Morton street as it was in 1912 (above) and one hundred years later in 2012 (bottom).[/caption]
The Richmond Train Depot was built in 1901 and is one of the few of its kind remaining in the state of Texas.[/caption]
The city of Richmond was formed and incorporated into the Republic of Texas in 1837. It has been the site of some notable events in the 180 years since.
“There is a lot of history in Richmond,” said Claire Rogers, Fort Bend County Museum executive director.
Rogers said that it is was one of the first places settled by the “Austin 300”— the first 300 families who settled the region under Stephen F. Austin’s first contract with the Mexican government.
“It’s always interesting to me as I talk to children about the old 300 coming and building this town in the bend of the river,” Rogers said. “[I ask the kids] the name of our county, and they say, ‘Fort Bend, ohhh, it’s because they built a fort in the bend.’”
Richmond was the site of a violent feud when a politically motivated gun fight—between rival political factions the Woodpeckers and the Jaybirds—broke out along the streets in 1899.
“It just blows up until one day one faction is coming out of the courthouse and another faction is coming down the street, and sees them and says, ‘Let’s get our guns and have a fight here,’” Rogers said.
The city is the final resting place of some notable figures in Texas history. Rogers said Walter Moses Burton—a former slave turned senator—is buried in Morton Cemetery—along with Erstus “Deaf” Smith, who was entrusted to confirm the fall of the Alamo and has a grave marker located at the corner of Houston Street and Sixth Street.
As the city ages, it has also grown, and Richmond has made an effort to preserve some of its buildings, hoping to retain the historic feel and to attract visitors.
“Richmond is a very historical area. We are trying to preserve our history, to preserve older buildings that are important and also that can be refurbished to have more uses,” Rogers said. “Even now as change is coming to the city and growth is coming, we are trying to grow the right way.”
