|
|
Pearland
home and post office in 1890's
Vintage photo courtesy Pearland Historical
Society
More Texas Post
Offices |
History of
Pearland, Texas The
original townsite of Pearland is on State Highway 35 in Brazoria County approximately
37 miles north of Angleton, the county seat. In
1882 the area became a siding switch for the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railroad
on its route from Galveston to
Houston. The original settlement was
called “Mark Belt” when a post office was established in the community
in 1893. |
| Witold
von Zychlinski - Polish nobleman who founded Pearland in 1894
Vintage
photo courtesy Pearland Historical Society |
| In 1892 Witold von
Zychlinski, a man who was purported to be a Polish nobleman, purchased 2500 acres
of land adjacent to the railroad. Zychlinski reportedly toured the area in a fancy
buggy pulled by two shiny, high stepping horses. An agent by the name of J.R.
Jeter was hired to plant pear trees and other fruit trees to spruce up the coastal
prairie land. On Sept. 26, 1894 Zychlinski filed the plat for the townsite of
Pear Land. Although the original plat read “Pear Land”, there is no evidence
it was anything but Pearland (one word) thereafter. Within a year Zychlinski left
for parts unknown and was never heard from again. Many
thought Zychlinski was not really of Polish nobility; but just another land speculator
with a gimmick. However, in 2006 a member of the Pearland Historical Society living
in Denver, Colorado found a man in Chicago by the name of William Willoughby who
is the great grandson of Witold von Zychlinski. Willoughby is a retired Major
General of the U. S. Air Force. General Willoughby was doing research on the Zychlinski
family and was in the process of writing a book on the family. He verified that
Witold von Zychlinski was a Polish Count who had married a relative of President
Zachary Taylor while she was in Poland at a finishing school. General Willoughby
also furnished the first picture of Zychlinski anyone in Pearland had ever seen.
Zychlinski and his bride came to New York where he went bankrupt in a coal business.
He then left his wife and two sons to pursue business activities in the south.
His great grandson reported the family never heard from him after that and he
was unaware of his activities in Pearland. The trail of Witold von Zychlinski
ends the day he left Pearland. He has never been heard of since and remains a
man of mystery; but he is the founder of Pearland and the man who ordered the
planting of the beautiful pear trees from whence came the name “Pearland”. |
 |
Original
Pearland depot built in 1890's.
Now moved to next to City Hall and a Texas
Historical Building
Photo courtesy Pearland Historical Society
More Texas
Railroad Depots |
Suburban
Gardens Hotel approx. 1904
Vintage photo courtesy Pearland Historical Society
More
Rooms
with a Past |
| An advertising campaign
to attract buyers from the cold snowbound Midwestern states promised buyers a
virtual Garden Eden with beautiful flowering pear trees, strawberry fields and
orange orchards with a mild climate and plenty of water. In 1894 a railroad station
was built with labor furnished by local settlers. The station today has been moved
next door to Pearland City Hall and is the oldest building in Pearland. From 1894
until 1900 many settlers came to Pearland attracted by the mild climate and cheap
land and the promise of pears, strawberries and oranges. By 1900 there were 5
stores, a newspaper and a school with about 100 students. On Sept. 8, 1900
a devastating hurricane hit Galveston
killing some 8000 persons and virtually wiping up the little village of Pearland.
Many families abandoned their homes and farms and returned to the Midwest. Over
the next few years the pear trees died from the blight, the strawberry patches
were abandoned because of too much rain; and most of the remaining settlers made
their livings by baling hay or raising cattle. Still the advertisements in the
mid-west drew new settlers who had their rail fares paid to visit “The Paradise
Garden”. A hotel called the “Suburban Gardens” was built across the tracks from
the depot to accommodate the prospective buyers. Once more the Pearland had a
mini-boom. Once again farmers were raising oranges and vegetables and a great
freeze struck and destroyed orchards and vegetable farms and once again many settlers
returned to the mid-west. Still people came and in 1912 built a two story brick
school. In 1915 once more disaster struck in the form of another terrible hurricane
which many old timers said was worse than the 1900
storm. The storm destroyed the new school and for the next 22 years Pearland
high school age children were bused to Webster High School. |
 |
Pearland
High school built in 1912 - destroyed by storm of 1915
Vintage photo courtesy
Pearland Historical Society
More Texas
Schoolhouses |
Pearland's
Original Methodist Church circa 1915
Vintage photo courtesy Pearland Historical
Society
More Texas Churches |
After the orange
orchards disaster, Pearland experienced another boom with the growing of figs.
A commercial fig canning plant in Pearland was a boon to the economy. However
overproduction virtually killed the fig industry and from the period of around
1917 to the 30’s hay farming, cattle farming and dairy farming were the means
of livelihood for most families. In the 30’s after discovery of oil at nearby
Hastings and Manvel, Pearland became a mini-boom town with dance halls and beer
joints flourishing. Most of the streets and roads in the area at that time were
oyster shell. A concrete highway connecting Pearland with nearby Houston (Highway
35) was completed in 1936 giving Pearland citizens a quicker access to the large
city. Also a concrete road (Highway 518) to Manvel to the west of Pearland was
completed in 1938. During the oil boom years, the Pearland area also became a
large rice growing area with thousands of acres west of the city being cultivated
for rice. In those boom days Pearland also became known as a sort of “honky tonk”
heaven where oil field roughnecks, farm hands, and construction crews came from
all around the Houston area to enjoy
the numerous dance halls and beer joints. Also in 1937 a new school was constructed
giving local high school students a first class facility once again.
As
Houston expanded, Pearland grew also.
In 1949 a Water Control and Improvement District was approved by voters with basically
the boundaries being the “old townsite” as platted by Witold von Zychlinski. The
City incorporated in 1959 and the 1960 census listed Pearland’s population as
1497. During the past 5 decades the Pearland area has seen tremendous growth.
Today the population is over 90,000 with new sub-divisions and shopping centers
springing up on the western side of town. Although it is no longer a small town,
citizens are attracted to Pearland because of the still small town atmosphere
and especially to the excellent school district. For more information about the
history of Pearland see the Pearland Historical Society website at www.PearlandHistoricalSociety.org
Where to Stay
Pearland
Hotels |
 |
1920s
Brazoria County map showing Pearland
South of Harris County line
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
Where
to Stay
Pearland
Hotels
Texas Escapes,
in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that
anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, and vintage/historic photos
of their town, please contact
us. | |
| Save on Hotels
- Book Here | |
