Tampico

Tampico is located in the southern tip of the State of Tamaulipas, on the left side of the Pánuco River and only 10 kilometers away from the Gulf of Mexico. To the north it borders with the City of Altamira and to the east with the City of Madero. The three of them form the Metropolitan Zone or are. To the south, the Pánuco River is the natural border with the State of Veracruz.

History

The word Tampico has its origins from the huasteca's words Tam, meaning, "place of" and Piko "water dogs" referring to the otters that populated the region in the precolombine era. The roots of Tampico or "Native Tampico" date back to the first huasteca tribes thatestablished at the margins of the Pánuco River. Later, in 1532, Fray Andrés de Olmos under the constant attacks from pirates, offer the natives his protection and it is then that on 26 April, 1554 initiates the   foundation of a monastery from the Order of Saint Francis, forming the Colonial Tampico or Villa de San Luis de Tampico.

The frequent trips of Fray Andrés did not stop the abuses from the pirates, for this reason they emigrated changing their residence to different places along the Tamesí River. This was the Tampico Joya. Given the hardship of the living conditions, that motivated them to vote for either leaving or staying at this site, founding a new Villa on January 15th, 1754 with the name of Villa de San Luis de Tampico a.k.a. Villa de San Salvador, today's known as Tampico Alto, Veracruz.

During colonial times, the salt mining operations fueled the economic development of the region and favored the maritime commerce. For this reason, the inhabitants of the town of Altamira deemed necessary to create a new custom to be located in the heights of the old Tampico. It was then that on April 12th, 1823 the modern Tampico was founded with the name of Santa Anna de Tampico, becoming this city the main port of supply for the northeastern part of the country.

Tampico, once past the Independence war, became a population center but always under constant intervention from foreign powers. First, with the invasion by Spanish troops under Brigadier Isidro Barradas who signed his surrender at this city on September 11th, 1829 and then by American troops that entered the city unopposed on February 1847. On March 28th, 1861 the troops rebelled and proposed all Mexicans to fight against the invaders, the Spanish, French and British who formed a triple alliance.   At the end of 1862, the French general Forey orders his troops to disembark in Tampico and receives a promise of payment. When this promise was not met, Forey orders (January 1863) to leave Tampico, coming back on July 10th. When the news from the fall of Tampico in the hands of the French army reach Pedro J. Méndez, he establish his army in Rancho Nuevo, between Altamira and the sea and puts siege to Tampico. After several bloody battles and the surrender of the French, an armistice is signed signaling the end of the French occupation of Tampico.

April 17th, 1890; sees the introduction of the railroad, bringing vast improvements to the port system. The construction of a breakwave structure at the juncture of the Pánuco River with the Gulf of Mexico and a lighthouse, as well as the construction of the new building for the maritime customs office. This commerce entered a crisis in 1900; this brought the need to attract new foreign investors. The new foreign investment came in the form of oil exploration , which was found in oil fields near Tampico. This gave birth to an "oil boom" that brought many changes to the region.