the river.
Port Isabel, was situated on the east bank of the Colorado River on its channel east of Montague Island
about 2 miles from its mouth, at the first good landing place, the shores below being of very soft mud. Port Isabel, served as a place for repairing the river steamers and barges. Additionally about 2 miles above Port Isabel was a place called Ship Yard, which had a few frame buildings where steamboats could be constructed or repaired.
The arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad
in Yuma in 1877 signaled the end of Port Isabel. Trade by sea was replaced that carried by rail. In 1878, George Alonzo Johnson
sold his Colorado Steam Navigation Company to the Southern Pacific Railroad. Yuma became the head of navigation for steamboats operating on the river. Port Isabel was abandoned in 1879.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in Sonora, Mexico near the mouth
Colorado River Delta
The Colorado River Delta is the region where the Colorado River flows into the Gulf of California . The delta is part of a larger geologic region called the Salton Trough. Historically, the interaction of the river’s flow and the ocean’s tide created a dynamic environment, supporting freshwater,...
of the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
on the Sea of Cortez to support the increased river traffic caused by the gold rush that began in 1862 on the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
and the Yuma Quartermaster Depot
Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park
Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park, formerly Yuma Crossing State Historic Park, and now one of the Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites on the National Register of Historic Places in the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area. It is an Arizona state park in the city of Yuma, Arizona, USA.The...
newly established in 1864 to support the Army posts in the Arizona Military District
District of Arizona
District of Arizona was a subordinate district of the Department of New Mexico territory created on August 30, 1862 and transferred to the Department of the Pacific in March 1865.-District of Arizona Commanders:...
. Port Isabel replaced Robinson's Landing
Robinson's Landing
Robinson's Landing was a location in Baja California on the west bank of the Colorado River northwest of the north tip of Montague Island in the mouth of the river on the Sea of Cortez. It was the place where cargo was unloaded in the river from seagoing craft on to flatbottomed steamboats and...
as the place where cargo was unloaded in the river from seagoing craft on to flatbottomed steamboat
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...
s and carried up to Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma is a fort in California that is located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861 and was abandoned May 16, 1883, and transferred to the Department of the Interior. The Fort Yuma Indian School and a...
and points further north on the river.
Port Isabel, was situated on the east bank of the Colorado River on its channel east of Montague Island
Montague Island (Mexico)
Montague Island, known in Spanish as Isla Montague, is an island at the mouth of the Colorado River in the municipality of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, and is part of the Colorado River Delta and part of a broader region called the Salton Trough...
about 2 miles from its mouth, at the first good landing place, the shores below being of very soft mud. Port Isabel, served as a place for repairing the river steamers and barges. Additionally about 2 miles above Port Isabel was a place called Ship Yard, which had a few frame buildings where steamboats could be constructed or repaired.
The arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
in Yuma in 1877 signaled the end of Port Isabel. Trade by sea was replaced that carried by rail. In 1878, George Alonzo Johnson
George Alonzo Johnson
George Alonzo Johnson 49er, Colorado River steamboat entrepreneur, California politician.George Alonzo Johnson was born in August 16, 1824, in Palatine Bridge, Montgomery County, New York. In 1849 as a sailor he heard of the discovery of gold and left New York drawn by the California Gold Rush...
sold his Colorado Steam Navigation Company to the Southern Pacific Railroad. Yuma became the head of navigation for steamboats operating on the river. Port Isabel was abandoned in 1879.
External Links
- http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~1751~180038:Official-Map-Of-The-Territory-Of-Ar?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:Official%2BMap%2BOf%2BThe%2BTerritory%2BOf%2BArizona;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=4&trs=6 Official Map Of The Territory Of Arizona, With All The Recent Explorations. Compiled by Richard Gird C.E. Commissioner. Approved By John N. Goodwin, Governor. In Accordance With An Act Of The Legislature, Approved Oct. 23d. 1864. We hereby certify that this is the Official Map of the Territory of Arizona, and approve the same. Prescott October 12th 1865. (with signed seal dated 1863). Published By A. Gensoul, Pacific Map Depot. No. 511 Montgomery St. San Francisco. Lith. Britton & Co. San Francisco.. Accessed from www.davidrumsey.com, December 1, 1865.] Shows location of Port Isabel, Sonora an other landings along the Colorado River, 1865.