Traveling to downtown Laredo feels like visiting a different country. Maybe that’s because it was at one point in history! I’m not talking about the fact that Laredo was once part of Mexico (all of Texas was). I’m talking about the lesser-known Republic of the Rio Grande that existed for 11 short months in 1840 with Laredo as its capital.
It’s a story that reads more like a movie and is best explored at its former capitol-turned-museum.
I started my travels in the San Agustin de Laredo Historic District with a chile relleno smothered in queso from El Mesón de San Agustin, a local favorite, and then set out to explore the 269-year-old neighborhood’s adobe buildings surrounding a Spanish-style plaza.
One of the most significant buildings is a simple, single-story structure that was once the capitol of a new nation. Today it’s the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum. I ducked my head as I stepped through the low wooden door frame and was immediately transported back in time.
The story of this short-lived nation starts in 1836, after Texas won its independence from Mexico. Residents between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande sought to quell instability along the border and decided to form their own country made up of the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. The armies of the new nation tried to fend off Mexican President Antonio López de Santa Anna’s forces, but after a betrayal, a beheading and 283 days, the republic ended.
The museum showcases memorabilia from that time with displays, pictures, books and furniture. There are three restored rooms: an office and sitting area, a bedroom, and kitchen. The republic is gone, but I could still feel a spirit of independence permeating the museum and entire town.
