Brazoria

Brazoria, Texas

Brazoria, Texas

The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway at the mouth of the San Bernard River, Brazoria County, Texas. Photo by Robert Plocheck. Texas Almanac.
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Map of Brazoria County

Brazoria, on Farm Road 521, State Highway 36, and the Brazos River eight miles southwest of Angleton in west central Brazoria County, was established in 1828, when John Austin laid out the town on land granted by Stephen F. Austin. Austin chose the name "for the single reason that I know of none like it in the world." Six Masons met in March 1835 under a giant oak in the town, the "Masonic Oak," to organize what was reportedly the first Masonic lodge in Texas. Brazoria was virtually deserted in the Runaway Scrape. H. M. Shaw opened a school at the community in April 1838. A post office was established there in 1846, and by 1884 Brazoria was described as a "stirring village" of 800. It had several steam cotton gins and grist and sugar mills, twelve general stores, three hotels, five churches, and "excellent schools." Area farmers shipped crops on the river. By 1890 Brazoria had 900 residents and was the county seat of Brazoria County. By 1892 the Velasco World, a weekly newspaper, had been established there, and by 1914, the Banner. After the railroad bypassed Brazoria, it began to decline as its neighbor, Angleton, grew. Angleton became county seat in 1897. The local school at Brazoria had three teachers and an enrollment of 142 in 1906. The population was 633 in 1904 and 1,050 in 1929. By 1939 the discovery of oil and a sulfur field nearby and the building of a traffic bridge began to revive the town. Its population reached 1,291 by 1962 and 3,025 by 1987, when Brazoria had some fifty businesses. The Clemens Unit, a prison where inmates raise livestock and crops, is on 8,116 acres of land just south of the townsite. Brazoria hosts the No Name Festival in June, Frontier Days in March, and the Santa Ana Ball in July, and its old town area is of historic interest. In 1990 the community reported a population of 2,717. In 2000 the population was 2,787.

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Anna Hallstein | © TSHA

Handbook of Texas Logo

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Great Texas Land Rush logo
Adoption Status:
This place has been adopted and will not be available until October 11, 2024
Adopted by:
Charles Alloway
Dedication Message:
In Honor of the Cradle of Texas

Belongs to

Brazoria is part of or belongs to the following places:

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Brazoria is classified as a Town

Location

Latitude: 29.04551010
Longitude: -95.56683400

Has Post Office

Yes

Is Incorporated

Yes

Population Count, 2021 View more »

2,845