Region: Gulf Coast
This Fort Bend County seat is on the Brazos River southwest of Houston. It
was the earliest settlement, in 1822, by members of the Old Three Hundred
(Stephen F. Austin's colony). The city was established in 1837 by Robert Eden
Handy and his business partner, William Lusk. It was named for Richmond,
England. Before the Civil War, the area became a center for ranching and cattle
as herds were shipped north to the market centers. When the Gulf, Colorado and
Santa Fe Railway extended its tracks through the area, it bypassed Richmond.
Post-Reconstruction era brought the "Jaybird-Woodpecker War" with heavy
casualties among rival political factions 1888–90. Carrie Nation's crusade
against "demon rum" began here. The copper-domed Fort Bend County Courthouse
dates from 1908 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places;
historical markers are on the grounds.
Growth has paralleled nearby Houston and Harris County. Fertile coastal
plains are devoted to farming and ranching. Industries include oil, salt,
sulphur production, steel fabrication and diversified manufacturing.
Morton Cemetery contains graves of many early Texas pioneers, including Jane
Long, the Mother of Texas, and Mirabeau Lamar, the second president of the
Republic of Texas. Maps of the cemetery and walking guides to historic downtown
Richmond are available at the Fort Bend Museum.