The San Antonio and Mexican Gulf Railroad (SA&MG) was a railroad set up in 1850 to connect the city of

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

to the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

. The railroad survived the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

and merged with the Indianola Railroad into the Gulf, Western Texas and Pacific Railway in 1871.

History of the road

The SA&MG was chartered on September 5, 1850, with plans to connect Lavaca, Texas, later changed to Port Lavaca, Texas to San Antonio. Trackwork began in 1856, and a line was completed to

Victoria, Texas Victoria is a small city in South Texas and county seat of Victoria County, Texas. The population was 65,534 as of the 2020 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 as of the 2000 censu ...

in April, 1861, when the Civil War broke out. Among the founders of the railroad were German-born railroad engineer

Gustav Schleicher Gustav Schleicher (sometimes spelled Gustave) (November 19, 1823 – January 10, 1879) was a German-born Democratic United States Representative from Texas. He was an engineer who served briefly in the Texas legislature, and was a veteran ...

and

Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia seceded ...

who was an army officer stationed in San Antonio, who would later be a

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

in the

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

army.''Handbook of Texas Online''. Texas State Historical Association.
/ref> To facilitate the construction of a railroad from the Gulf to San Antonio, the SA&MG received of land from the State.

During the Civil War

Confederate General

John B. Magruder John Bankhead Magruder (May 1, 1807 – February 18, 1871) was an American and Confederate military officer. A graduate of West Point, Magruder served with distinction during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and was a prominent Confede ...

ordered the destruction of the San Antonio and Mexican Gulf to prevent its falling into the hands of enemy forces.
The railroad was rebuilt by the United States government in 1865-66.

End of the road

The San Antonio and Mexican Gulf never did connect to the Gulf coast, stopping short in Victoria. On August 4, 1870, the Texas legislature authorized the consolidation of two rail lines, the Indianola Railroad Company and the San Antonio and Mexican Gulf Railroad Company, into a new corporation to be called the Gulf, Western Texas and Pacific Railway.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:San Antonio Mexican Gulf Railroad Defunct Texas railroads Railway companies established in 1850 Railway companies disestablished in 1871 Predecessors of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company 5 ft 6 in gauge railways in the United States