Albert P. and Mamie George.
By Joan Frances –
A popular quote from Dale Carnegie states: “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” This statement applies to anyone with a history of hardships and pain. The early pioneers suffered great losses as they attempted to make a new life for their families. From floods to drought, war to sickness, the Fort Bend settlers persevered and led the way to continued growth. Today, as a result of the compassion and drive of the early Texans, our history is preserved. Valuable information is carefully saved to respect the hard work and sacrifice people had to make. One place that is a tribute to our past is George Ranch Historical Park.
George Ranch was settled in 1824 by Henry Jones, one of the Old Three Hundred Colonists. His daughter, Mary M. “Polly” Ryon, and her son-in-law, J. H. P. Davis, took over the land, and Davis’ daughter, Mamie, inherited about one-third of the Ryon-Davis estate. Mamie married Albert P. George in 1896; they expanded the ranch to over 23,000 acres and built a two story home contracted by the famous Galveston architect Nicholas Clayton that still stands today.
George Ranch House.
Albert bred Brahman cattle and was the first to cross-breed Brahmans and Shorthorns, which he called Brahorns. Albert’s success produced prize bulls for the Houston Stock Show and Rodeo. In the early 1920s, oil was discovered on the ranch, which helped fuel the families’ wealth. In 1898, Mamie gave birth to their only son, Davis. Tragically, he died in 1899 of cholera at only 22 months. The daughter of Mamie’s cousin, Mary Jones, and her parents, lived with them for most of Mary’s life. In 1943, returning from a trip to Houston with Albert, Mary was killed in an automobile accident. Since the Georges had no immediate heirs, they created the George Foundation in 1945 to make sure their wealth would benefit the citizens of Fort Bend.
George Ranch Historical Park takes visitors back over one hundred years when Texas was still a part of Mexico. With several farms still a part of the landscape, the ranch is overwhelming. The 1830s Jones’ stock farm with a dogtrot cabin is still working with crops, livestock and weaving demonstrations. The 1860s Ryon Prairie home depicts life during the Civil War, and the Davis Victorian Mansion, furnished in the style of the 1890s, is fascinating with a sharecropper’s farm and a working blacksmith shop. There is even a family cemetery dating back to 1820.
A reenactment of Civil War sharecropping.
The George house, filled with many original furnishings, also has barns and working pens. The park hosts educational programs with actors who reenact the historical past with a touch of reality. Ghost hunters have confirmed several unexplained phenomena that occur in the vintage homes as well as in the cemetery. Special celebrations are held at Easter, Fourth of July and other holidays including the Runaway Scrape the first week in April, which recreates the challenges of the Jones family in the 1830s.
During the past few years, George Ranch has hosted the Cattle Baron’s Ball fundraiser. The ranch is also available for weddings in the chapel built in 1900 that can seat 80 to 100 people.
Thanks to the generous contributions of people like the Georges’ to preserve our past, future generations will be drinking lemonade for a long time.