Fort Bend County

Fort Bend County. . American Stephen Fuller Austin in 1821 contracted with the Spanish colonial government to bring in 300 families of settlers to the fertile bottom lands of the lower Colorado and Brazos rivers. Among his original "Old 300" colonists were the adventurers who, in November, 1821, sailed from New Orleans on the schooner Lively. They anchored near the mouth of the Brazos River. In 1822, a party from this group traveled upriver and, on a bluff near a deep bend in the river, built a two-room cabin. This cabin and site became known as both Fort Bend and Fort Settlement., Mexico won independence from Spain, and Texas became a Mexican state. During the war for Texas independence in 1836, many Fort Bend area residents fled from the advancing army of Mexican dictator Santa Anna. Segments of this army crossed the area prior to the Texan triumph at the Battle of San Jacinto and crossed again in retreat., In May 1837, the Republic of Texas incorporated Richmond along with 18 other original cities and in December 1837, established Fort Bend County. Richmond was made the county seat in January 1838., Captions , Lower Left: Early Settlements Map, Courtesy of Texas General Land Office , Lower Middle: Newspaper Advertisement, 1837 , Upper Right: 1906 Fort Bend County Map, Courtesy of Texas General Land Office