The Jaybird Woodpecker monument at the corner of 5th and Morton Streets in Richmond marks the most malevolent chapters in Fort Bend history. Photos from Fort Bend County Texas: A Pictorial History.
A LITTLE PIECE OF HISTORY | By Joan Frances –
The amalgamation of Fort Bend County was not an easy task to complete. During the early days, the Karankawa Indians were a constant threat to commerce in the area. They resided on the river bottoms of the Brazos and later moved south to start again. Between October 2nd, 1835 and April 21st, 1836, the Texas War of Independence was fought between Mexico and the Texas colonists. This brutal war resulted in the establishment of the Republic of Texas. The outbreak of the Mexican-American war from 1846 to 1848 allowed the recognition of cession of Texas from Mexico in the treaty of the Guadalupe Hidalgo. The Civil War that was fought from 1861 to 1865 forced all economic progress to come to a halt.
While no battles reached the Fort Bend area, the political and social conflicts added stress to the community. After Reconstruction, political parties in Richmond began a neighbor to neighbor conflict called the Jaybird Woodpecker War.
During the development of Fort Bend, many slaves worked on plantations to assist in the harvesting of very successful crops of cotton, sugar, corn and other products. In 1850, Walter Moses Burton came to Texas as a slave from North Carolina. His owner, Thomas Burke Burton, taught him how to read and write at age 21. After emancipation, Thomas sold Walter several large plots of land for $1,900. Walter became one of the wealthiest and influential blacks in Fort Bend County.
Shots were fired from the back windows of the McFarlane House during the Jaybird Woodpecker War.
During Reconstruction, several black politicians were elected into county offices. In 1869, Walter Burton became the first black elected sheriff in the United States and later became a state senator in Texas. He was a remarkable man and credible leader. During his time in office, Burton was instrumental in orchestrating the education of African Americans. For twenty years, black leaders held office and ran the government, growing the community and keeping it safe.
Bob Chapel, a local African American man, would sing about Jaybirds and Woodpeckers, thus the name was given to identify the political parties. As Fort Bend County began to rebuild financially, a group of politicians attempted to take control of the government. The election of 1888 began a brief but bitter feud between the rival candidates: the Jaybirds, comprised of 90 percent of the Democratic wealthy, white population, and the Woodpeckers, comprised of virtually every Republican African American in the county.
Until this time, the Woodpeckers controlled the government in every election since Reconstruction. The Jaybirds warned a group of Woodpeckers to leave the county peacefully within 10 hours of the election. A few did leave, but others remained in control. The Texas Rangers were called in to oversee the election and were stationed in Richmond. On November 6th, 1888, all of the Woodpecker candidates were elected or reelected to office. This fueled revolt and altercations between the two parties.