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95-529: Lamar CISD includes almost 43 percent of Fort Bend County , covering the cities of Richmond , Rosenberg , Kendleton , Simonton , Thompsons , Weston Lakes , a very small portion of Sugar Land , most of Fulshear , most of the village of Pleak , the census-designated place of Cumings , a portion of the Pecan Grove CDP, the community of Lakemont , the unincorporated areas of Booth , Crabb , Foster , and Powell Point , and most of

190-516: A Spanish conquistador who lived among the Karankawa for several years in the 1530s and wrote a memoir, made no mention of cannibalism except for ritualistic consumption of deceased relatives in the form of funeral ashes "presented in water for the relatives to drink." Upon his return to Spain, Cabeza De Vaca noted in his written report to the King, "that five Christians quartered on the coast [Galveston,

285-433: A central fire, they boiled a strong and bitter brew from the leaves of the yaupon tree and stirred it until the top was covered with a yellowish froth. This brew was shared and all the Karankawa drank freely. Although this brew was said to be intoxicating, Europeans did not notice any visible effects on the natives. One native stood within the circle of men, wrapped up to his head in skins, and he bent over as he walked around

380-408: A commissioners' court. It is composed of four popularly elected county commissioners, one representing each precinct drawn decennially on the basis of population, and a county judge elected to represent the entire county. Other county officials include a sheriff, district attorney, tax assessor-collector, county clerk, district clerk, county treasurer, and county attorney. For decades, Fort Bend County

475-644: A decrease in population. This was a period when many African Americans migrated in the second wave of the Great Migration from Texas and other parts of the South to the West Coast, where a buildup in the defense industry provided more job opportunities. Other minorities settled in the county during its residential development, and African Americans are now a minority. As of the census of 2000, 354,452 people, 110,915 households, and 93,057 families resided in

570-645: A falsehood initially spread by the Spanish after failing to convert them to Catholicism at missionary settlements in La Bahía and Refugio . Years later, Texan colonist John H. Moore attempted to justify his role in the massacre of Karankawa because "their cannibalism... [was] beyond question," despite the absence of evidence. The Karankawa's autonym is Né-ume, meaning "the people". The name Karakawa has numerous spellings in Spanish, French, and English. Swiss-American ethnologist Albert S. Gatschet wrote that

665-421: A group of Mexicans and Texan colonists against what was believed to be the Karankawa's last known refuge, killing many. By 1891, the Karankawa ceased to exist as a functioning tribe. Historical research of the Karankawa is hindered because the documents concerning them were overwhelmingly written by enemies of the tribe. The Karankawa had been described for centuries as " cannibals ," now believed by many to be

760-431: A hospital district. OakBend Medical Center serves as the county's charity hospital which the county contracts with. School districts in the county include: Kendleton Independent School District , which formerly served parts of the county, closed in 2010 and merged into LCISD. The Texas Legislature assigns these community college districts to the following: Fort Bend County Libraries operates many libraries in

855-524: A large minority middle class started to emerge, Fort Bend was virgin territory that all groups could move to." In 2020 Fort Bend County had the highest percentage of Asian Americans of any county in Texas. In 2019 Indian Americans make up almost 50% of the Asian Americans in the county, with the second and third largest subsets being Chinese Americans and Vietnamese Americans . From 2010 to 2020

950-423: A letter addressed simply to "Mr. Republican". As the 1960s progressed, though, rapid suburban-style development in west and southwest Houston began to overflow into Fort Bend County, where the development of numerous master-planned communities attracted many upper-middle-class families to developments in the eastern portion of the county. This development, along with the shift of conservative white Democrats towards

1045-399: A loop of animal hide. Many Europeans noted the sharp contrasts in appearance between Karankawa men and women. The women were described as plainer, shorter, and of stouter build than the men. The men were very tall, of strong athletic build, and had coarse, black hair. Most men wore their hair to the waist. Their foreheads were mostly low and broad, and the heads larger than most Europeans of

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1140-602: A major suburban county dominated by service and manufacturing industries. Among the earliest such developments were Sugar Land's Sugar Creek and Missouri City's Quail Valley , whose golf course hosted the Houston Open during the 1973 and 1974 seasons of the PGA Tour . Another was First Colony in Sugar Land, a 9,700-acre development commenced in the 1970s by Houston developer Gerald D. Hines that eventually became

1235-679: A number of rural "Common School Districts". The names of the Common School Districts were: Rice Farm, Thompsons, Booth, Simonton, Fulshear, Foster, Brandt, George, Cottonwood & Pleak. Beginning in 1985, LCISD began serving middle and high school students from the Kendleton Independent School District (KISD)'s boundaries. KISD and its one school, Powell Point Elementary, were merged into Lamar CISD on July 1, 2010. KISD ceased operations on that date and LCISD began serving elementary students from

1330-441: A potential expansion of Sugar Land Regional Airport. In contrast to greater Houston in general, Fort Bend County's economy is more diverse, with numerous service-sector jobs in healthcare, energy, education, hospitality, and other areas. Major companies with a presence in the county include Schlumberger , Minute Maid , Fluor , and Sunoco 's logistics operations in Sugar Land. The Houston Business Journal reported in 2010 that

1425-617: A ritual to choose a chief, a diary of Fray Gaspar Jose De Solis states that he suspects these rituals could simply be a puberty rite or an initiation ritual to a brotherhood. One aspect of the Karankawa culture was their recognition of three gender roles: male, female, and a third role taken on by some males and women. Males who took on this third role are called monanguia (see Two-Spirit for similar concepts in Native American cultures generally). Monanguia generally took on female roles and activities in daily life, while also playing

1520-448: A small bracelet of undressed deer skin. In the warm climate, children did not wear clothing until they were about 10 years old. The Karankawa had distinctive tattoos, notably, a blue circle tattooed over each cheekbone, one horizontal blue line from the outer angle of the eye toward the ear, three perpendicular parallel lines on the chin from the middle of the lower lip downward, and two other lines extending down from under each corner of

1615-476: A special role in religious rites. According to some accounts, the berdache also performed as passive sexual partners for other males. The written accounts of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca mentions bride price and bride service as part of a Karankawa marriage. While the bride price is assumed to be the generalized system in the Indigenous population found by Cabeza de Vaca where the groom gives presents to

1710-490: A wadded cloth. Each of these was tied to the head with a bandage and left to stay there about one year. The men wore hide breechcloths , while the women wore deerhide skirts. They did not wear headcovers or shoes. Some women of the tribe obtained European clothing occasionally, but would only tear them apart or wear them temporarily. European blankets were of greater use to the tribe, worn fastened to their bodies during cold weather and pinned with thorns. Both men and women wore

1805-525: Is Houston's William P. Hobby Airport in Harris County. Fort Bend County is also within the primary service area of George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Fort Bend County officially created a department of public transportation in 2005 that provides commuter buses to Uptown , Greenway Plaza , and Texas Medical Center . It also provides demand-and-response buses to senior citizens and

1900-500: Is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas . The county was founded in 1837 and organized the next year. It is named for a blockhouse at a bend of the Brazos River . The community developed around the fort in early days. The county seat is Richmond . The largest city located entirely within the county borders is Sugar Land . The largest city by population in the county is Houston ; however, most of Houston's population

1995-518: Is a common aspect typically only to marriages that have not created any children and is unlikely if children have been born from the marriage. Between the husband and wife, no signs of fondness, intimacy, or special treatment were observed. The Karankawa reacted strongly and sometimes violently to Europeans interfering in marital or familial affairs. The Karankawa were said to have great compassion and tenderness for their children. Mothers carried babies, not yet able to walk, on their backs, wrapped in

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2090-596: Is located in neighboring Harris County. Fort Bend County is included in the Houston – The Woodlands –Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area . As of the 2020 census , the population was 822,779. In 2017, Forbes ranked it the fifth-fastest growing county in the United States. In 2015, Fort Bend County became Texas's wealthiest county, with a median household income of $ 95,389 and a median family income of $ 105,944, surpassing Collin and Rockwall Counties since

2185-549: Is often considered a swing county, with election results usually tilting more Democratic than statewide results, which continue to favor Republicans. Elections within the county are often decided by margins in more Republican-leaning areas in Sugar Land, Rosenberg, and Sienna, with Republicans dominating in the Katy, Fulshear, and rural southern areas of the county and Democrats in the county's northeast corner around Missouri City and Fresno, as well as heavily Hispanic Mission Bend. Since

2280-593: Is the wealthiest county in Texas, with a median household income of $ 95,389 and a median family income of $ 105,944, having surpassed Collin and Rockwall Counties since the 2000 census. However, the Council for Community and Economic Research ranked Fort Bend County America's third-wealthiest county when the local cost of living was factored in. This estimate does not include property taxes and local taxes, as effective tax rates and home insurance were not measured. Along with other Texas counties, Fort Bend County has one of

2375-601: The Greater Katy area began to experience rapid growth and expansion into Fort Bend County in the 1990s, led by the development of Cinco Ranch . By 2010, the county's population exceeded 500,000, and it had become the second-largest county in the greater Houston area (behind Harris County). In 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused significant flooding in Fort Bend County, leading to the evacuation of 200,000 residents and over 10,000 rescues. The unprecedented flooding,

2470-655: The 1820s, European-American colonists arrived in their land under the leadership of Stephen Austin . He commissioned a captain to expel the Karankawa from the Austin land grant, leading to multiple attacks, including the Skull Creek massacre of 19 Karankawa. By the 1840s, the Karankawa, now exiled, split into two groups, one of which settled on Padre Island while the other fled into the Mexican state of Tamaulipas . During 1858, Mexican rancher Juan Nepomuceno Cortina led

2565-494: The 1850s, Fort Bend was one of six majority-black counties in Texas. In 1860, the slave population totaled 4,127, more than twice that of the 2,016 whites. Few free Blacks lived there, as Texas refused them entry. While the area began to attract white immigrants in the late 19th century, it remained majority-Black during and after Reconstruction. Whites endeavored to control freedmen and their descendants through violence and intimidation. Freedmen and their sympathizers supported

2660-430: The 1970s, Fort Bend County has been attracting people from all ethnic backgrounds. According to a 2001 Claritas study, it was the fifth-most diverse U.S. county, among counties with a population of 100,000 or more. It is one of a growing number of U.S. counties with an ethnic plurality , with no single ethnic group forming a majority of the population. Fort Bend County also has the highest percentage of Asian Americans in

2755-545: The 1994 election of a Republican county judge to the commissioners' court for the first time since Reconstruction. As of 2019, five of Fort Bend County's eight countywide offices, including two precinct-level positions, are held by Republicans. The remaining three are held by Democrats. With growing populations of minorities and more socially moderate suburban voters who often break Republican on fiscal and economic issues, Fort Bend County has recently become more competitive. In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama came very close to winning

2850-495: The 2000 census. Before European settlement, the area was inhabited by Karankawa Indians. Spanish colonists generally did not reach the area during their colonization, settling more in South Texas. After Mexico achieved independence from Spain, Anglo-Americans started entering from the east. In 1822, a group of Stephen F. Austin 's colonists, headed by William Travis, built a fort at the present site of Richmond. The fort

2945-596: The Fort Bend County Commissioners' Court. In 2018, significant enthusiasm for U.S. Senate candidate Beto O' Rourke and strong Democratic infrastructure resulted in Democratic control of the commissioners' court (including county judge) and a number of countywide administrative and judicial posts, with Fort Bend Independent School District board trustee K.P. George becoming Texas's first Asian-American county judge. Today, Fort Bend County

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3040-821: The Island of Doom] came to the extremity of eating each other. Only the body of the last one, whom nobody was left to eat, was found unconsumed. Their names were Sierra, Diego Lopez, Corral, Palacios, and Gonzalo Ruiz," this, after shipwrecking off Galveston Bay. The Karankawa people "were so shocked at this [Spanish] cannibalism that, if they had seen it sometime earlier, they surely would have killed every one of us." Whites never actually witnessed an act of cannibalism, and second- and third-hand accounts are of disputed credibility. The Karankawa kept dogs that accompanied them on hunts, swims, and recreational activities. The dogs were voiceless, with straight ears and fox-like snouts. In 1528, one of two barges put together by survivors of

3135-637: The Jaybirds ordered a list of certain Blacks and Woodpecker officials out of the county, overthrowing the local government. The Jaybirds took over county offices and established a "White-only pre-primary," disenfranchising African Americans from the only competitive contests in the county. This device lasted until 1950, when Willie Melton and Arizona Fleming won a lawsuit against the practice in United States District Court , though it

3230-542: The Karankawa name originated from the old Spanish Main, "Kalina," and a suffix from a Northern Carib tribe, "kxura,"meaning "people;" a compound emerges: Karinxkxura, meaning "Carib people." But this theory is disputed and ultimately, the origins of the name "Karankawa" remain unknown. Alternate spellings of the name Karankawa have historically included: Carancahua, Carancagua, Carancaguase, Carancahuare, Carancahuase, Carancahuaye, Carancahuaze, Carancohuace, Caray, Carrai, Carray, Saray. According to some contemporary sources,

3325-507: The Karankawa sought matches or tinderboxes from settlers; otherwise, they resorted to the traditional method of using their firesticks, which they always carried in a package of deerhide thongs. The fire was always made in the center of their dwellings and kept burning day and night. They used animal hides and pelts to sit and sleep on within their dwellings. Their household goods and utensils included wooden spoons, ceramic vessels, fishbone needles, and fine deer sinew. The Karankawa traveled to

3420-481: The Karankawa were disgusted by the odor. The women wore no ornaments, while the men wore many ornaments. Men's long hair was braided with three strands. They inserted bright items (such as ribbons or colored flannel). The women never braided their hair nor combed it regularly. The men wore necklaces of small shells, glass beads, pistachios, and thin metal disks on their throats (never on their chests). Men also wore finger rings. Europeans knew limited information about

3515-460: The Karankawa. The Karankawa were also noted for their remarkable physical feats, such as continuing to fight after being wounded in battle, breaking ice with their bodies, and swimming in freezing water. Their most notable skill was archery . The Karankawa made their own bows and arrows, and were renowned for great skill whether standing on land or in calm or turbulent waters. Their bows were made of red cedar wood and they made them according to

3610-719: The Republican Party because of emancipation, electing their candidates to office. The state legislature was still predominately white. By the 1880s, most white residents belonged to the Democratic Party. Factional tensions were fierce, as political elements split largely along racial lines. The Jaybirds, representing the majority of the Whites, struggled to regain control from the Woodpeckers, who were made up of some whites who were consistently elected to office by

3705-561: The Republican Party in the wake of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 , led to increased support for the GOP in the following years. Richard Nixon narrowly carried the county in 1968, making it the only county in greater Houston outside of Harris County to go Republican that year, and carried it again in 1972. In 1976, conservative physician Ron Paul of Brazoria County, noted for his opposition to most government programs, which earned him

3800-622: The Richmond-Rosenberg area. Fort Bend County is also a major service area for the Houston Chronicle , which provides separate local coverage for the Sugar Land and Katy areas. The sole publicly owned airport in the county is Sugar Land Regional Airport in Sugar Land . Privately owned airports for public use include: Privately owned for private use: The closest airport with regularly scheduled commercial service

3895-540: The Southern United States; the largest groups are of Vietnamese , Chinese , Indian , and Filipino ancestry. By 2011, Fort Bend was ranked the fourth-most racially diverse county in the United States by USA Today . The newspaper based the ranking on calculating the probability that two persons selected at random would be of different ethnic groups or races. According to the USA Today methodology,

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3990-406: The area as early as the fifth millennium BCE. The Karankawa voyaged from place to place on a seasonal basis in their dugouts , made from large trees with the bark left intact. They travelled in groups of thirty to forty people and remained in each place for about four weeks. After European contact, canoes were of two kinds, both being called "awa'n": the original dugout and old skiffs obtained from

4085-578: The chance of people of being two different ethnic groups/races being selected was 75%. Karl Eschbach, a former demographer with the State of Texas, has said that many people from Houston neighborhoods and communities with clear racial identities, such as the East End , Sunnyside , and the Third Ward , moved to suburban areas that were too new to have established racial identities. Eschbach explained, "[a]s

4180-424: The coastal area, including the Karankawa (which he spelled as Korenkake and Koinekahe). His observations were that the Karankawa were peaceable rather than hostile. Upon their first meeting, Joutel reports that the Karankawa "demonstrated their friendship by putting their hands over their hearts, which meant that they were glad to see us." He also noted that they possessed horses, which were undoubtedly obtained from

4275-600: The coastal region. They hunted and gathered food from rivers and by the mountains. In the region that the Karankawa inhabited, numerous small chunks of asphaltum have been found along the coast from oil seepage beneath the Gulf of Mexico. These chunks were used to bind arrowheads to their shafts; as a coating for pottery such as ollas , jars, and bowls; and as a way to waterproof woven baskets. Karankawa cuisine included venison, rabbit, fowl, fish, turtles, oysters, and other shellfish. Their cuisine also included food gathered from

4370-482: The common language and shared war expeditions. The ritual to become a chief has been studied by 18th-century Spaniards. They have stated that a selection starts from many candidates, and each is injured by a comb created from the spines of a sea fish, long wounds being dug into their skin from the top of their heads to the soles of their feet and then tied to a pole for several days to either emerge thin or emaciated and close to death. While this description can indeed be

4465-435: The corpse in a well-prepared buffalo hide, the same one that he had used in life to cover himself, they bury him with his club, his bow, and his arrows, a quantity of smoked meat, some corn and vegetables, and two pieces of a certain rock that they use instead of gun flint to make fire.[[For this purpose they make a little hole in one of the pieces of wood, which is flat, and which they lean against something; and having sharpened

4560-471: The county, with 48.6% of the vote to Republican John McCain 's 50.9%. In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first Democrat to carry the county since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, largely due to the unpopularity of Republican nominee Donald Trump , with many voters splitting their tickets between Clinton and Republicans for other offices; Republicans won every elected countywide office by a margin similar to Clinton's, while also defeating an incumbent Democrat on

4655-459: The county. According to the 2008 American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the county was $ 81,456, and for a family was $ 90,171. Males had a median income of $ 54,139 versus $ 41,353 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 30,862. About 5.50% of families and 7.10% of the population were below the poverty line , including 8.50% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over. As of 2006, Fort Bend County

4750-821: The county. Houston Public Library operates one branch in the county, the Stimley Blue Ridge Neighborhood Library in Blue Ridge, Houston . Local newspapers in the county include three weeklies: the Fort Bend Star , headquartered in Stafford ; the Fort Bend Independent ; and the Fort Bend Sun , headquartered in Sugar Land. The daily Fort Bend Herald and Texas Coaster focuses on news coverage in

4845-671: The county. Source: The Fort Bend County Jail is at 1410 Richmond Parkway in Richmond . Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the following facilities in Fort Bend County, all at the Jester State Prison Farm site: Prisons for men: Other facilities: The TDCJ announced that the Central Unit in Sugar Land was closing in 2011. The City of Sugar Land is exploring the property for future economic development, including light industrial uses, as well as

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4940-423: The county. The population density was 405 people per square mile (156 people/km ). The 115,991 housing units averaged 133 units per square mile (51/km ). The racial or ethnic makeup of the county was 56.96% White (46.21% White non-Hispanic), 19.85% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 11.20% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 9.10% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. About 21.12% of

5035-411: The day. Karankawa never communicated their native names to the whites. However, they all adopted English or Spanish names. Many men adopted American military epithets and Christian names, and they would change these frequently. Among the Karankawa existed an in-law taboo. Once a man and his wife had become, in the Karankawa sense, married, the husband and his children were no longer allowed to enter

5130-830: The diversity of industries promoted decades of rapid population growth. After Memorial Hermann Hospital and St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital opened facilities in Fort Bend County, already home to local facilities for Houston Methodist Hospital in Sugar Land, as well as locally based OakBend Medical Center in Richmond, many doctors moved their offices to the county. Compared to Montgomery County, which has experienced rapid growth in corporate employment following ExxonMobil's decision to move its greater Houston operations to an area directly south of The Woodlands, Fort Bend County has yet to experience significant corporate growth, though Schlumberger recently announced plans to move its North American headquarters to Sugar Land. The county does not have

5225-494: The failed Pánfilo de Narváez expedition to Florida struck aground at Galveston Island. Survivors, including Cabeza de Vaca , were cared for by the Capoque band of Karankawa. From 1527, Cabeza de Vaca subsisted for seven years among the coastal tribes, making a living as a medical practitioner and occasional trader. During his stay, de Vaca reported that a fatal stomach ailment reduced the Karankawa population by roughly one half;

5320-446: The fall of 2021 with the completion of Dr. Thomas E Randle High School and Harry Wright Junior High School. The school board approved names for 6 new campuses on April 19 , 2022, which included. 3 New Elementary Schools, 1 New Middle School, 1 New Junior High School, 1 New High School. In 1947 LCISD was first defined in the Fort Bend County public records. It was a consolidation of Richmond ISD, Rosenberg ISD and Beasley ISD along with

5415-413: The fire. They chanted in chromatic ascending and descending tones, and all the natives joined in the chorus. This ceremony continued throughout the night. Other than this, only a few other rituals were observed, and their purposes are unknown. The Karankawa stared at the sun when it disappeared into the sea, like some other native groups of the area. They also smoked tobacco through their nostrils first to

5510-691: The former KISD. Kendleton ISD was originally one Common School District, also called Kendleton. In 2009, Lamar CISD was named an H.E.B. Excellence in Education School District. Dr. Thomas Randle served as the district superintendent from 2001 until his retirement in 2021. During his tenure, LCISD grew from approximately 16,000 students to 34,000 students. There were 36,345 students in 2020, and 44,385 students in 2024. Early Childhood 29°33′28″N 95°47′11″W  /  29.5578°N 95.7863°W  / 29.5578; -95.7863 Fort Bend County, Texas Fort Bend County

5605-560: The general public that travel only in Fort Bend County. Parts of the county, such as Katy and Missouri City, participate in the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County and are served by several park-and-ride routes. Karankawa people The Karankawa / k ə ˈ r æ ŋ k ə w ə / were an Indigenous people concentrated in southern Texas along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico , largely in

5700-450: The height of each archer, reaching from the foot to the chin or eye. The bows were always kept in perfect repair. The arrows were about a yard long, tipped with steel, and fletched with wild goose feathers. Karankawa engaged in archery for hunting and as a recreational activity. They often shot at the mark or shot arrows perpendicularly into space. The shooting matches they held were lively and festive. Many young men were able to split in two

5795-542: The lower Colorado River and Brazos River valleys. They consisted of several independent, seasonal nomadic groups who shared a language and some culture. From the onset of European colonization , the Karankawa had violent encounters with the Spanish . After one attack by the Spanish, who ambushed the Karankawa after the establishment of Presidio La Bahía in 1722, the Karankawa allegedly felt "deeply betrayed [and] viewed Spanish colonial settlement with hostility." In

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5890-558: The majority of African Americans, as several had served as Republican officials during Reconstruction. Fort Bend County was the site of the Jaybird–Woodpecker War in 1888–89. After a few murders were committed, the political feud culminated in a gun battle at the courthouse on August 16, 1889, when several more people were killed and the Woodpeckers were routed from the county seat. Governor Lawrence Sullivan Ross sent in militia forces and declared martial law. With his support,

5985-435: The migrations of their ancestors were entirely unknown to the Karankawa of the early 19th century. Linguist Herbert Landar, however, argues that based on linguistic evidence, the Karankawa language and people originated from a Carib subgroup, which remains to be discovered. Their exact migratory path northward is equally indistinct. Migration northward is theorized to have occurred during the late 15th century. The route north

6080-554: The mouth. Moreover, 16th-century European explorers wrote that Karankawa people had labrets , or piercings of cane on the lower lips, nose, and other parts of the body. The woman in some tribes such as the Coco group also had a tattoo of concentric black circles from their nipple to circling their entire breast. Men, women, and children alike rubbed sharks' oil on their entire bodies regularly to deter mosquitoes effectively and to keep their skin soft and supple. Europeans who encountered

6175-464: The name Karakawa may have come from the Comecrudo terms klam or glám , meaning "dog", and kawa , meaning "to love, like, to be fond of." The plural form of kawa is kakáwa , so the term would mean "dog-lovers" or "dog-raisers." The Tonkawa called them Wrestlers ("Keles" or "Killis"). They alternatively called them the barefooted or those without moccasins ("Yakokon kapa-i"), but this name

6270-541: The nation's highest property-tax rates. In 2007, it was ranked fifth in the nation for property taxes as a percentage of the homes' value on owner-occupied housing. The list includes only counties with a population over 65,000. Fort Bend County also ranked in the top 100 in property taxes paid and percentage of taxes of income. Part of this is due to Texas's complex Robin Hood plan school financing law. County politics in Fort Bend County, as in all Texas counties, center around

6365-426: The nature and casualties resulting from this illness are unknown. De Vaca reported that extensive trade occurred with inland groups as far as the extent of the entire length of the present-day United States. After the introduction of the horse by Spaniards, these trade networks strengthened. Henri Joutel , the companion of Robert Cavelier de La Salle on his last expedition in 1687, recorded several tribes living in

6460-576: The nickname "Dr. No", captured the 22nd district in the United States House of Representatives in a special election, before narrowly losing re-election in the November election in which Gerald Ford also won Fort Bend, despite losing Texas to Jimmy Carter . Beginning in 1978, Republicans began to win several offices within the county, with William P. Clements carrying the county in his successful run for governor. That same year, Paul

6555-439: The north, then to the east, west, and south. They frequently whistled at certain times and apparently for some objective, but ultimately for unknown purposes. Jean-Baptist Talon, in response to interrogation, reported, "one could only infer that they have some confused impression of the immortality of their souls and the resurrection of the dead by the ceremonies that they observe in the burial of their dead. After having wrapped

6650-463: The other, which is round, they adjust the point of i in the hole and make some fire by rubbing these two pieces of wood, by turning the one that is round between their hands, as fast as they can]] and all that in order that he may use them (so they say) when he wakes up". According to some sources, the Karankawa practiced ritual cannibalism , in common with other Gulf coastal tribes of present-day Texas and Louisiana. Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca ,

6745-477: The parents of the girl he wishes to marry, to secure their permission, the bride service is based on a ritual where the husband must give every morsel of food he managed to collect or hunt to his wife. His wife then delivers the bounty to her parents and in return is given food to give back to her husband. This ritual goes on for an unknown number of months, but when it is concluded, the pair typically then engages in patrilocal residence . In terms of marriage, divorce

6840-585: The passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the federal government has enforced it by regularly reviewing voting patterns and local practices, and plaintiffs have sometimes sued state or local governments over discriminatory practices. In April 2009, as part of a settlement with the United States Department of Justice , officials of Fort Bend County agreed to increase assistance to Spanish-speaking Latino voters in elections held in

6935-540: The percentage of non-Hispanic white people declined by 4.8%, the Asian American community grew by 83,167 (83.7% increase), the percentage of Hispanic people increased by 42.9% and the percentage of black people increased by 35.9%. Fort Bend County also has the highest percentage of Filipino Americans in the Greater Houston area and in state of Texas. Filipinos are also the fourth largest Asian subset in

7030-479: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Other self-identifications were 8.8% of German ancestry, 6.3% American, and 5.8% English ancestry. In 2000, of the 110,915 households, 49.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.80% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.10% were not families. About 13.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.10% had someone living alone who

7125-491: The previous arrow in the target from a distance of at least 80 feet. The groups of Karankawa were commonly led by two chiefs - a civil government chief with a hereditary succession in the male lines, and a war chief, probably appointed by the civil government chief. No evidence of a confederacy, like that of the Caddo or Creeks , was found. The Karankawa were probably a loose-knit body living under separate chiefs only united by

7220-445: The residence of his wife's parents, nor could his wife's parents enter his or his children's home. These two groups were also no longer allowed to talk with one another and never came face to face with one another. If a situation of coming face to face with one another arose, both parties averted their eyes and moved away from each other. This taboo only seemed to apply to the husbands and their children, most likely due to inconvenience on

7315-570: The result of record rainfall and overflow from the Brazos River and Barker Reservoir , resulted in damage to or destruction of over 6,800 homes in the county. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 885 square miles (2,290 km ), of which 24 square miles (62 km ) (2.7%) are covered by water. From 1930 to 1950, the county showed a decline in the rate of expansion and even

7410-403: The rituals of the Karankawa because the latter did not reveal the purposes of their actions or their beliefs. When Joutel, an explorer and companion of Robert Cavalier de La Salle, questioned their religious beliefs, the Karankawa only pointed at the sky. At the full moon and after very successful hunting or fishing expeditions, the Karankawa traditionally held a ceremony. After gathering around

7505-422: The shoreline of the nearby body of water. They constructed houses by arranging willow branches in a circle, bending the tops of the branches toward the center, and interlocking them in wickerwork. This wickerwork was fastened with deerskin. Upon this framework, the Karankawa lay deer, wildcat, panther or bear skins, again fastened with deer hide thongs. The next step was to make a fire. After European contact,

7600-410: The smoke of a small fire ascend toward the sky in many different ways, and it was as intelligible to them across long distances as their language. Their methods are unknown. The Karankawa had a specific way of conversing. They carefully repressed their breath while speaking; at the end of their sentences, they exhaled heavily, releasing the air they held back during speaking. Moreover, their expression

7695-410: The southwest Greater Houston area's main retail hub, anchored by First Colony Mall and Sugar Land Town Square . Since the 1980s, new communities have continued to develop, with Greatwood , New Territory , and Sienna (originally Sienna Plantation) among the more recent notable developments. In addition to continued development in the eastern part of the county around Sugar Land and Missouri City,

7790-408: The time. The men, in contrast with the women, had lithe builds and slender hands and feet. Their skin color was said to be lighter and closer to cinnamon-colored than the women. Both men and women were noted for their spectacularly white teeth, even elders. Karankawa people practiced forehead flattening . They shaped the foreheads of babies by first with a piece of cloth, then a thin board, and then

7885-528: The unincorporated rural areas (including areas in Sugar Land's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) in central Fort Bend County. Lamar CISD enrolls over 27,000 students and is the fastest-growing district in Fort Bend County. In 2013 it received the highest possible academic rating (Met Standard) from the Texas Education Agency . Dr. Roosevelt Nivens began his tenure as superintendent on June 1, 2021. The 6th Junior and High School opened in

7980-401: The wells of the whites had a brackish taste. Little is known of the extinct Karankawa language , which may have been a language isolate . The Karankawa also possessed a gesture language for conversing with people from other Native American tribes. The Karankawa were noted for their skill of communicating with each other over long distances using smoke signals . The Karankawa could make

8075-435: The whites. Neither was used for fishing but for transportation only, and their travels were limited to the waters close to the land. The women, children, and possessions travelled in the hold while the men stood on the stern and poled the canoe. Upon landing at their next destination, the women set up wigwams (called ba'ak in their native language) and the men hauled the boats on the shore. Their campsites were always close to

8170-485: The wife's part, as Karankawans were typically patrilocal. The Karankawa possessed at least three musical instruments - a large gourd filled with stones, which was shaken to produce sound, a fluted piece of wood, which the Karankawa drew a stick over to produce sound, and a flute, which was softly blown. The Karankawa practiced hatchet throwing , recreational brawls with knives, ball games, and wrestling matches. No gambling or guessing games seemed to have developed among

8265-552: The wild, such as berries, persimmons, wild grapes, sea-bird eggs, tuna and nopales (prickly pear cactus fruit and paddles, respectively), and nuts. They boiled food in ceramic pots or roasted entrés and seasoned their dishes with chile. After European contact, the Karankawa made bread from imported wheat flour. They laid the dough on a flat stone then baked it on an open fire. They also enjoyed imported sweet coffee. The Karankawa were skilled at obtaining pure, fresh water. White settlers did not know where they obtained it, because

8360-449: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14, and the average family size was 3.46. In the county, the age distribution of the population was 32.00% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 32.30% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 5.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males. Since

8455-482: Was a stronghold for the Democratic Party , having achieved disenfranchisement of Blacks at the county level in 1889 in the aftermath of the Jaybird–Woodpecker War . The state effectively disfranchised them with a poll tax and White primaries ; the latter device was declared unconstitutional in 1944. By 1960, so few Republicans resided in Fort Bend County that the county's Republican chair once received

8550-558: Was also applied to other groups with which the Tonkawe were acquainted. The Lipan Apache called the Karankawa the "people who walk in the water" ("Nda Kun dadehe"), possibly referring to their mode of fishing and catching turtles, or simply their location near the swampy coast. The Karankawa called themselves "Karankawa" as well. Later speculation placed the Karankawa language in the Cariban linguistic stock. Linguistic data suggests that

8645-471: Was called Fort Bend because it was built in the bend of the Brazos River. The city of Richmond was incorporated under the Republic of Texas along with 19 other towns in 1837. Fort Bend County was created from parts of Austin, Harris, and Brazoria Counties in 1838. Fort Bend developed a plantation economy based on cotton as the commodity crop. Planters had numerous African-American slaves as laborers. By

8740-713: Was from the original land north of the Amazon River toward Tamaulipas and Texas, and was probably done over a long period of time by short bursts of migration. Scholars have speculated that the Karankawa were descended from a group of Carib Indians who arrived by sea from the Caribbean basin. This is partially based on the similarity of their physical appearance to Caribbean natives, but no ethnographic or archaeological evidence has been found for this speculation. Recent archaeological records that used radiocarbon dating for artifacts indicated that these Native groups had been in

8835-430: Was interpreted by Europeans as impassive, especially because they never looked at the person to whom they were speaking. Their pronunciation was very exact, and they ridiculed poor elocution by the whites who tried to learn their language. The Europeans described their general demeanor as surly and fatigued. They did not have a regular sleep schedule, but slept whenever they wished. They also ate and drank at all times of

8930-622: Was overturned on appeal. In 1953, they ultimately won their suit when the Supreme Court of the United States declared the Jaybird primary unconstitutional in Terry v. Adams , the last of the white primary cases. In the 1960s, the first of several master-planned communities that came to define the county were developed, marking the beginning of its transformation from a largely rural county dominated by railroad and oil and gas interests to

9025-549: Was returned to Congress, while businessman Tom DeLay captured the county's seat in the Texas House of Representatives . In 1984 DeLay succeeded Paul in Congress after the latter ran an unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign, and became House majority leader by 2002. Beginning in 1982, Republicans won a number of county-level offices and judicial benches, and Fort Bend County's new reputation as a Republican stronghold culminated in

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