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53-559: Simonton may refer to: Places Simonton, Texas , city in Fort Bend County, Texas Simonton Lake, Indiana , census-designated place in Elkhart County, Indiana People Ann Simonton , writer, lecturer and feminist media activist Ashbel Green Simonton , (1833-1867), American Presbyterian minister and missionary Charles Bryson Simonton (1838-1911), member of

106-534: A "Whites-only" ballot in preliminary party voting from 1889 until 1953. The Jaybird organization and the disfranchisement spread to other counties in the state and remained active politically until the civil rights movement . This device lasted until 1950, when Willie Melton and Arizona Fleming won a lawsuit against the practice in United States District Court , though it was overturned on appeal. In 1953, they ultimately won their suit when

159-437: A busy small town to a quiet crossroads community. Then came the beginnings of a new stage in the life of the town. Vernon Evans, owner of the nearby Rue Ranch, and his son-in-law, A.E. "Snake" Bailey, bought 850 acres of land along FM 1093 to be developed as a western community with stables and a small arena and club house, the hub around which houses would be built. The development was called Valley Lodge. Valley Lodge subdivision

212-457: A distinctly human side to a previously mysterious Chinese leader. As Ezra F. Vogel , a biographer of Deng, put it, the "photograph of Deng smiling beneath his ten-gallon hat became the symbol of his visit. It signaled to the U.S. public that he was not only good-humored, but, after all, less like one of 'those Communists' and more like 'us.'" With live broadcasts back to China, these events made news for Deng's home audience, too. The Stetson hat

265-471: A friend of Terry's being held in a neighboring town. Terry was arrested, but posted bail and moved to Galveston . On January 21, 1890, he was gunned down by Gibson's brother Volney Gibson and a group of Jaybirds, while walking up the stairs to the Galveston courtroom for the preliminary hearing in his trial for the murder of Ned Gibson. Retaliatory murders occurred on both sides. The violence culminated in

318-498: A local black leader, Lamar Johnson, and injuring his half-brother, Taylor Randonan. This incident gained regional and national attention for the deep racial divisions of the Jaybird-Woodpecker War raging throughout Fort Bend County. The Simonton family's position and presence gradually dwindled after the deaths of the pioneer brothers and the influx of European immigrants who passed through Galveston during

371-729: A subsequent research, there were 105 slaves on the Simonton plantation on the eve of the Civil War. This census also revealed that their plantation had 975 improved acres that produced 11,000 bushels of corn and 600 bales of cotton. Like many Texas plantation owners, they supported the Confederacy. On January 4, 1864, Joseph, James, and Theo Simonton wrote General J.B. Magruder that they were about to place in Confederate service about 40 [slaves].... The three brothers did not enlist in

424-617: Is a part of the Fort Bend County Libraries system. The branch, which opened in May 1998, was the third branch built with 1989 bond funds. The land currently occupied by the library was previously the Fort Bend County Precinct 4 headquarters. Bob Lutts, the precinct commissioner, offered the land to the library system. The Fulshear City Council asked the county to name the library after Lutts. The library

477-550: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Simonton, Texas Simonton is a city in Fort Bend County , Texas , United States, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Simonton is located at the intersection of Farm roads 1093 and 1489, approximately fourteen miles northwest of Richmond and five miles west of Fulshear . As of

530-636: Is displayed in the National Museum of China in the center of the exhibit hall which focuses on Deng. This excitement generated change Sino-American perceptions of each other, as exemplified in a Chinese Foreign Ministry video "The Cowboy-Hat and "Deng Whirlwind — The First Visit to the United States by a Leader of New China." In 1979, the community incorporated as the City of Simonton. The population grew to 603 in 1980 and 718 in 2000. In 2010

583-795: Is now within Precinct 3. Simonton is zoned to schools in the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District . Private schools The designated community college for LCISD is Wharton County Junior College . Simonton is one of the key towns featured in the 2009 documentary "The Heart of Texas Movie" For a complete listing, see list of cities and towns in Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land MSA Jaybird%E2%80%93Woodpecker War The Jaybird-Woodpecker War ended when

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636-480: Is under the age of 18, 4.7% is between 18 and 24, 29.0% is from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 72,833, and the median income for a family was $ 81,905. Males had a median income of $ 51,842 versus $ 30,333 for females. The per capita income for

689-467: The 2020 U.S. Census , the city population was 647, down from 814 at the 2010 census. The first event that shaped Simonton's history was when James Simonton and his brother Theophilus bought 4000 acres of land in northwestern Fort Bend County in the 1840s. The two Simonton brothers built a plantation next to the Brazos River , on which they raised cotton. The year 1850 is officially designated as

742-783: The Supreme Court of the United States declared the Jaybird primary unconstitutional in Terry v. Adams , the last of the white primary cases. The roots of the Jaybird-Woodpecker violence stretch back to the emergence of antebellum plantation society in Fort Bend County and the end of the American Civil War . The conflict over slavery impacted how the war began, played out, and influenced Fort Bend political and social life for over 100 years. Fort Bend County

795-723: The United States Census Bureau , Simonton has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km ), of which 0.004 square miles (0.01 km ), or 0.24%, is water. Almost all of the City is located within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 100-year floodplain of the Brazos River . See the FEMA Preliminary Map 2017.1.30 panel 80 and FEMA Preliminary Map 2017.1.30 panel 90. Real-time river gauges for

848-528: The Battle of Richmond, the county seat, on August 16, 1889, when sheriff Tom Garvey (a Woodpecker) was killed. Seven people were killed in all these incidents. Following this, Governor Sul Ross declared martial law and dispatched troops from the Houston Light Guards, along with more Texas Rangers. He arrived with the state militia to negotiate a settlement. After the violence subsided, most of

901-402: The Brazos River are available here. Simonton has been plagued by repeated flooding due to being located one mile east of the Brazos River , and it considered to located in the 100-year floodplain of the Brazos River. The most significant Brazos River flooding recorded were: While plagued by flooding, the City of Simonton purchased two drainage pumps for $ 95,000 that has reduced the impact of

954-501: The Brazos River flooding. These pumps were partly paid for by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). As of the 2020 United States census , there were 647 people, 229 households, and 188 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2000, there were 718 people, 264 households, and 206 families residing in the city. The population density

1007-431: The Confederate army, but this donation of slaves to the Confederate cause was certainly a material contribution to the cause. After the war, on July 18, 1965 [sic], James Simoton [sic] signed an amnesty oath to the United States of America." The plantation was broken up and sold after the war. Tracts of land were sold to incoming settlers. The Simontons actively resisted the post-Civil War Reconstruction efforts. During

1060-668: The Fort Bend Jaybird-Woodpecker political battles during post-Civil War Reconstruction, the Simonton brothers joined the Jaybirds, a faction within the Democratic Party, who wanted to oust the Woodpeckers, primarily blacks and their white allies, from the county administration. In October 1888 in nearby Pittsville , Theophilus Simonton Jr. was arrested by the county sheriff for fatally shooting

1113-726: The Jaybirds defeated the Black-supported Woodpeckers in a battle in Richmond, Texas, the county seat of Fort Bend County, in August 1889. With support from Texas Governor Lawrence Ross and the Houston Light Guards (the first uniformed state militia company formed after the Civil War), a complete reorganization of county government resulted in the removal or resignation of all Woodpecker officials and

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1166-491: The U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Simonton . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Simonton&oldid=1250152785 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

1219-585: The Union. Also significant was the breaking up of the old plantations into smaller land units, many of which were either purchased by new immigrant farmers from Europe or were rented by Black sharecroppers . While resisting emancipation and Black suffrage , plantation elite surprisingly cooperated with the biracial county government that emerged during Reconstruction. Between 1869 and 1889, 44 Black men held different positions in Fort Bend County that included varied roles as sheriff, county commissioner, justice of

1272-491: The United States House of Representatives Charles Henry Simonton (1829–1904), United States federal judge John Simonton (1943–2005), circuit designer Ken Simonton (1979-), American football running back O. Carl Simonton , American psycho-oncologist Richard Simonton (1915-1979), also known as Doug Malloy, Hollywood businessman and entrepreneur William Simonton (1788-1846), Whig member of

1325-856: The Whites' inability to change county politics via the ballot box. They brought together and formalized the informal vigilante groups into the Jay Bird Democratic Association in July 1888. The conflict allegedly derived its name from Bob Chapel, a local African-American man who was said to sing about jaybirds and woodpeckers . The Jaybirds were White Democrats opposed to the participation of Blacks in local politics, as an alliance of Blacks and Whites (formerly Republican) had elected county officials for 20 years since Reconstruction. The Woodpeckers were nominally Democrats, too, with representatives elected largely by Black voters. An election

1378-402: The age of 18 living with them, 71.6% were married couples living together, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.07. The city population is evenly spread: 25.9%

1431-406: The brainchild of "Snake" Bailey, it is a large indoor rodeo arena in full swing every Saturday night, drawing people from Houston and elsewhere for a taste of the "real west." He rode in a stagecoach, and later a barrel racer gave the premier a cowboy-style duster and a ten-gallon hat, both of which he donned and displayed before the crowd. Deng's visit to the Simonton rodeo is considered to be

1484-646: The city was $ 30,669. About 2.5% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over. Fort Bend County does not have a hospital district . OakBend Medical Center serves as the county's charity hospital which the county contracts with. The United States Postal Service operates the Simonton Post Office at 35608 Farm to Market Road 1093 . Fulshear's Bob Lutts Fulshear/Simonton Branch Library, located in Fulshear ,

1537-405: The county government resigned. In finding replacements for resigned officials, the Jaybird politicians were the only ones who had sufficient wealth to post bonds for the open offices, and the Jaybirds refused to post bonds for the opposition. As a result, the county government was reorganized under the control of the Jaybird faction. This was formalized through a meeting held on October 3, 1889, and

1590-420: The five White-only schools, while 1,679 Black students attended one of the 30 Black-only schools. Vigilante citizen groups were also formed to keep Blacks in the county in order, especially from preventing social interactions between Blacks and Whites. While the Jaybird-Woodpecker war was not inevitable, the emergence of younger White males wanting to renew White supremacy and the national Democratic renewal of

1643-492: The former officeholders were told to leave town. Subsequently, the Jaybirds held a meeting on October 22, 1889, creating the Jaybird Democratic Organization of Fort Bend County. It dominated local politics for decades into the 1950s. The faction established a "White-only" preliminary ballot for county offices. This effectively disenfranchised African Americans because the only competitive contest

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1696-541: The founding year for Simonton, since the 1850 US Census showed the two brothers, their mother, Mary, and Theophilus's wife and two sons residing on the property. Another brother, Joseph, and his family moved to the plantation in the 1850s. In 1857, Theophilus helped charter the Richmond Masonic Hall Association, symbolizing the elite status of the Simonton family in Fort Bend County. The town of Simonton joined Fulshear and Pittsville as

1749-468: The independent Democrats for their "treasonous behavior" in supporting Blacks' right to vote and to hold public office. They also wanted to increase their political representation, especially with an increase in taxes for all Black and White property owners. Taxes were high and portions of that money went directly into the pockets of officeholders. With these sentiments percolating in the mid- to late 1880s, many young men in Fort Bend County were fed up with

1802-540: The industrial revolution that was sweeping the United States drastically altered the economic means, and thus the social and political roles, in Simonton as well as throughout Fort Bend Country. According to oral history documentation, the Ku Klux Klan was present in Simonton from the early 20th Century, as they were in many Texas small towns, and were especially active due to the influx of foreign-born immigrants, who moved to Simonton to work as farm and ranch help for

1855-518: The late 1880s created an emotionally charged political atmosphere in Fort Bend County. Within the White community, tensions increased between those who supported the Republican or independent county officials and a politically frustrated White community of former slaveowners . The Whites supporting the current biracial politicians wanted to preserve the status quo. The majority of Whites resented

1908-417: The late 19th and early 20th Century. Theophilus Simonton died by February 2, 1867, the date on which his will was probated. Although he had lost his slaves by the time of his death, his estate was valued at $ 1,311,010, a considerable sum by the standards of Reconstruction Texas. James died before June 2, 1892, when his will was probated. His estate was valued at $ 9,014 at that time. Their deaths accompanied by

1961-585: The leaders some 30 years later in the Jaybird-Woodpecker War, except, unlike his father, he supported the Woodpeckers against the Jaybirds and their White supremacist supporters. After the conclusion of the American Civil War, the 13th Amendment was ratified, in 1864, the result being that millions of slaves were suddenly free. In Fort Bend County, this new amendment resulted in the freeing of Blacks, who accounted for over 80% of

2014-498: The local cattle ranches and pecan groves. The next event shaping Simonton history was the advent, around 1888, of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad . It is said the company wanted the track to run through Pittsville (near what is now Fulshear) where the terrain was more level. However, the landowners in that area refused to sell the railroad a right-of-way because they believed the trains would scare their cattle. The line

2067-585: The main rural towns in northwestern Fort Bend County. At the onset of the Civil War , the 1860 US Census showed that the Simontons owned one of the largest and most prosperous plantations in Fort Bend County, with a real property value at $ 200,000 and personal property valued at $ 155,000. The Simonton brothers have been identified as among the largest slaveholders in Texas. According to the 1860 US census and

2120-572: The peace, and constable. At one point of Fort Bend Reconstruction, more than 50% of the county offices were held by Black politicians. They were actively supported by a small number of Whites who participated in county government as Republicans or as independent Democrats. This meant they did not run or support the all-White Democratic ticket during elections. Unlike other Texas counties at that time, Fort Bend Country actually enjoyed racial co-operation and peace during this post-Civil War era. Despite losing political power and some economic power with

2173-412: The population at that time. With the enactment of the 15th Amendment in 1870, Black males were given the right to vote, who essentially became a powerful Republican voting block. As a result of outnumbering White males, the vote of freedmen carried most elections that occurred during Reconstruction, the period after the Civil War when Texas was under military rule while transitioning back to statehood in

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2226-413: The population was 814. Simonton is located in northwestern Fort Bend County at 29°40′47″N 95°59′25″W  /  29.67972°N 95.99028°W  / 29.67972; -95.99028 (29.679783, –95.990302). The center of town is 2 miles (3 km) east of the Brazos River and 16 miles (26 km) northwest of Rosenberg . Downtown Houston is 38 miles (61 km) to the east. According to

2279-463: The selection of Jaybirds or persons acceptable to the Jaybirds to fill those offices. After a turbulent era of more than 20 years, the White citizenry once more controlled the government. The effects of the post-Reconstruction feud echoed in local politics for decades. The Jaybird victory basically restored White supremacy in the county. They disfranchised the Black voters in the county by using

2332-464: The splintering of plantations, Fort Bend Whites maintained their hold on the county economically and socially. White land owners controlled over 80% of the land, which resulted in a high level of tenant farmers and sharecroppers as captured in the 1880 census. Local Whites also erected social boundaries to keep Whites and Blacks segregated. County schools were segregated. According to an 1882-1883 tax assessor report, 193 White children attended one of

2385-456: The tipping point in the thaw of US-China relations. The Simonton Rodeo closed by 1997 when it was bought and restored by Benchmark Wireline, an oil services company. A China Daily Global video captures the memories of this visit, including Katie Van Dries whose father Luke owned the rodeo at that time. The photographs of Deng in the cowboy hat appeared in American newspapers, displaying

2438-544: The top rung on the social ladder. They then voted to secede and join the Confederacy in February 1861. Not surprisingly, 100% of the White male voters voted in favor of secession. Over 100 men from Fort Bend County joined men from neighboring counties and enlisted in a new regiment of what was become known as Colonel Benjamin Terry's Texas Rangers. Ironically, his son, Kyle Terry who was five years old at time, emerged as one of

2491-447: Was 354.4 inhabitants per square mile (136.8/km ). There were 282 housing units at an average density of 139.2 per square mile (53.7/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 91.64% White , 5.01% African American , 0.28% Asian , 0.14% Pacific Islander , 1.95% from other races , and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.13% of the population. There were 264 households, out of which 34.8% had children under

2544-572: Was colonized by families of the Old 300 , who had purchased land rights from Stephen F Austin and the Mexican government in the 1820s and the pacification of local Native American tribes. Within the decades leading up to the American Civil War, Fort Bend country grew into one of the largest and most prosperous slaveholding communities in Texas. Black slaves were either moved with the white colonists or were illegally shipped to Galveston, Texas since slavery

2597-522: Was held November 6, 1888, that was supervised by Texas Rangers . All of the Woodpecker candidates were elected or re-elected (many had won election in 1884) to their slate of office. This engendered further hostilities from the Jaybirds. In the spring of 1889, Kyle Terry, then a Woodpecker official appointed as the tax assessor, murdered Ned Gibson, a leader of the Jaybirds. He had been on his way to testify in an unrelated cattle-rustling trial against

2650-557: Was illegal under Mexican law until the Republic of Texas was established in 1836. Slavery was the cornerstone of these plantations that needed laborers for the cotton, sugarcane, and corn agricultural crops. As the demand for these products, especially cotton, increased, the slave labor force "expanded from 1,559 slaves in 1850 to 4,127 slaves in 1860." The slaveowners dominated the Fort Bend economy, controlled its politics, and occupied

2703-499: Was that within the Democratic Party. A similar White primary measure was adopted by the state legislature in the early 20th century. The Jaybird Democrats retained control until their provision was overturned by a ruling by the United States Supreme Court in Terry v. Adams , 345 U.S. 461 (1953). By that time, two White primary processes authorized by the state government had been declared unconstitutional by

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2756-596: Was the first subdivision out of the city of Houston within commuting distance. In the months following the Sino-US normalization , China's Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping visited the United States for nine days in 1979, visiting Washington, Atlanta, Houston and Seattle. On February 2 during his visit to Houston, he spent an evening in Simonton at the Roundup Rodeo. In 1963 the Round Up was built on FM 1093. Also

2809-544: Was therefore laid across the hills and creeks between Fulshear and Simonton. Water was as necessary as coal for the steam-powered locomotives, and Simonton became one of the main watering stops. With the tracks, came the people. With the tracks also came the opportunity to ship the area's farm produce to other parts of the country. In subsequent years, Simonton developed into a robust agricultural community. Snap shots of this history have been noted in several oral historical accounts: Gradually by 1957, Simonton had changed from

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