THE HISTORY OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS

The history of Corpus Christi goes back several centuries. During the U.S. and Mexico War Corpus was a frontier outpost. The Confederate Army and Union Forces fought at the Battle of Corpus Christi during the 1860s. The cattle industry was born in Corpus Christi's backyard when Richard King and Mifflin Kenedy founded the King Ranch.

So, how did Corpus Christi, "The Body of Christ," get its name? Well, legend has it that the city was named after the bay. Although there is little evidence to support this claim. It's said that Corpus Christi Bay was named after the Spanish explorer Alonzo Alverez de Pineda when he sailed into the bay on the feast day of Corpus Christi in 1519.

Henry Kinney, said to be the founder of Corpus Christi, established the earliest known settlement along the bluff sometime around 1839. He named his settlement Kinney's Rancho. Two years after he built his trading post, he began calling his settlement Corpus Christi. Henry Kinney was shot to death in 1862 in Matamoros, Mexico.

A few more notable people in the history of Corpus Christi worth mentioning are Mat Nolan, Norwick Gussett, Felix A. von Blucher, Frederick Belden, and Perry Doddridge.

Mat Nolan came to Corpus in 1845. After the war, he and his brother became Texas Rangers. In 1858 Mat was elected Sheriff of Nueces County. Mat was killed by two Union supporters on Mesquite Street. Mesquite Street is located in downtown Corpus to this day.

Norwick Gussett was a sergeant in the Mexican War and came to Corpus to begin a freight line. He became a wealthy merchant, banker, and rancher. He owned on of the city's largest wool warehouses. Gussett also owned a fleet of schooners. His schooners were used to carry wool and hides to New York and to bring back merchandise for his store.

Felix A. von Blucher was a major in the Confederate Army and captain of artillery. He designed defenses on the Texas coast and took part in the Battle of Corpus Christi in 1862. Blucher was responsible for the design of Nueces County's first courthouse. Construction on the courthouse began in 1853. It took three years to complete.

Frederick Belden moved to Corpus Christi with is wife, Mauricia Arocha, in the early 1840s. Belden served on Nueces County's first commissioners court.

An Alabama orphan, Perry Doddridge became a successful businessman in Corpus during the 1860s. Doddridge, along with A.M. Davis, opened the Doddridge and Davis Bank on Chaparral Street in 1871. Doddridge also served as mayor and county commissioner.

These individuals are still present in modern day Corpus. Several streets are named after these early Corpus Christi figures. For instance, Kinney Street and Belden Street. It's just a shot in the dark, but I imagine that Doddridge Road is named after Perry Doddridge.

That's about it for the early history of Corpus Christi. If you would like some information added or if a correction is needed, please let me know. If you come across some interesting fact, please contact me. Just fill out the contact form.

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