James Power (empresario)
Encyclopedia
James Power was an Irish-born Texan empresario
, politician and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
, known for the land grant he received with partner James Hewetson that included the coastal area between the mouths of the Guadalupe
and Nueces River
s, as well as his founding and service as the first mayor of the Aransas City
settlement. He often represented Refugio County during statewide conventions.
in County Wexford, Ireland. In 1809, he relocated to New Orleans, where he labored as a merchant for the next twelve years. During his time in New Orleans, Power met with Stephen F. Austin
, who notified him of the land grant (empresario) offerings from the Mexican
government. Hoping to cash in on the opportunity, he moved to Saltillo via Matamoros
in 1821, and became a citizen of Mexico. During his stay in Saltillo, he was employed in the mining equipment industry and entered into a partnership with merchant and fellow Irishman James Hewetson.
s. The next year, Power and Hewetson requested more land and their holdings were extended west to the Nueces River, which included Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission. Ownership disputes with other empresarios forced Power and Hewetson to cede some land east of the Guadalupe River and the new eastern boundary was drawn at Coleto Creek
.
In 1833, Power returned to Ireland and searched for potential settlers of his colony. He convinced 350 individuals to travel with him to Texas to begin a settlement with promises of large plots of land. The immigrants traveled in two group with the first scheduled to land in New Orleans in April and the next scheduled for May. After the first group arrived in New Orleans, many of the settlers were struck with cholera
and died. An additional lot were infected with cholera during the voyage from New Orleans to Texas, and died at the landing in Copano
. These who survived either remained in Copano or traveled to the Refugio Mission, where they formed a settlement with Mexican colonists. In 1835, Hewetson sold his share of the empresario to Power and returned to Mexico. The land claims were eventually deemed invalid by the new Republic of Texas
and designated as property of the state.
around 1835, and was a part of the Lipantitlán expedition that led to the Battle of Lipantitlán
. He also was present at the Convention of 1836
and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence
as a representative of Refugio County. During the convention, he convinced his fellow members to seat Sam Houston
as President, and helped draft the Constitution of the Republic of Texas
. Afterwards, he was sent to New Orleans to retrieve supplies for the Texas army, and assisted the ultimate victory.
to establish the settlement of Aransas City
near Power's home on Live Oak Peninsula, just north of present day Fulton
. He established a post office, wharf and customhouse at the site, which grew into a valued port and settlement of about 500 people. Power served as the town's first mayor following incorporation in 1839. However, the town declined after Lamar
was established nearby, and President Mirabeau B. Lamar
, a political opponent of Sam Houston, whom Power supported, decided to strip Aransas City of its customhouse and present it to Lamar.
Power served on the Second Congress for Refugio County during the 1845 Convention that decided to approve the United State's annexation of Texas.
Power died on August 15, 1852, and was buried near his house, but was later reinterred at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Refugio
. The site of his house was designated as a historical landmark in 1936.
Empresario
An empresario was a person who, in the early years of the settlement of Texas, had been granted the right to settle on Mexican land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for new settlers. The word is Spanish for entrepreneur.- Background :...
, politician and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
, known for the land grant he received with partner James Hewetson that included the coastal area between the mouths of the Guadalupe
Guadalupe River
Guadalupe River may refer to:*Guadalupe River *Guadalupe River *Guadalupe River *Guadalupe River , in southern Spain*Guadalope, a river in northern Spain...
and Nueces River
Nueces River
The Nueces River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas, approximately long. It drains a region in central and southern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the southernmost major river in Texas northeast of the Rio Grande...
s, as well as his founding and service as the first mayor of the Aransas City
Aransas City, Texas
Aransas City is a ghost town on the tip of the Live Oak Peninsula in Aransas County, Texas near present-day Fulton. It served as a port on Aransas Bay at its confluence with Copano Bay during the 1830s and 1840s, but declined following its loss of a Republic of Texas customhouse to the rival port...
settlement. He often represented Refugio County during statewide conventions.
Early life
Power was born either in 1788 or 1789 at the small rural village of BallygarrettBallygarrett
Ballygarrett is a rural village in the southeastern corner of Ireland. It is situated in County Wexford south of Gorey on the R742 regional road. It is twinned with Refugio, Texas....
in County Wexford, Ireland. In 1809, he relocated to New Orleans, where he labored as a merchant for the next twelve years. During his time in New Orleans, Power met with Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
, who notified him of the land grant (empresario) offerings from the Mexican
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...
government. Hoping to cash in on the opportunity, he moved to Saltillo via Matamoros
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
in 1821, and became a citizen of Mexico. During his stay in Saltillo, he was employed in the mining equipment industry and entered into a partnership with merchant and fellow Irishman James Hewetson.
Empresario
After forming the partnership, Power and Hewetson applied for an empresario with the Mexican government in 1825 to begin a colony on the Texas coast with Mexican and Irish families. The original 1826 application requested for a grant between the Nueces and Sabine Rivers, but in 1828, the Mexican government instead offered the strip of land between the Guadalupe and Lavaca RiverLavaca River
The Lavaca River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. It begins in the northeastern part of Gonzales County, and travels generally southeast for 115 miles until it empties into Lavaca Bay, which is a component of Matagorda Bay.-History:...
s. The next year, Power and Hewetson requested more land and their holdings were extended west to the Nueces River, which included Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission. Ownership disputes with other empresarios forced Power and Hewetson to cede some land east of the Guadalupe River and the new eastern boundary was drawn at Coleto Creek
Coleto Creek
Coleto Creek is a river in Texas. It runs through the small town of Yorktown, Texas. It feeds the Coleto Creek Reservoir. It's mouth is at the Guadalupe River.-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Texas...
.
In 1833, Power returned to Ireland and searched for potential settlers of his colony. He convinced 350 individuals to travel with him to Texas to begin a settlement with promises of large plots of land. The immigrants traveled in two group with the first scheduled to land in New Orleans in April and the next scheduled for May. After the first group arrived in New Orleans, many of the settlers were struck with cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
and died. An additional lot were infected with cholera during the voyage from New Orleans to Texas, and died at the landing in Copano
Copano, Texas
Copano, Texas or El Copano is a ghost town on the northwestern shore of Copano Bay in Refugio County. It is located north of present day Bayside, on Copano Point. The port, which holds the distinction as the first in South Texas, was founded in the early 18th century by the Spanish, and named for...
. These who survived either remained in Copano or traveled to the Refugio Mission, where they formed a settlement with Mexican colonists. In 1835, Hewetson sold his share of the empresario to Power and returned to Mexico. The land claims were eventually deemed invalid by the new Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
and designated as property of the state.
Texas Independence
Power became involved in the struggle for Texas IndependenceTexas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
around 1835, and was a part of the Lipantitlán expedition that led to the Battle of Lipantitlán
Battle of Lipantitlán
The Battle of Lipantitlán, also known as the Battle of Nueces Crossing, was fought along the Nueces River on November 4, 1835 between the Mexican Army and Texian insurgents, as part of the Texas Revolution...
. He also was present at the Convention of 1836
Convention of 1836
The Convention of 1836 was the meeting of elected delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas in March 1836. The Texas Revolution had begun five months previously, and the interim government, known as the Consultation, had wavered over whether to declare independence from Mexico or pledge to...
and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
as a representative of Refugio County. During the convention, he convinced his fellow members to seat Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
as President, and helped draft the Constitution of the Republic of Texas
Constitution of the Republic of Texas
The Constitution of the Republic of Texas was written in 1836 between the fall of the Alamo Mission in San Antonio and Sam Houston's stunning victory at San Jacinto. The constitution was written quickly and while on the run from Santa Anna....
. Afterwards, he was sent to New Orleans to retrieve supplies for the Texas army, and assisted the ultimate victory.
Later endeavors
In 1837, Power partnered with former Texas Governor Henry SmithHenry Smith (Texas Governor)
Henry Smith was first American-born Governor of the Mexican territory of Texas and briefly presided over the revolution there.-Early life:...
to establish the settlement of Aransas City
Aransas City, Texas
Aransas City is a ghost town on the tip of the Live Oak Peninsula in Aransas County, Texas near present-day Fulton. It served as a port on Aransas Bay at its confluence with Copano Bay during the 1830s and 1840s, but declined following its loss of a Republic of Texas customhouse to the rival port...
near Power's home on Live Oak Peninsula, just north of present day Fulton
Fulton, Texas
Fulton is a town in Aransas County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, this South Texas coastal fishing community had a population of 1,553...
. He established a post office, wharf and customhouse at the site, which grew into a valued port and settlement of about 500 people. Power served as the town's first mayor following incorporation in 1839. However, the town declined after Lamar
Lamar, Texas
Lamar is a small, unincorporated community in Aransas County, Texas , ten miles north of Rockport and forty miles north of Corpus Christi. The community was named for Mirabeau B. Lamar, the second president of the Republic of Texas....
was established nearby, and President Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar was a Texas politician, diplomat and soldier who was a leading Texas political figure during the Texas Republic era. He was the second President of the Republic of Texas, after David G. Burnet and Sam Houston.-Early years:Lamar grew up at Fairfield, his father's...
, a political opponent of Sam Houston, whom Power supported, decided to strip Aransas City of its customhouse and present it to Lamar.
Power served on the Second Congress for Refugio County during the 1845 Convention that decided to approve the United State's annexation of Texas.
Personal life and death
In 1832, Power married Dolores de la Portilla, the daughter of Spanish colonizer Felipe Roque de la Portilla, and had two children. He later married his wife's sister following her death, and had five additional children.Power died on August 15, 1852, and was buried near his house, but was later reinterred at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Refugio
Refugio, Texas
Refugio is a town in Refugio County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,941 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Refugio County. Although the town's name is derived from Spanish, a vast majority of the town's residents pronounce it re-fury-oh. The Spanish pronunciation is...
. The site of his house was designated as a historical landmark in 1936.