The real story of the FONATUR Marina

[El Graduado]

Are you able to tell me where the proposed parking area will be located?
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Looking at the original proposal, they have some lots scattered around plus a lot of parallel parking planed on the streets. I marked the lots in red. Whether or not they stick to the plan, or just scrap parking altogether, remains to be seen.

 

[Sloeber]

That's what I figured, thanks. They haven't even begun work on those areas, all of which are basically overgrown with trees and shrubs.

 

[cvchief]

Just because it is so topical: BUMP.

 

[DandyDon]

Texas had several opportunities to own the whole peninsula. Sam Houston was never interested tho, and finally sold off the Texian naval fleet, charging commander in chief of the navy of the Republic of Texas Moore with disobedience and piracy.

 

[El Graduado]

Texas had several opportunities to own the whole peninsula.

That’s an interesting statement. I have not read anywhere that Texas had opportunities to own the entire peninsula. Can you follow it up with some particulars?

I know that soon after Texas defeated Santa Ana and achieved independence in 1836, the new Republic of Texas commissioned a handful of privateers to harass Mexican shipping and there were a few confrontations along the coast of Yucatan between small Mexican vessels and these privateers, but these were only isolated encounters. Later, the newly-formed Texas Navy sent a couple of its vessels to Yucatan and they raided a few villages and towns along the north coast of Yucatan, but there was no real effort ever made to occupy any of them. Not long after that, an alliance was formed between Texas and Yucatan when Yucatan declared its independence from Mexico in 1841.

I am aware that Sam Houston and a handful of his associates formed a partnership in September of 1841 in Galveston with the stated goal of purchasing Cozumel from Yucatan (though not the entire peninsula) for 100,000.00 USD. Although George Fisher went to Merida with the down payment and received a contract for deed in return, the deal fell through when the bank in New Orleans, which was holding the rest of the purchase price, went belly up.

Later, in May 1842, Houston made a veiled reference regarding Texas’ ability to “take” Cozumel Island by force of arms in a private conversation with Alphonse Dubois de Saligny, charge d’affairs to King Louis Philippe of France, who sent a report of the conversation back to France via diplomatic pouch. This appears to have been only a hypothetical, floated by Houston to see if Saligny would rise to the bait, when Houston was negotiating with France for a five million dollar loan. I am unaware of any subsequent efforts on the part of the government of the Republic of Texas to acquire land or territory in Yucatan.

There were a couple of odd-ball incidents where some Texas Navy enlisted men felt (rightly or wrongly) that if they were to stake a claim on Cozumel, their “homestead” would be granted to them by the Yucatan government in return for the service they provided earlier in protecting Yucatan from an invasion by Santa Ana’s troops, but none of these mariners’ pipe-dreams ever came to fruition.

 

[cvchief]

See? I knew bumping this post would be interesting!

 

[DandyDon]

That’s an interesting statement. I have not read anywhere that Texas had opportunities to own the entire peninsula. Can you follow it up with some particulars?

I suppose I exaggerated there. For one, I often confuse what I read about the state of Yucatan vs the peninsula bearing the same name. I recall a Mayan revolt in which the governor offered the territory to any country that would reestablish control, but I suppose that was the state - with Campeche and Quintana Roo hardly considered prizes in the 1800s.

Commander in chief of the navy of the Republic of Texas Edwin Ward Moore, under Texas president Lamar, established the rewarding Texas-Yucatán Treaty with the local governor along with your previously mentioned Captain James D. Boylan. But then Houston again became Texas president and things went to pieces from there. Sam did not want a Navy, and Edwin did not want to do anything Sam ordered.

Edwin ended up in New York, buried in Pennsylvania, and honored only by the name of a county north of Amarillo. It seems he did end up with a widow who left a nice headstone on his grave mentioning his role as Texas Commodore - in Pennsylvania.

In the long run, I don't guess Texas would have done much with any part of the peninsula, even tho Mexico didn't seem to be interested in most of it. Isla Cancun was later developed as an answer to Texas beaches with our old fashioned drinking laws and such. Too bad we didn't hang onto Cozumel, but without cotton, beef, or oil - it just wasn't our kind of place to own.

 

[cvchief]

I suppose I exaggerated there.

...says the Texican.

I think it is required by state law?

 

[El Graduado]

I recall a Mayan revolt in which the governor offered the territory to any country that would reestablish control, but I suppose that was the state - with Campeche and Quintana Roo hardly considered prizes in the 1800s.

In the long run, I don't guess Texas would have done much with any part of the peninsula, even tho Mexico didn't seem to be interested in most of it.

In 1847 an internal conflict now known as the War of the Castes was raging through the Yucatán Peninsula. By early 1848, the non-Maya living on the peninsula were facing total annihilation. As a last-ditch effort, on May 25, 1848, Yucatán’s Governor Santiago Méndez sent identical letters to Spain, Great Britain and the United States offering up the sovereignty over Yucatán (which at that time comprised all of today’s states of Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo) to whichever nation could save them from the Maya Cruzoob rebels’ wrath. US President Polk rejected the offer, but then invoked the Monroe Doctrine, warning all European nations to stay out of the conflict. Shortly after that, Governor Méndez resigned and Miguel Barbachano became the new governor. Barbachano reissued the offer and included a new letter offering their sovereignty to Cuba, but the threat of retaliation by the US kept any nation from accepting the offer. Yucatán was left to win or lose the war on its own. In late 1848, it surrendered its sovereignty to Mexico in return for military aid and was thus reincorporated into the Mexican Republic. The War of the Castes drug on until 1918.

As far as cotton is concerned, Cozumel was exporting cotton to the US as early as 1830. The high quality fiber produced on the island got top prices on the American market. Just last week, I picked a few ripe cotton bolls from what I assume were volunteer plants on the Transversal. Tobacco grown from Cuban seed was also a major export of Cozumel’s, but it was always packaged with labels provided by Cuba and sold as authentic Cuban cigars and cigarettes. Volunteer tobacco plants spring up in nearly every available dirt patch on the island to this day.

 

[DandyDon]

In 1847 an internal conflict now known as the War of the Castes was raging through the Yucatán Peninsula. By early 1848, the non-Maya living on the peninsula were facing total annihilation. As a last-ditch effort, on May 25, 1848, Yucatán’s Governor Santiago Méndez sent identical letters to Spain, Great Britain and the United States offering up the sovereignty over Yucatán (which at that time comprised all of today’s states of Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo) to whichever nation could save them from the Maya Cruzoob rebels’ wrath.

Ok, at that time it did include all of the peninsula. But Texas sold off its Navy in 1843 and Commodore Moore surrendered his ships in Galveston to start fighting the Republic for back pay. Sam Houston wanted Texas to join the union, his plan all along.

Yucatán was left to win or lose the war on its own. In late 1848, it surrendered its sovereignty to Mexico in return for military aid and was thus reincorporated into the Mexican Republic. The War of the Castes drug on until 1918.

Looking back at times over the 1800s, Mexico never did seem to take the peninsula too seriously, but they they were dealing with Spain, France, Texas, the US, rebels on the mainland, and other insurrections enough that they kept taking Santa Anna back over and over. By 1916 Pancho Villa was invading the Big Bend of Texas along with his surviving officers and soldiers, with Wilson send General Pershing down to kick butt in northern Mexico, followed by others on other invasions. I think there was some German activity there then, and the Germans really wanted the US and Mexico to go to war again to keep the US out of WWI.

As far as cotton is concerned, Cozumel was exporting cotton to the US as early as 1830. The high quality fiber produced on the island got top prices on the American market. Just last week, I picked a few ripe cotton bolls from what I assume were volunteer plants on the Transversal. Tobacco grown from Cuban seed was also a major export of Cozumel’s, but it was always packaged with labels provided by Cuba and sold as authentic Cuban cigars and cigarettes. Volunteer tobacco plants spring up in nearly every available dirt patch on the island to this day.

I'm sure some slash & burn farming could be done on the island, but not very intensively for very long before only bedrock would be left over a spoiled aquifer. Besides the Boll Weevil would stop any big production there. I bet you can grow cotton as a perennial ornamental plant.