The city of Pearland owes its existence to a mysterious nobleman who all but disappeared once he created the town's original site.
Polish Count Witold von Zychlinski filed the 520-acre plat for Pear Land—then spelled as two words—at the Brazoria County Courthouse in 1894, Pearland Historical Society President John "Mickey" Mark said. The original boundaries of the city were Orange Street on the north, Walnut Street on the south, Austin Street on the west and Galveston Street on the east.
Early settlers of the town said Zychlinski traveled Pearland's dirt streets in a surrey pulled by black, high-stepping horses until he left in the early 1890s, never to be seen again, according to the Pearland Historical Society. Despite the disappearance of its founder, Pearland's roots were established. The town grew, weathered the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and became the prospering city it is today.
"After they laid the lots out [in the city], Pearland was advertised in [news]papers up in the Midwest calling it a 'garden of paradise,' more or less—making it sound like the weather was perfect," Mark said. "Zychlinski instructed his people to plant pear trees because they were beautiful and blooming, and that's how we got the name Pearland."
The community was first named Mark Belt after a resident by the same name who served as superintendent for the Brazoria Land and Cattle Company of Missouri. Belt moved out of the area by 1888, which caused much confusion as many early residents had never met Belt and searched for the origin of the community's name.
According to the Pearland Historical Society, many early residents believed the name originated from the town's first postmaster or a railroad term, "Mark Belt," referring to a switch-and-makeshift station built in the area by the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railroad companies.
In 1896, the town had its first newspaper, the Pearland Advocate, and was home to about 75 residents and 12 businesses, including a blacksmith, carpenter and two lumber companies by 1898, according to the Texas State Historical Society.
Along with pear trees, migrants from the Midwest attempted to grow an assortment of fruits, including oranges and strawberries, which successfully adapted to the Gulf climate because the area had previously been used as grazing land for cattle, Mark said. Once the count disappeared, the Christensen Land Corporation and Allison-Richey Suburban Garden Company promoted Pearland.
Local farmers saw their fruit crop annihilated in the hurricane of 1900, which not only destroyed Galveston but nearly wiped out Pearland as well, Mark said. The planting of orange and fig trees helped revive the economy, the latter of which is largely responsible for the success of Pearland in the early- to mid-1900s.
"It was a very small community up until the '60s," Mark said. "Then [Pearland] started growing as Houston expanded and oil was found."
When nearby oil discoveries fueled growth in the Greater Houston area, Pearland became known as a rowdy town with dance halls and bars, which were often full and hosted country bands, Mark said.
The city of Pearland owes its existence to a mysterious nobleman who all but disappeared once he created the town's original site.
Polish Count Witold von Zychlinski filed the 520-acre plat for Pear Land—then spelled as two words—at the Brazoria County Courthouse in 1894, Pearland Historical Society President John "Mickey" Mark said. The original boundaries of the city were Orange Street on the north, Walnut Street on the south, Austin Street on the west and Galveston Street on the east. 
Early settlers of the town said Zychlinski traveled Pearland's dirt streets in a surrey pulled by black, high-stepping horses until he left in the early 1890s, never to be seen again, according to the Pearland Historical Society. Despite the disappearance of its founder, Pearland's roots were established. The town grew, weathered the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and became the prospering city it is today.
"After they laid the lots out [in the city], Pearland was advertised in [news]papers up in the Midwest calling it a 'garden of paradise,' more or less—making it sound like the weather was perfect," Mark said. "Zychlinski instructed his people to plant pear trees because they were beautiful and blooming, and that's how we got the name Pearland."
The community was first named Mark Belt after a resident by the same name who served as superintendent for the Brazoria Land and Cattle Company of Missouri. Belt moved out of the area by 1888, which caused much confusion as many early residents had never met Belt and searched for the origin of the community's name.
According to the Pearland Historical Society, many early residents believed the name originated from the town's first postmaster or a railroad term, "Mark Belt," referring to a switch-and-makeshift station built in the area by the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railroad companies.
In 1896, the town had its first newspaper, the Pearland Advocate, and was home to about 75 residents and 12 businesses, including a blacksmith, carpenter and two lumber companies by 1898, according to the Texas State Historical Society.
Along with pear trees, migrants from the Midwest attempted to grow an assortment of fruits, including oranges and strawberries, which successfully adapted to the Gulf climate because the area had previously been used as grazing land for cattle, Mark said. Once the count disappeared, the Christensen Land Corporation and Allison-Richey Suburban Garden Company promoted Pearland.
Local farmers saw their fruit crop annihilated in the hurricane of 1900, which not only destroyed Galveston but nearly wiped out Pearland as well, Mark said. The planting of orange and fig trees helped revive the economy, the latter of which is largely responsible for the success of Pearland in the early- to mid-1900s.
"It was a very small community up until the '60s," Mark said. "Then [Pearland] started growing as Houston expanded and oil was found."
When nearby oil discoveries fueled growth in the Greater Houston area, Pearland became known as a rowdy town with dance halls and bars, which were often full and hosted country bands, Mark said.
