The Historic Journey of the David Crockett on the Colorado River

Published: December 1, 1994

The David Crockett was a keelboat reported to be the first large craft to navigate the Colorado River. On April 11, 1838, it arrived at the head of "the raft on the Colorado," ten miles above the port of Matagorda in Matagorda County, after averaging more than sixty miles a day of daytime navigation. Cargoes of cotton were unloaded there and carried by wagon around the obstructing raft to Matagorda, where they were loaded on ocean-going vessels for shipment.

William R. Hogan, The Texas Republic: A Social and Economic History (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1946; rpt. 1969).

The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry.

Jeff Carroll, “David Crockett,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed April 11, 2026, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/david-crockett.

TID: ETD02

Original Publication Date:: December 1, 1994

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The Historic Journey of the David Crockett on the Colorado River

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