Life Yesterday on the Brazos River

Life yesterday is always related to a location. One of the earliest Angelo American locations near where I live was the Community of Duke, located in eastern Fort Bend County, Texas. My wish and the purpose of this privately maintained web site is that you become aquainted with the settlers that walked this land before we did. After meeting the residents of Duke, Texas, I will expand to the surrounding areas.

The seven links above will help you understand the political environment in which the Republic Of Texas existed.

The Texans Win Independence

The Civil War and Fort Bend County

The links below are to the places in Fort Bend County, Texas that exist today or have existed in the past.

The Duke Community Ghost town [marker] same location as Clear Lake,Texas

The Arcola Community

Ratchford, Texas

The Railroad Commission records indicate that in 1912 a line was completed from Arcola to Ratchford, Texas a distance of 4 miles. I have not been able to locate Ratchford, Texas.

Boyd, Texas

The International and Great Northern Railroad laid 2 miles of track from Arcola to Boyd, Texas acording to the Galveston Daily News published April 3, 1894. I have not been able to locate Boyd, Texas.

The International and Great Northern Railroad [I & GN RR] ran from Houston to Fresno, Arcola, Hawdon, Juliff and on to Angleton. Brazoria Tap RR and Houston Belt and Terminal RR followed this route but were discontinued before the I & GN RR.

The road beside the I & G N RR was State HWY 19. [Later known as State HWY 288 and now FM 521]

Fresno, Texas Was Riceton, Texas Was Malvern, Texas

Hawdon, Texas Ghost town

House, Texas Ghost town [Also shown located at Arcola Sugar Mills]

Juliff, Texas Ghost town

The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad ran from Galveston to Arcola, Duke, Sugar Land Junction [House], Thompsons [switch], Booth, Crabb, Richmond and Rosenberg.

State HWY 38 ran from Alvin to Arcola, Trammells, DeWalt, amd ended at Sugar Land. It is now known as state HWY 6.

Trammells, Texas Ghost town

Emelia, Texas Ghost town

Herman, Texas Ghost town

Burnside, Texas Ghost town

Sugarland Jct, Texas

DeWalt, Texas Ghost town [marker]

There was a road from DeWalt to Thompsons but the bridge across the Brazos River was washed out.

Dyer, Texas Ghost town [Shown on 1936 map at a different location NW of Rosenberg]

HOBBY, TEXAS Ghost town same location as Blue Ridge, Texas Shown on the 1915 map

Smada, Texas Ghost town Shown on the 1915 map Located at Hwt 6 and old Mill Rd [Firestone Store] in Sugarland, Texas

Stafford, Texas [marker] Was Staffordsville Was Stafford's Point

The first operating railroad in Texas was the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos & Colorado, completed from Harrisburg to Stafford in 1853. Later it became the Texas and New Orleans railroad and ran from Houston to Missouri City, Stafford, Sugar Land, Harlem, Flora, Richmond, Rosenberg, Damon Junction, Randon, Wenzell, Tavner and on to Columbus.

The road that ran beside the railroad was US 90 and State HWY 3 now known as US 90A.

Coalson, Texas Ghost town

FIFTH STREET, TEXAS

MEADOWS, TEXAS

Missouri City, Texas [marker]

FLORA, TEXAS Ghost town

Hodge's Bend, Texas Ghost town

Sartartia, Texas Ghost town Shown on the 1915 map

Sugar Land, Texas [marker]

Convict Camp, Texas Ghost town

CABELL, TEXAS Ghost town Shown on the 1915 map

Hickey, Texas Ghost town Another part of the Sugar Land Railroad ran west from Sugar Land to Cabell and then west to Hickey.

Cole Ghost town A stop on the Sugar Land RR in 1925. Located between Cabell and Sugar Land

Elmore Ghost town A stop on the Sugar Land RR in 1925. Located between Cabell and Sugar Land

Pryor Ghost town A stop on the Sugar Land RR in 1925. Located between Cabell and Sugar Land

Imperial, Texas Ghost town A stop on the Sugar Land RR in 1925. Located between Cabell and Sugar Land

Dorothy, Texas Ghost town

Harlem. Texas Ghost town

Riddick, Texas Ghost town

Clodine, Texas [marker] Shown on the 1915 map

The Texas and New Orleans Railroad ran from Houston to Clodine, Gaston, Flewellen, Fulshear, Simonton and on to Eagle Lake.

There was a road that ran beside the railroad that was not named. Today this road is known as Westheimer or FM 1093.

CINCO RANCH, TEXAS

MANCHESTER, TEXAS Ghost town

PECAN GROVE, TEXAS

Foster Community, Texas Ghost town [marker]

FLEWELLEN, TEXAS Ghost town

Fulshear, Texas [marker]

Rhemond, Texas Ghost town Located northeast of Simonton towards Pittsville or Fulshear.

SIMONTON, TEXAS

PITTSVILLE, TEXAS [marker] Ghost town

FAYETTEVILLE, TEXAS Ghost town

GASTON, TEXAS Ghost town

Site of Thompson's Ferry [marker]

Oyster Creek

The towns below were across the Brazos River from Duke. The first bridges built across the Brazos were railroad bridges, starting in about 1875. To appreciate how this river divided the county, the next time you want to cross the river, . DON'T USE A BRIDGE.

Helinora, Texas Ghost town

THOMPSONS, TEXAS Was also Thompson's Switch

The Cane Belt Railroad built a line from the Thompsons Switch community in 1930. It was soon purchased by Gulf Coast and Santa Fe Railroad [G C & S F RR] and ran south to Long Point, Guy, SENA JCT [Junction with Texas and New Orleans Railroad], Mooredale and on to Wharton County to the New Gulf sulphur plant at Bowling.

Booth, Texas [marker]

BRAZOS BEND STATE PARK

Big Creek, Texas Ghost town On Sawmill Rd near Brazos Bend State Park

Crabb, Texas Ghost town Shown on the 1915 map

GREATWOOD, TEXAS

Harlem, Texas Ghost town Shown on the 1915 map

Richmond, Texas [marker]

Rosenberg, Texas [marker]

Damond Jct.

CUMINGS, TEXAS Ghost town

PLEAK, TEXAS

Fairchildes, Texas [marker]

Needville, Texas [marker]

Hanson, Texas Ghost town

LONG POINT, TEXAS Ghost town

Guy, Texas

Mooredale, Texas Ghost town Located south of Guy

MARLOW, TEXAS Ghost town Also Marlow Point -Located south of Needville

Boone, Texas Ghost Town Located west by southwest of Needville

In 1918 the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway built a twenty-one mile extension to Damon Mound, connecting the local sulfur, limestone, and other mineral extraction industries with Rosenberg. Texas and New Orleans Railroad abandoned the track from Guy to Damon in 1944.

Damon, Texas

Sena Jct.

Cottonwood, Texas Ghost town

Beasley, Texas [marker]