The ship that almost rewrote Texas history

Friday, June 11, 2021
BAY CITY, Texas (KTRK) -- The Matagorda County Museum in Bay City is open to visitors interested in learning more about an unexpected discovery that gave the museum international recognition.

The La Belle was a French ship that crashed in 1685.

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It was discovered in Matagorda Bay in 1995 and excavated with the help of volunteers.

Today, you can find the preserved artifacts at the museum.

"Matagorda County is a very important county as far as Texas history goes," said Museum Director Barbara Smith. "If the French had been successful, Texas would have been a whole other state at this point. This story has literally re-written some of our history books."



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COVID-19 restrictions are still in place at the small museum.

If you'd like to visit, you can check out their website www.thestoryoftexas.com for more information:
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