By Joan Frances –
Texas history is defined by the early settlers. Stephen F. Austin became legendary because of the accomplishments of the “Old 300.” In 1821, an empressario contract was granted to him by Spain to settle three hundred families in Spanish Texas. When Austin headed out to find land for his colony, he followed the Brazos and Colorado Rivers. Fifty-seven of the three hundred families received land in what is now Fort Bend County.
The attraction to Fort Bend was the promise of inexpensive land at only twelve and a half cents an acre. Colonists moved from Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Some sailed from New Orleans and Mobile to the Texas port cities of Brazoria and Matagorda. If a family farmed, they would receive 177 acres. If they raised stock, 4,428 acres were allotted. Colonies were established along the Brazos River, communities grew and businessmen set out to establish new towns.
Main Street Needville, 1923.
Fourteen miles south of Richmond in Fort Bend County is the small town of Needville. August Schendel, a German immigrant from Washington County, with his wife, Louisa, and two children, purchased a 160 acre tract of land in 1891. The following year, Schendel opened a general store, built a home and a cotton gin and named the area Schendelville. In 1894, Schendel applied for a post office using the name Needmore as a joke, because the place needed more of everything. There was already a Needmore, Texas, so Schendel settled on the name Needville.
The early settlers of Needville were mostly of German and Czech heritage. As time went on, Schendel platted the town and began selling lots. The first school was opened in 1897. By 1914, there were three general stores, two cotton gins and a movie theater in the town boasting a population of about 100.
Dixie Saloon, 1915.
Needville’s economy was mainly farming and ranching but in the 1920s and 1930s, oil, natural gas and sulfur were discovered in the area. In 1918, the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad was built through the community enhancing trade and transportation. The greatest benefit to the city came when Highway 36 was paved and opened for traffic in 1932, allowing residents to commute to Rosenberg and Richmond.
Today, the population of Needville is approximately 2,823 according to the 2012 census. The community has a country casual feel with charming old and new homes in neighborhoods lined with trees and grass. Downtown Needville is a historic area comprised of renovated buildings with merchants of hardware, antiques, offices and restaurants.
City Café and Meat Market, 1920-1930.
This innovative city is known for hosting events to stimulate local business. The Needville Harvest Festival, founded in 1983, is held every October. This is a non-profit organization with the proceeds of the festival benefiting the development of Harvest Park, the Community Center and funding scholarships for local high school students. The Creekside Hunting and Fishing Show held every spring on the campus of Creekside Christian Fellowship is a free event hosting exhibitors of hunting and fishing equipment, dog clinics, shooting competitions and demonstrations. The Needville Citywide Garage Sale is on a Saturday every March and September. Pickers from all over Fort Bend and Houston come to find treasures and explore the city. With so much to offer visitors, Needville makes a great destination point. Stephen F. Austin would be amazed.