Fort Bend County, Texas - Chapter 22, 1904

Chief among the rivers of the State of Texas is the Brazos, which drains ah area of about 35,000 square miles, and is navigable as far as Columbia at all times, a distance up the river of forty miles. It has its source in the northwestern part of the State, at the foot of the Staked Plains, and flows in an easterly direction to Baylor County, thence southeasterly to Brazoria County, where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. It is about 900 miles long, and runs through the whole length of Fort Bend County from northwest to southeast.

The frontage on the Brazos River of Fort Bend County is about seventy-six miles on each side of the river, making a total frontage on said river of one hundred and tiftytwo miles. The valley of the Brazos is from three to eight miles in width. The land in this valley is unsu'^- passed in fertility, and occupies the central portion of the county.

There is an excellent body of prairie land from twelve to eighteen miles in width, with black sandy and chocolate sandy soils, lying between the timbers of the Brazos and San Benard valleys. And again, from five to ten miles east of the Brazos River, and paralleling the Brazos, is a large body of prairie land, extending beyond the north and east lines of the county. Sixty per cent, of prairie is black, hog-wallow land.

Besides the Brazos River, there are other streams and water-ways in the county, chief among which is the San Benard River, Avith a valley of from one to four miles in

Oyster Creek is east of and parallel to the Brazos. The lands on this creek cannot be excelled anywhere. As much as two and one-half bales of cotton or 100 bushels of corn have been raised on one acre.

Big Greek, Clear Creek, Coon Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Cow Creek, Snake Creek, Deer Creek, Turkey Creek, Bee Creek, Mound Creek, Fairchild Creek, Jones Creek, Stafford Creek and Buffalo Bayou are well distributed throughout the county, and have excellent water and draining facilities.

Along the Brazos and all the streams in the county are found most excellent timber, and in great quantities, among which are oak, ash, elm, cottonwood, sycamore, pecan, hackberry, walnut, mulberry, wild peach, holly, boxelder and cedar. Fine ash timber is in abundance in the Brazos and Benard valleys, and immense quantities of cedar posts can be obtained in the valley of the Benard. The surface of the country north of the Brazos River is gently undulating prairie. Stretching away from the south bank of the Brazos is a high, level prairie, covered with the most luxuriant grasses, and green the entire year. Farming and stock-raising is the principal industry.