TAMAULIPAS. 
Until near the middle of the eighteenth century the littoral region north of 
Tampico, though belonging nominally to Nuevo Leon, was unoccupied and 
little known. About 1748 Col. José de Escandon established in this region 
the colony of Nuevo Santander, with its northern boundary at the San 
Antonio River, and including, therefore, a large part of southern Texas, with 
the settlements of Laredo and Dolores. Later the boundary receded to the 
Nueces and then, in 1848, to the Rio Grande. After the revolt from Spain 
the name of Nuevo Santander was changed to Tamaulipas. The provincial 
and state capital, which has undergone some removals, is now at Victoria 
(old Aguayo), which is also the capital of the diocese of Tamaulipas. 
Tamaulipas is in a double sense frontier to the United States, for, besides 
touching the Rio Grande and formerly embracing part of Texas, it presents 
a maritime coast which has afforded an avenue of inter-relations between the 
countries. It is to be noted also that for some time the Franciscan missions 
of Santander and New Mexico formed the single Custodia of Tampico y 
Nuevo México. 
The only archives visited in Tamaulipas were those of the small towns of 
the Rio Grande frontier, but there is good reason to suppose that the state 
archives at Victoria and the maritime towns of Tampico and Soto la Marina 
should contain data of interest. 
THE BORDER TOWNS. 
The local archives of the river towns of northern Tamaulipas preserve 
records of unique value for some purposes. The towns, most of which date 
from the middle of the eighteenth century, when they were founded by 
Escandon, were the seats of missions which drew upon the Indian population 
of both sides of the river. They were also the basis of a considerable ranch- 
ing industry in the area between the Rio Grande and the Nueces, and the 
headquarters of the principal rancheros and land owners. In later times, 
from the day when they were visited by Philip Nolan to the rule of Diaz, 
they were the scene of contraband trade and other border disorders. 
It is not surprising, therefore, that the archives, fragmentary though they 
are in some cases, contain interesting data. The mission records throw val- 
uable light on the distribution of the Rio Grande tribes in the eighteenth and 
early nineteenth centuries ; the parish church records reveal in a striking way 
the conglomerate social structure of the frontier settlements, and, to some 
exent, the movement of population, while the civil records in the ayunta- 
mientos contain important information regarding the history of the early 
settlements, land grants, and ranching interests across the Rio Grande, Indian 
relations, contraband trade, and frontier disturbances of later times. 
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