Arcola

Built on a league granted to one of the Old 300 settlers, Arcola is located about as far east as you can get in Fort Bend County. In the 1800s, Jonathan Dawson Waters acquired that league of land and turned it into the biggest sugar and cotton plantation in Texas, which he called Arcola.

Beasley

Thought out by C.A. Beasley and J.H.P. Davis, it’s easy to see where the town of Beasley got its name. Mr. Beasley arrived in Fort Bend County in the 1890s and quickly got to work as an agent and telegraph operator for the local railroad. In those days, many residents emigrated to Beasley from the north via the railroad. In 1970, the community incorporated and today over 700 residents call Beasley home.

Fairchilds

Fairchilds, located in southeastern Fort Bend County, is named for early settler Philo Fairchilds. In 1896, a colony of Mennonites bought a league of land on Big Creek and soon several families came to the area to settle. In 1990, Fairchilds reported a population of 150 and had a feed store, café, and general store.

Fulshear

Located in northwest Fort Bend County where the Katy prairie meets the Brazos River bottom, Fulshear developed around a league of land that was granted to one of Stephen F. Austin’s original Old Three Hundred, Churchhill Fulshear. In 1888, Churchhill’s son allowed the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad to travel through his land. Fulshear’s economy boomed as supplies arrived by rail and families moved closer to the railroad. Today, the area is noted for its native pecan trees.
FulshearTX.com

Katy

It’s rumored Katy earned its name after a local saloon keeper’s wife. After a hard day’s work, the builders and workers of the railroad would say they were heading to “Katie’s.” In 1896, the town changed its name. Today, Katy is located 30 miles west of downtown Houston, the fourth largest city in America.
ci.Katy.TX.us

Kendleton

Originally called Oak Hill, this area was an early-day stop on the main stagecoach route between Columbia and San Antonio. In the 1860s, a land agent named William Kendall purchased land. He then divided that land into small farms and put them up for sale. The community that formed became known as Kendleton.

Meadows Place

Meadows Place is the closest city in Fort Bend County to Houston, Texas. Maybe that’s why in 1983, a subdivision called The Meadows decided to incorporate into Fort Bend County. Today, the city of Meadows Place offers over 12 acres of developed parkland to its residents and visitors alike.
CityOfMeadowsPlace.org

Missouri City

Missouri City has been named as one of America’s best places to live by Money Magazine and one of its safest cities by Congressional Quarterly.
MissouriCityTX.gov

Needville

In the early 1800s cattle grazed freely in this area. In the 1890s, August Schendel built a home, a cotton gin, and a store in the southern part of Fort Bend County and named it Schendelville. When he tried to establish a post office in the area he joked they should name the area Needmore because they needed more of everything. The post office replied Needmore was already established and in turn named the town Needville. Today, Needville is “where thousands live the way millions wish they could.”
CityofNeedville.com

Orchard

Orchard is a beautiful area on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line in western Fort Bend County. One of the first settlers, S.K. Cross, promoted the community in 1890 as he sold his land to German, Bohemian, and Polish settlers. These settlers began planting large fruit orchards and visitors were soon calling the area Fruitland. The post office application for Fruitland was denied because another existed, so the community reapplied with the name Orchard in 1892.
OrchardTexas.org

Pearland

Pearland is actually a part of three counties: Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris. Native Indian inhabitants hosted European visitors here in 1528. Pearland got its name from the abundance of pear trees in the community and was once promoted as an “agricultural Eden.” Today, Pearland is home to over 91,000 residents.
CityofPearland.com

Pleak

Pleak gets its name from real estate developer A.E. Pleak. A successful oilman, he donated land for a school in 1912 which resulted in the formation of a small community in the area that still bares his name today.

Richmond

Richmond is the county seat of Fort Bend County. Located on the Brazos River, fifteen miles southwest of Houston, some of its woods and trails still look much the way the land did before our forefathers discovered the Brazos and the area known as the “fort on the bend.”
ci.Richmond.TX.us

Rosenberg

With the railroad’s arrival, Rosenberg got its true start. Thomas Barnett, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, was one of its first residents. In 1880, a train depot was named Rosenberg Junction to honor Henry von Rosenberg, president of the GC & Santa Fe Railroad. In 1920, oil was discovered here and Rosenberg quickly became a boomtown and known as the “City of Mud.” Today, it’s known as “the city that works” and naturally attracts residents and businesses who value long-term commitments.
www.RosenbergEcoDev.com

Simonton

The city was named after James Simonton who came to Texas in 1850 and became known for its quality artesian water that lies under the entire area. The railroad was built in about 1888 and the population of Simonton increased, as it was one of the main water stops for the steam engines at that time. In the 1900s, potatoes and cotton became export crops and a cotton gin was located near the railroad line until the 1980’s. Today, most of Simonton’s residents work in Houston, Katy or Richmond-Rosenberg.
SimontonTexas.org

Stafford

The railroad brought much to Stafford, including its true establishment. In August of 1853, a day of festivities and an evening barbecue was held to celebrate the fact that a train would run through town. Much has changed since that time. In fact, Stafford has been named by Fortune as one of the top 50 best places in the nation to live and launch a business.
For more on Stafford, visit:
CityOfStafford.com

Sugar Land

Sugar Land is celebrating its 50th anniversary during 2009. Indeed, this city has a rich, sweet history. Stephen F. Austin’s secretary once owned land right where Sugar Land is today. In 1840, sugarcane was planted here. Today, Sugar Land’s cash crop may not necessarily come from the production of sugar, but the continued growth and development of this city are ever present.
For more on Sugar Land, visit:
SugarLandTX.gov