were granted the land between the Lavaca River and the Nueces River as empresarios in 1825, to create an Irish and Mexican settlement. However, in 1828, the settlement was restricted to only include the area between the Guadalupe River and Lavaca. Although this restriction was reversed in 1829, land disputes with local citizens and hostilities between the Texians and Mexicans prevented any colonization attempts at Copano. After signing the Texas Declaration of Independence and winning independence from Mexico, Power established a permanent settlement at Copano in 1836. The house of Joseph E. Plummer is believed to be the first of nearly a dozen homes that had been constructed, using oyster-shell concrete (shellcrete) obtained from Copano Beach. Power was completing a two-story house of his own at the site prior to his death in 1852. A school was built, as was a post office, which was used until 1864. Three wharves were built on the bay front to accommodate traders contributing to the prosperity of the settlement; their primary goods included cotton, hides, and tallow. Decline During the American Civil War, Copano continued to flourish, unlike other blockaded Confederate ports, because of its location on a point, which allowed goods to be shipped without being noticed by the Union forces. This came to an end in 1864, when a Union fleet anchored just off Copano, causing the settlers to leave for several days. After several failed attempts to build railroads to Goliad and San Antonio, and trouble maintaining a supply of fresh water, most settlers relocated to Refugio. The abandonment was complete by 1888 after a wave of destructive hurricanes. Remains The ruins of Copano can be accessed from the shore of Bayside by watercraft. However, it is currently located on private property owned by the descendants of empresarios. A historical marker was placed at the site in 1936, but was relocated south at Bayside Park, after nearly falling into Copano Bay during a 1978 storm. An archeological survey by the TAMU Kingsville field school in 2005 found a cistern along with 10 shellcrete homes on the edge of a cliff off Copano Bay. The study concluded that the ruins would soon fall into the bay, noting that the shoreline had receded since 1935. The Plummer residence is believed to have already sunk to the bottom of the bay. Copano is currently named as one of Texas's most endangered historical sites.