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The city and port of Tampico has had since its foundation on April 1823 an important mercantile tradition that started on November 23rd, 1824 thanks to the parliamentary act by the President Guadalupe Victoria, this city could start Maritime trade.
With the establishment of supply deposits from overseas, it began to become a reality the maritime trade that at the time was concentrated at the port of Veracruz (virtually a monopoly). At the same time the foreign trade of Mexico began to be handled instead of Spain by other countries, mainly Great Britain and United States which consequently brought a change in the variety of the import merchandises. The commercial activity of the city started on the corner of the Ribera and Muelle Streets where there was a bell attached to a pole with a guardsman that played it daily at three o’clock in the morning at the parish’ clock. At this moment the owners of the commercial establishment that sold grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables began to arrive and the commercial houses opened to the public for business. The place was full of people that came to shop from this hour until 10 AM when the guardsman played again the bell and the mobile shops closed leaving only the commercial establishment that closed until 9 PM. In spite of some disadvantages, Tampico’s privileged geographic location made it to become the second port in importance of the Gulf of Mexico and the country. At that time (1839) this city was a required stop for the merchandise from Europe that were sent immediately to the north and center markets of Mexico and for this reason several branches or agencies from reputable commercial franchises from France, Spain, and Germany were established and sent their merchandises to a wide variety of markets.
Since 1836, Tampico has lived an economic prosperity due to its port activity and the commercial trade with the northern and center Mexico that increased from 1838 and 1843 when Veracruz was blocked by the French navy. Between 1839 and 1866 several small consumer oriented commercial establishment opened in Tampico managed mainly by Spaniards, who specialized in textiles while the French established commerce in hardware, toys, dry goods, hat shops, perfumes, restaurants and hotels that offered products from several countries like cotton from the United States, wines and silks from France, hardware goods from Germany as well as iron and textile goods from England that place Tampico in an important trade center as Mexico city. At that time, there was a place known as “Plaza de los Arrieros” defined by the Altomonte, Artesanos, Tamaulipas and Jazmines streets where people gathered to trade their merchandises into other goods to better suited to transport to other places in the interior of the country, the site was surrounded by warehouses and restaurants. In 1856 or 1858 a line of British steamships was established, commonly known as “paquetes Ingleses” that were subsidized by Queen Victoria of England. These arrived to the docks every 28th of each month and brought mail, passengers and freight for the mines. This commercial mail received every 28th of the month was answered until the 28th of the following. For 1869, there was a new line of steamships from the US that was named “De Alexander” and called on New York, La Habana, Progreso, Veracruz, Tampico and New Orleans arriving every eight days improving the mail, passenger and freight services. In 1845 in the middle of the economic boom, the city had 5,078 inhabitants of which only 14 lived from their profession as medics, lawyers, pharmacists, etc. being the main activity the commercial trade. The support given to commerce by the Mexican banks controlled mainly by French citizens was important and in 1895 it was inaugurated a branch from Banco Nacional de Mexico which added to the existing branches from two other banks.
Among the local commercial establishments existing in 1899 and the early 1900’s are: Los Precios de Francia, founded in 1881 by Messers Cruz and Amorevieta, located on the Aduana and Diaz Mirón Streets; La Barata situated on the corner of Aduana and Ribera Streets, in front of the Liberty Square property of Diego de la Lastra & Co.; La Casa de Comisiones de Don José Ignacio Isusi, custom’s office and shipping of merchandises among the best in town; La Moda, clothes and merchandises warehouse property of Don Avelino Rodríguez; La Ferretería La Fama that belonged at the beginning of the century to Don Pedro Peredo; La Casa de Comisiones de Don Miguel Haro; La Unión, pharmacy and consultants from Pascual Di Bella and Bernabé Barrios that sold since 1897 prescription medications from Europe and the United States; La Fábrica de Fundición of Nicolás del Campo; La Casa Portela y Jiménez that traded in books, paper goods on one side and tailor goods on the other; J. Prom Sucrs. Founded in 1824 and later property of Messers Pedro and Luis Assemat, La Campana de Oro, hardware located on the Ribera and Muelle Streets; El Comanche, originally owned by Don Ángel Sáinz Trápaga and later by Don Luciano Fernández; Las Novedades belonging to Cesáreo Fernández and brother situated on the side of the Post Office building; the Droguería La Nueva, La Casa Autrey or Botica Americana de Autrey and Autrey located on the corner of Fray Andrés de Olmos and Francisco I Madero Streets; the Botica from Felipe González and sons at the Muelle Street in front of the Liberty Square. By 1900 there were more than 400 commercial establishments in the city of several mercantile varieties. In 1910 the city had more than 10 hotels, at the lower level of the Hotel Southern located on Aduana and Comercio Streets it was inaugurated on 1907 the pharmacy and refreshments store Sanborn’s predecessor of the one that opened its gates in Mexico City. The port’s sound economy allowed its inhabitants to reach a higher living standard, the community reached very soon the characteristics of a urban community, the upper classes was composed of Spanish descendants proprietors of cattle haciendas and important commercial businesses and controlled the import export trade of the city. The next class was that made by the professionals, the higher rank employees of the commercial establishments and government officials. The most numerous was composed by the blue collar workers, the small business owners like bakeries, small restaurants, butcher shops, etc. During his administration (1897-1911) Don Porfírio Diaz, President of Mexico, committed himself to promote the economic development through foreign investment. Railroads and other port works were built being Tampico one of the most benefited cities in Mexico with the modernization by the works done that still can be seen today. Having strengthened its port infrastructure placed this port in the second of importance of Mexico bringing a considerable increase in the shipping and cargo business, becoming competitive at the beginnings of the XX Century when the oil boom hit the region.
Prosperity allowed the city with better entertainment options. Popular dances were celebrated under lighted poles outdoors, while the upper classes took place inside the homes of the wealthy families and inside the elegant saloons of the Casino Tampiqueño, founded in 1890 (known before as the Lonja Mercantil), and the Colonial Club and the Centro Español that were in 1910 the reunion places for the elite of the community. This commercial boom continued in the region during the oil boom (1907-1927) and started to decline on January 1927 when e new law was passed two years ago. The economy of the region was seriously affected when the maritime activity declined due to the nationalization of the oil industry by the then President Lázaro Cárdenas on March 18th, 1938. In spite of the ups and downs in the commercial and port activities, Tampico has been since its foundation an important commercial center and an important gate for the foreign trade due to its privileged geographic situation and its proximity to the United States. Today commerce is the activity that generates the most employment and the most important component in the net internal product, growing every day the number of commercial establishments incorporated that had made this city a required site for many customers that come from municipalities and states nearby. |
Articles from our 14th Edition Tampico, victim of Pirates, Bucaneers, and Privateers
León Trotsky in Tampico
New Street Names
Tampico Wakeboard City
Tajín Summit
Convention Center
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