Floods on the Brazos River uses Rosharon, Texas [FM 1462 crossing of the Brazos river] as a guaging point for historic water levels. This page has a history of some major floods in Texas.

                     Photos of the Brazos River in minor flood stage. Page starts with an Airplane shot of the Brazos River at low water for comparison to the water level in minor flood stage. The trip tarts at Juliff and continues upstream to HWY 90A it Richmond.


Life Yesterday   is the history of Fort Bend County, Texas from the early Angelo American settlers arriving in early 1820, their troubles with nature, with Mexico and the fighting for the Republic of  Texas, and the contributions to and the effects of  the American Civil War on Fort Bend county residents. Emphasis is on the efforts of particular individuals. There are towns [communities] listed because they existed and some of those listed don't exist today. The color photographs were taken in the years of early 2000.

                       Definitions of a League, Cito etc     ----------    Class Designations for Settlers 

                       The Shape of the Republic of Texas  -------- Mexican Texas    and   Texas History Timeline

                                                   contain information useful in understanding the political climate of early Texas.

  RUNAWAY SCRAPE by Delue Harris  and  RECOLLECTIONS OF OLD TEXAS DAYS   by Noah Smiyhwick         are books describing the early Texas adventure.

                       Duke, Texas  [marker] is the story of a ghost town in eastern Fort Bend County, Texas. David Fitzgerald and decendents the Fenn family  [marker] and John Rutherford Fenn and Rebecca Matilda Williams Fenn and Daniel Perry  [marker] and  John V. Morton and the Morton Family and The Duke Cemetery and the  Duke Residents that Served the Republic of Texas and  Moses Shipman and his Decendents  and the Twin Cisterns and the Sugar Land Railroad, Destination Duke, Texas are all important contributors to this early community.

                       The Arcola Community  2 1/2 miles south of Duke was a plantation called the Arcola Plantation with the following owners; David Fitzgerald   Owner Until 1840,  John R Fenn  Owner during 1840-1841, Robert G Waters   Owner during 1841-1846,  Johnathan D Waters  Owner during 1846-1872, Thomas Pierce Owner during 1872-1872, ThomasWilliam House  Owner during 1872-1905, Incorporated Owner during 1905-1908,  Thomas Howe Scanlin Owner during 1908-1950,  Scanlan Foundation Owner during 1950- Sienna Plantation   Owner to the  Present.     Arcola Plantation for sale in 1908 is a prospectus for the sale of the plantation. There are black and white photos of the operating plantation. This is a 26 page presentation. Plantation Photos Today are color photos of what remains today. Waters Grave  4 miles West of  Duke.These are color photos of the cemetery where 2 wives of plantation owner [ Johnathan D Waters  Owner during 1846-1872] are buried.

                       Fresno, Texas    2 3/4 miles north of Duke. The town was known as Riceton, Texas                                          and before that it was Malvern, Texas

                   Hawdon, Texas-Ghost town  2 miles  South by SE of  Duke. Photo of one of the earliest Black Churches                                              still operating that was  started in 1870 by freed slaves.

                  House, Texas-Ghost town  2 1/4 miles West of  Duke                  

                  Juliff, Texas  3 3/4 miles South of  Duke. This page shows color photos of the Juluf Gin remains and a                                                house built around 1900. It also has stories from the residents.

                 Trammells, Texas Ghost town  3 3/4 miles west of Duke

                 DeWalt, Texas Ghost town  [marker]  4 1/4 miles west of Duke. There is a link to the DewPlantation home                                                  with color photographs.

                  Dyer, Texas Ghost town  4 miles from Duke

                       HOBBY, TEXAS   Ghost town same location as Blue Ridge, Texas  5 1/4 miles from Duke. Links are;                                                       SALT INDUSTRY , The Frio Deep-Seated Salt Dome fields  and OIL EXPLORATION

                       Smada, Texas

                  Stafford, Texas  [marker]  9 miles from Duke. It  was  Staffordsville and before that it                                                       was Stafford's Point  This was a major town and was the destination of the first                                                       railroad built in Texas. Links are; Andrew Jackson Roark ,  Leo Roark,   Clement C. Dyer,                                                                         and  Benjamin Franklin (Frank) Terry

                       Coalson, Texas

                       FIFTH STREET, TEXAS   8 3/4 miles from Duke

                       MEADOWS, TEXAS  11 miles from Duke

                       Missouri City, Texas  [marker]   8 miles from Duke. Includes the Robinson house.

                      FLORA, TEXAS Ghost town   15 miles from Duke

                      Hodge's Bend, Texas

                      Sartartia, Texas

                      Sugar Land, Texas  [marker]  14 miles from Duke. A major sugar refinery and the departure for the                                                           Sugar Land railroad. Links are; Sugar Land Railroad, Destination Duke, Texas ,

Jester State Prison Farm

 CONVICT LEASE SYSTEM

IMPERIAL VALLEY RAILWAY

SUGAR PRODUCTION

SUGAR VALLEY, TEXAS

William Jefferson Kyle

Nathaniel Felton Williams

Samuel May Williams

Alexander Hodge

Prison System

                       Imperial, Texas Ghost town  20 miles from Duke

                      CABELL, TEXAS Ghost town  13 miles from Duke

                      Clodine, Texas  [marker]  18 1/2 miles from Duke. Includes an article on Cartwright-McCrary House,  

                       CINCO RANCH, TEXAS   30 miles from Duke

                      MANCHESTER, TEXAS  Ghost town  15 miles from Duke

                      PECAN GROVE, TEXAS   17 miles from Duke

                      Foster Community, Texas  Ghost town [marker]  20 miles from Duke. This important community has                                                                          several markers on it's link; Foster Community, John Foster , Randolph Foster and                                                                                                   John Foster Land Grant.

                      FLEWELLEN, TEXAS  Ghost town  26 1/2 miles from Duke

                      Fulshear, Texas  [marker]  29 miles from Duke. Articles on Fulshear Cemetery, Pleasant Hill Cemetery and has a                                                                     link to Churchill Fulshear.

                      SIMONTON, TEXAS   31 miles from Duke. Has a link to SIMONTON BROTHERS

                      PITTSVILLE, TEXAS  Ghost town  18 miles from Duke

                      FAYETTEVILLE, TEXAS   Ghost town  19 miles from Duke

                      GASTON, TEXAS Ghost town  20 miles from Duke

                       Site of Thompson's Ferry  [marker]  19 1/2 miles from Duke. Has links to;

Joaquín Ramírez y Sesma

Thomas Henry Borden

Gail Borden, Jr 

BORDENTOWN, TEXAS 

Jesse Thompson

Moses Lapham

                       Helinora, Texas

                       THOMPSONS, TEXAS  8 miles from Duke

                      Booth, Texas  Ghost town  [marker]  Has a link to  Andrew Webster Jackson

                       BRAZOS BEND STATE PARK  12 miles from Duke  

                        Big Creek, Texas  On Sawmill Rd near Brazos Bend State Park. Article on Andrew Jackson Beard.

                       Crabb, Texas  Ghost town  15 miles from Duke

                       GREATWOOD, TEXAS  12 miles from Duke

                      Harlem, Texas

                      Richmond, Texas  [marker]  17 miles from Duke. This town has several markers. Has links to;        

LOG ARCHITECTURE

 MEDICAL SOCIETIES

The Fort

Joaquín Ramírez y Sesma

JAYBIRD-WOODPECKER WAR.

FEUDS

Henry Clay Ferguson

 Joseph Kuykendall

Henry Phelps

Charles M. Ferguson

Abner Kuykendall

Walter C. White

Thomas Henry Borden

The White Man's Union Associations

WHITE PRIMARY

John Hunter Herndon

Nicholas Maillard

John Matthew Moore

Richard Andrews

Ira Aten

David L. Wood

Lamar-Calder House   

Johnson Calhoun Hunter

William M. Ryon

GEORGE FOUNDATION

Henry Jones

James W. Jones

William Morton

John V. Morton

Mary Morton Huff

Nancy Morton

Louisa Ann Morton Perry

Arizona Fleming

 Mills M. Battle

Thomas Jefferson Smith

Robert James Calder

Wylie Martin Kuykendall

John D. Newell

 

                               Rosenberg, Texas  [marker]  20 miles from Duke. This town has several markers. Has links to;                                                             Thomas Barnett      JOERGER, F. X.

                       CUMINGS, TEXAS  20 1/2 miles from Duke

                       PLEAK, TEXAS  19 1/2 miles from Duke

                      Fairchildes, Texas   [marker]  18 1/2 miles from Duke

                      Needville, Texas  [marker]  22 1/2 miles from Duke

                       Hanson, Texas

                       LONG POINT, TEXAS  17 miles from Duke

                       Guy, Texas       21 miles from Duke

                      MARLOW, TEXAS Ghost town 21 miles from Duke

                       Damon, Texas  22 miles from Duke. Has links to; Damon, Texas  DAMON MOUND   Samuel Damon             

                      Beasey, Texas  [marker]   Has a link to  NEW YORK, TEXAS AND MEXICAN RAILWAY

                       Kendleton, Texas  [marker]  31 miles from Duke. Has links to;   Freedmen's settlements                                                                                                              Benjamin Franklin Williams   POWELL POINT, TEXAS

                       TAVENER, TEXAS  Ghost town  30 1/2 miles from Duke

                       RANDON, TEXAS  Ghost town  27 miles from Duke.

                       Orchard, Texas  [marker]  31 1/2 miles from Duke.  Has a link to David Randon

                       KATY, TEXAS   37 miles from Duke                      

                       Cleveland, Texas     Location unknown

                        Germania, Texas     Location unknown

                         Vossville, Texas     Location unknown

Slavery  and Antebellum days  and  Treaties of Velasco  and The excavation of Primitive life and Texas Declaration of Independence and How did Casper Wyoming obtain independence from Mexico? and The river flowing through Albuquerque vs. New Mexico's port of entry from Mexico. are various pages of interest to the student of Texas history.


 Life today  gives details about todays rules such as flood plain, flow plane, the river property line and a short description                       of the governing agencies such as The Brazos River Authority, FEMA, The Texas Parks and Wildlife                       Department [Texas Game Warden], and  The US Army Corps of Engineers. Included on this page is a                       description of where the Brazos River starts and a list of dams on the Brazos and tributaries feeding the                       Brazos river.

                       Death of a grave  is the story of  the tombstone of Lola V. Harris. Starting with color photos taken in                                                        2004,  followed with research to discover her identity, the disrespect shown by a major                                                        subdivision home builder and communications between the Fort Bend County Historical                                                        Commission and the home builder trying to discredit her burial location.


Life tomorrow  has links to other web sites that plan future water related projects.

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