Tamaulipas continued to govern Nueces strip during after Republic of Texas came into being

Even after, the Republic of Texas came upon the scene, the state of Tamaulipas maintained governmental control of the Nueces strip and continued with its practice of populating the area by granting land to settlers.

On July 26, 1836, the state of Tamaulipas deeded to Vicente Ynojosa Las Anacuas grant, consisting of three sitios or 15,469,250 squares. It was located on the “Arroyo de las Anacuas,” a tributary of the Santa Gertrudis creek, 47 miles west, southwest of Corpus Christi.

Two months later, on September 24, 1836, the state of Tamaulipas placed Santos Flores in possession of the Agua Poquita grant. The corners to the grant were designated as Lindero de Guajolote, Lindero de San Rafael, Lindero de Don Marcelo, and San Juan del Mezquital.

When a surveyor came around in 1850 to once again clarify title after two more wars–the Texas War of Independence and the United States war with Mexico–older citizens and adjoining landowners pointed details to the surveyor, who was already aware that the grant had been in possession of original grantor, his heirs, and the claimant since 1831, except when through attacks and incursions by Indians when they were forced to a temporary abandonment for protection of their lives.

Quite fittingly, the grant was located on the Agua Poquita creek, branch of Los Olmos, about 65 miles west, southwest of Corpus Christi. The road to Laredo crossed through its southern part. The road from Mier to San Diego also crossed it at the southeast tip of the grant. The two roads intersected at the border of Agua Poquita and Andrés García’s San Andrés grant. An old map shows Rancho La Felicidad in southeast section of the grant on the Mier to San Diego road.

Andrés García received his deed to San Andrés on the same day Santos Flores received title to Agua Poquita. San Andrés included five leagues or 5,099,300 square varas. It was situated on the Agua Poquita creek, about 65 miles of Corpus Christi or about 19 miles west of San Diego. The San Diego road traversed the grant from southwest to northeast and the road to Laredo crossed through it from east to west. The two roads intersected at Los Indios ranch on the mid western side of the grant. The Agua Poquita creek passed through the grant at its southernmost section and the Anacuas creek did the same at its northeast end.