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44-530: The financial success of the Allen Ranch and its associated businesses substantially influenced the early development of Houston, Harrisburg and Pasadena, and contributed significantly to Galveston 's economy in the 19th century. As a young man Samuel W. Allen (no relation to the Allen Brothers who founded Houston) came to the newly established Republic of Texas in 1842 in search of opportunity. He arrived at

88-501: A cattle ranch in 1844. His cattle range extended much farther down the shoreline of the bay. Like many ranchers in Texas, Allen began his herd by gathering Longhorn cattle , descended from Spanish cattle brought to the New World , which ran wild throughout Texas. Allen's herd grew rapidly such that by the 1860s had gained exclusive shipping rights for cattle to New Orleans and Cuba from

132-487: A bid for the property at Morgan's Point, Texas , near the mouth of Buffalo Bayou. Next the Allen brothers traveled several miles upstream to Harrisburg, where they negotiated an agreement for Jane Birdsall Harris to sell the town site. But there was a dispute about who owned Harrisburg, and Harris could not produce a clear title at that time. So the Allen brothers abandoned their plan for Harrisburg. The Republic of Texas passed

176-626: A black man, was the elected representative for the county from 1892 to 1897. After Jim Crow laws were imposed, black residents were suppressed politically until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. In 2022 most major government officials were white. Pearland native Kyle Kacal , a Republican from College Station , holds the District 12 state House seat based in Brazos and four neighboring counties. The Brazoria County Sheriff's Office

220-524: A charter for this company on January 9, 1841. No more than a few miles of road bed were graded by this company. After construction of the Harrisburg and Brazos Rail Road and development of Harrisburg stalled for several years, in 1847, the Harrisburg Town Company sold all its unsold real estate to Sidney Sherman , who led a group of investors from Boston to promote the town. Harrisburg real estate

264-449: A female householder with no husband present, and 23.00% were not families. About 19.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82, and the average family size was 3.23. In the county, the age distribution as 28.60% under 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 32.40% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 8.80% who were 65 or older. The median age

308-683: A fire in the 1870s destroyed the rail yards, which were rebuilt in Houston. The population of Harrisburg dwindled with the loss of the railroads and with the widening of the Houston Ship Channel in 1919. In December 1926, the City of Houston annexed Harrisburg. The 1926 annexation of the Harrisburg area added 1,293 acres (523 ha) of land to the city limits. Harrisburg is in Houston City Council District I. This district also includes

352-694: A majority in the county as a whole. In 2000, the racial makeup of the county was 77.09% White, 8.50% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 9.66% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races. About 22.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. About 12.1% were of German , 11.2% American , and 7.2% English ancestry according to 2000's census; about 79.0% spoke only English at home, while 18.1% spoke Spanish . By 2010, 70.1% were White , 12.1% African American , 5.5% Asian , 0.6% Native American , 9.2% of some other race, and 2.6% of more than one race ; about 27.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). Nathan Haller ,

396-819: A new building and was renamed "Kay Elementary School", after its first principal, who had been Savannah Georgia Kay. Kay Elementary School closed in 1978. Students at Chávez High School use the former Kay Elementary School as a " land lab ". Harrisburg is served by the Stanaker Branch of Houston Public Library . See also: List of companies in Houston See: List of colleges and universities in Houston [REDACTED] Category [REDACTED] Texas portal 29°42′58″N 95°16′39″W  /  29.7162°N 95.2776°W  / 29.7162; -95.2776 Brazoria County Brazoria County ( / b r ə ˈ z ɔːr i ə / brə- ZOR -ee-ə )

440-550: A statute of incorporation for Harrisburg on June 5, 1837. Later, some Boston investors formed the Harrisburg Town Company, while annexing the town of Hamilton in 1839, when the population of Harrisburg increased to about 1,400. In 1840, Andrew Briscoe established the Harrisburg and Brazos Rail Road, and contracted with Maurice Birdsall to provide cut wood along the proposed rail corridor, in and near Harrisburg. Briscoe also placed an advertisement to hire sixty enslaved men as railroad construction laborers. The Republic of Texas granted

484-463: A town site there in 1826. Harrisburg was located at the mouth of Bray's Bayou at Buffalo Bayou. In 1829, Harris established a home and a trading post, where he also started building a steam mill, while in partnership with his brothers, David Harris and William P. Harris. John Richardson Harris traveled to New Orleans for parts needed to complete his machinery, but contracted yellow fever and died there. The two brothers continued to reside in and maintain

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528-633: Is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center . In the city of Houston-defined Harrisburg/Manchester Super Neighborhood, which also includes Manchester , there were 2,926 residents in 2015. 82% were Hispanics, 14% were non-Hispanic blacks, and 3% were non-Hispanic whites. The percentages of non-Hispanic Asians and others were both zero. In 2000, the super neighborhood had 3,768 residents. 88% were Hispanics, 6% were non-Hispanic blacks, and 5% were non-Hispanic whites. The percentages of non-Hispanic Asians and others were both zero. Harrisburg

572-573: Is a county in the U.S. state of Texas . As of the 2020 census , the population of the county was 372,031. The county seat is Angleton . Brazoria County is included in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area . It is located in the Gulf Coast region of Texas. Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southernmost fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas . Brazoria County

616-562: Is a community now located within the city of Houston , Texas. The community is located east of downtown Houston , south of the Brays Bayou and Buffalo Bayou junction, and west of Brady's Island. It was founded before 1825 on the eastern stretches of the Buffalo Bayou in present-day Harris County, Texas , on land belonging to John Richardson Harris . In 1926, Harrisburg was annexed into the city of Houston. The original name of Harris County

660-640: Is among a number of counties that are part of the region known as the Texas Coastal Bend . Its county seat is Angleton , and its largest city is Pearland . Brazoria County, like Brazos County farther upriver, takes its name from the Brazos River . It served as the first settlement area for Anglo-Texas, when the Old Three Hundred emigrated from the United States in 1821. The county also includes what

704-517: Is part of greater Houston . On June 2, 2016, the flooding of the Brazos River required evacuations for portions of Brazoria County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,609 square miles (4,170 km ), of which 1,358 square miles (3,520 km ) are land and 251 square miles (650 km ) (16%) are covered by water. As of the census of 2000, 241,767 people, 81,954 households, and 63,104 families resided in

748-749: Is served by the Houston Independent School District . Many area residences are zoned to J. R. Harris Elementary School, including everything east of Broadway and some areas west of it, generally north and/or on Elm. Some are zoned to Dávila Elementary School. Residences are zoned to Deady Middle School, and Milby High School . The area was previously in the Harrisburg Independent School District. J. R. Harris opened as Harrisburg School in 1895. A school for black students, also called Harrisburg School, opened in 1904. In 1952, that school for black students moved into

792-665: Is the county's sole publicly owned airport. The following airports, located in the county, are privately owned and for public use: The closest airport with regularly scheduled commercial service is Houston's William P. Hobby Airport , located in southern Houston in adjacent Harris County . The Houston Airport System has stated that Brazoria County is within the primary service area of George Bush Intercontinental Airport , an international airport in Houston in Harris County. The Brazoria County Toll Road Authority operates toll lanes on TX 288 inside Brazoria County. They connect to

836-687: Is the oldest law enforcement agency in the State of Texas, established by the Republic of Texas in March 1836. Among its duties include running the Brazoria County Jail, located at 3602 County Road 45 in unincorporated central Brazoria County, north of Angleton. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates six state prisons for men and its Region III office in unincorporated Brazoria County. As of 2007,1,495 full-time correctional job positions were in

880-780: The Port of Houston , East Downtown, and Clinton Park. The United States Postal Service operates the Harrisburg Post Office at 8330 Manchester Street. In July 2011, the USPS announced that the post office may close. The Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) designated the Ripley Health Center for the ZIP code 77012. In 2000, Ripley was replaced by the Gulfgate Health Center. The designated public hospital

924-554: The Texas House of Representatives . Stephen F. Austin's original burial place is located at a church cemetery, Gulf Prairie Cemetery , in the town of Jones Creek , on what was his brother-in-law's Peach Point Plantation. His remains were exhumed in 1910 and brought to be reinterred at the state capital in Austin . The town of West Columbia served as the first capital of Texas, dating back to prerevolutionary days. The Hastings Oil Field

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968-770: The Angleton ISD that Alvin CC had annexed prior to September 1, 1995. Brazosport College serves the remainder of Angleton ISD and the Brazosport, Columbia-Brazoria, Damon, and Sweeny ISD areas. The Brazoria County Library System has branches in Alvin, Angleton, Brazoria, Clute, Danbury, Freeport, Lake Jackson, Manvel, Pearland, Sweeny and West Columbia, and runs the Brazoria County Historical Museum. The Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport , in central unincorporated Brazoria County,

1012-637: The Buffalo Bayou near his range as well as Galveston . The Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad was built through the Allen Ranch in the 1850s and later the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway and the La Porte, Houston and Northern Railroad. The ranch's docks along the Buffalo Bayou became major shipping points and helped contribute to the growth of what would become the Houston Ship Channel . The ranch even had its own private railway station known as "El Buey." After

1056-654: The Civil War, Texas Jack Omohundro got his first job in Texas cooking for cowboys on the Allen Ranch before working his way up to working cowboy and finally trail boss. He would later find fame in Ned Buntline 's play The Scouts of the Prairie alongside his friend and partner Buffalo Bill Cody . Omohundro wrote about his time as a cowboy for the Allen Ranch in the Spirit of the Times , which

1100-635: The General Council of Texas, a provisional government of Texas, made Harrisburg its capital. On April 16, 1836, during the Texas Revolution , almost all of Harrisburg was burned by the forces of Antonio López de Santa Anna . In the summer of 1836, John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen sought town sites in the Galveston Bay region. After making a small investment in Galveston, they failed in

1144-546: The Morgan Lines, Texas' first steamship company, which was later to become a major factor in establishing Houston as an important Texas port and railroad shipping center. Allen's fortunes grew rapidly after the American Civil War . Through partnerships and acquisitions Allen's main ranch expanded and he gained ranch lands in other areas of the state. He established processing plants for cattle hides and tallow along

1188-681: The SH 288 Express Toll Lanes in Harris County operated by the Texas Department of Transportation . BCTRA came into existence in December 2003 when it saw that the Houston area needed more roadways and wanted to have a say so about any roads that come into Brazoria County. The only toll road BCTRA has in operation at this time is the Brazoria County Expressway . Located within the media of SH 288,

1232-421: The businesses in Harrisburg. John Richardson Harris was survived by a wife and children, who were residing in upstate New York at his death. His wife, Jane Birdsall Harris, immigrated to Mexican Texas in 1833 with De Witt Clinton Harris, her eldest son. Meanwhile, David and William Harris expanded their business in Harrisburg by bringing in two ships for the transport of goods in and out of the region. In 1835,

1276-856: The county. In 1995, of the counties in Texas, Brazoria had the second-highest number of state prisons and jails, after Walker County . In 2003, a total of 2,572 employees were employed at the six TDCJ facilities. The TDCJ units are: (The following 3 are co-located in Otey , near Rosharon. ) In 2007, TDCJ officials said discussions to move the Central Unit from Sugar Land to Brazoria County were preliminary. Former units: A variety of school districts serve Brazoria County students. They include: Alvin Community College and Brazosport College serve as higher education facilities. Alvin CC serves areas in Alvin, Danbury, and Pearland ISDs as well as portions of

1320-450: The county. The population density was 174 people per square mile (67 people/km ). The 90,628 housing units averaged 65 units per square mile (25 units/km ). According to the 2010 United States census , 313,166 people were living in the county; by 2020, its population grew to 372,031. Of the 81,955 households in 2000, 40.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 10.40% had

1364-612: The expressway begins at County Road 58 in Manvel and is maintained by BCTRA for five miles up to the Harris County line at Clear Creek . The 288 Toll Lanes continue into Harris County (maintained by TxDOT ) for ten miles up to I-69 / US 59 in Houston . Construction began on the Brazoria County Expressway in late 2016 and was completed on November 16, 2020. Tolls are collected electronically and an EZ Tag , TxTag or TollTag

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1408-467: The late 1800s, the county was majority black as many were former slaves who had worked on plantations in the county. In 1882, it had 8,219 black people and 3,642 white people. However, after Jim Crow laws were cemented, many African-Americans moved to Houston and the county became majority white. By 2022, due to the growth of ethnic minorities in Pearland, non-Hispanic white people were now a plurality and not

1452-623: The mouth of the Brazos in 1821. Many of the events leading to the Texas Revolution developed in Brazoria County. In 1832, Brazoria was organized as a separate municipal district by the Mexican government, so became one of Texas original counties at independence in 1836. An early resident of Brazoria County, Joel Walter Robison, fought in the Texas Revolution and later represented Fayette County in

1496-464: The ranch covered much of modern Pasadena , southeast Houston, Clear Lake City , La Porte , and other areas. The Allens invested heavily in area business development, in Galveston and Harrisburg, and then later Houston (notably they founded the Oriental Textile Mills, once the world's largest press cloth manufacturer in the cotton industry). They were also wealthy socialites known throughout

1540-456: The region. Following Sam E. Allen's death in 1913, much of the family's ranch holdings were sold off to new development around Pasadena and the growing city of Houston. Sam E. Allen's son, Sam M. Allen, continued to operate the remaining portion on the main ranch in Harris County as well as the ranch lands in Brazoria County . Following Sam M. Allen's death in 1947, the remainder of the ranch

1584-541: The route. Williams completed his survey of the B.B.B. & C. route between Harrisburg and the Brazos River in 1851. It began operations on January 1, 1853. Harrisburg was the starting point of the line, the first functioning railroad line in the state. After the Civil War , the railroad expanded and changed its name to the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway . Harrisburg remained an important rail town until

1628-528: The young town of Harrisburg (modern east Houston) and soon after married into the Thomas family which had come to Texas as part of Stephen F. Austin 's original colony . Usurping the traditional lands of the Karankawa , Atakapa , and Akokisa tribes, he utilized the land from the Thomas grant which was located along the Buffalo Bayou between Harrisburg and Galveston Bay (what is now Pasadena ) Sam Allen launched

1672-649: Was Harrisburg (Harrisburgh) County until it was shortened after the demise of the City of Harrisburg . Historical markers at the John Richardson Harris site tell of General Santa Anna's razing the town as he chased Sam Houston and his retreating army just before they reached Lynch's ferry. Harrisburg was named Harrisburg by its founder, John Richardson Harris. Harris named the town both after himself and after Harrisburg, Pennsylvania , which had been named for his great-grandfather. Harris hired Frank Johnson to survey

1716-490: Was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 107 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.4 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 48,632, and for a family was $ 55,282. Males had a median income of $ 42,193 versus $ 27,728 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 20,021. About 8.1% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over. In

1760-509: Was discovered by the Stanolind Oil and Gas Company in 1934. Production was from a depth of 5,990 feet (1,830 m), associated with a salt dome structure. Total production by 1954 was about 242 million barrels. Lake Jackson is a community developed beginning in the early 1940s to provide housing to workers at a new Dow Chemical Company plant in nearby Freeport . The county has elements of both rural and suburban communities, as it

1804-578: Was later reprinted in programes and brochures for Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Sam W. Allen's son, Samuel E. Allen, took over management of the ranch and, though some of Sam W. Allen's other business ventures failed, the Allen Ranch continued to prosper and grow. It was the largest ranch in the region and one of the largest in the state. By 1900 the Allen Ranch comprised over 17,000 acres (69 km) largely in Harris County with pastures in Galveston County and other surrounding counties. The main portions of

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1848-561: Was leveraged for a new plan to build a railroad with an eastern terminus at a peninsula at the mouth of Braes Bayou. This investment group organized the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado Railway (B.B.B. & C.), and secured a charter from the State of Texas on February 11, 1850. Sherman was the founding partner, but also succeeded in recruiting investors from Houston, including William Marsh Rice , William J. Hutchins , and Benjamin A. Shepherd . The B. B. B. & C. hired John Williams to survey

1892-547: Was liquidated. Today many areas of Houston, Pasadena, and other cities bear names referring to the Allen family and the ranch properties. 29°40′34″N 95°10′26″W  /  29.67611°N 95.17389°W  / 29.67611; -95.17389 For a complete listing, see list of cities and towns in Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land MSA Harrisburg, Houston Harrisburg (originally Harrisburgh, shortened to Harrisburg in 1892)

1936-560: Was once Columbia and Velasco, Texas , early capital cities of the Republic of Texas . The highest point in Brazoria County is Shelton's Shack, located near the Dow Chemical Plant B Truck Control Center, measuring 342 ft above sea level. Brazoria County takes its name from the Brazos River, which flows through it. Anglo-Texas began in Brazoria County when the first of Stephen F. Austin 's authorized 300 American settlers arrived at

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