The Spirit of Brazoria County

THE SPIRIT OF BRAZORIA COUNTY 

Photography by Amy Clinton 

Narrative by Susan Avera Holt 

A publication of The Economic Development Alliance for Brazoria County

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Photography by Amy Clinton 

Narrative by Susan Avera Holt 

A publication of the 

Economic Development Alliance for Brazoria County 

HPNbooks 

A division of Lammert Incorporated 

San Antonio, Texas

Phantom, a longhorn on Battle Island 

Ranch, outside of West Columbia. 

First Edition 

Copyright © 2018 HPNbooks 

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including 

photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to HPNbooks, 11535 Galm 

Road, Suite 101, San Antonio, Texas, 78254. Phone (800) 749-9790, www.hpnbooks.com. 

ISBN: 978-1-944891-54-1 

Library of Congress Card Catalog Number: 2018953129 

The Spirit of Brazoria County 

photographer: Amy Clinton 

writer: Susan Avera Holt 

contributing writer for “Sharing the Heritage”: Rebecca Sankey 

HPNbooks 

chairman and chief executive officer: Jean-Claude Tenday 

publisher and chief creative officer: Bernard O’Connor 

president and chief revenue officer: Ron Lammert 

project manager: Curtis Courtney 

administration: Donna M. Mata, Melissa G. Quinn 

Lori K. Smith, Kristin G. Williamson 

book sales: Joe Neely 

production: Colin Hart, Evelyn Hart, 

Glenda Tarazon Krouse, Tim Lippard 

Craig Mitchell, Tony Quinn 

Chris Sturdevant 


2

Legacy Sponsors..................................................................4 

Introduction .........................................................................5 

Foreword by Nolan Ryan.....................................................6 

Chapter 1 - The Spirit of the Past .......................................7 

Chapter 2 - The Spirit of a Dynamic Economy .................19 

Chapter 3 - The Spirit of Fascinating Places.....................37 

Chapter 4 - The Spirit of a Unique Lifestyle .....................53 

Chapter 5 - The Spirit of a People United.........................59 

Brazoria County Partners..................................................72 

Sponsors..........................................................................125 

About the Photographer..................................................126 

About the Writer..............................................................127 

CONTENTS 

3

Legacy 

Sponsors 

These companies have made a major contribution to the book as part of our Legacy 

Program. We could not have made this book possible without their leadership and 

participation. These are our top contributors and we thank them for their support. 

Brazosport College 

500 College Drive • Lake Jackson, Texas 77566 

979-230-3000 • www.brazosport.edu 

City of West Columbia 

PO Box 487 • West Columbia, Texas 77486 

979-345-3123 • www.westcolumbiatx.org 

NALCO Champion 

2322 County Road 229, Freeport, Texas 77541 

979-239-5800 

www.ecolab.com/nalco-champion/ 

The Brazoria County Historical Museum, in 

Angleton, brings history to life each 

November during Austin Town, an 1832 

Texas history experience. For twenty years, 

Austin Town has shown today’s Texans what 

the pioneers endured when they arrived 

here in an untamed wilderness thick with 

mosquitoes and Karankawa Indians. Austin 

Town has a permanent location on FM 521 

near Angleton and includes log cabins where 

costumed interpreters demonstrate life on 

the frontier including blacksmithing and 

how butter was made. Children get to meet 

the Mother of Texas, Jane Long, at her 

tavern. They also sample traditional food 

served in a Mexican jacale. 


4

INTRODUCTION 

BRAZORIA 

The name was coined by the Father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin. Austin called home the land 

that would one day become Brazoria County, and he christened his hometown, hacked out of the 

wilderness, “Brassoria” because he wrote: 

“I know none like it in all the world.” 

Texas conjures visions of cowboys and longhorns, sandy beaches and huge oaks, oil fields, 

cotton fields and prosperity, and Brazoria County has them all. 

Brazoria County is the cradle of Texas, the sweet land of sprawling oaks, rivers and beaches that 

the Father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin, called home. 

Surfside Beach. 

INTRODUCTION 

5

FOREWORD 

B Y N OLAN R YAN 

Growing up in Alvin, in Brazoria County, was 

very typical of small-town life. Baseball filled our 

summers on any vacant lot available. Together 

with friends and family, we played America’s 

favorite pastime. The small-town environment 

influenced my values and work ethic. 

I was drafted by the New York Mets coming out 

of Alvin High School and was fortunate enough to 

have a career in baseball that led me to New York, 

California and other states. I signed a free-agent 

contract with the Houston Astros which resulted 

in playing for nine years in Houston. I then signed 

as a free agent with the Texas Rangers and played 

an additional five years, retiring in 1993. I was 

blessed to be able to grow up and then live in the 

birthplace of the spirit of Texas. 

Brazoria County is the cradle of Texas, the 

great land of majestic oaks, the Brazos River and 

miles of beaches that the Father of Texas, 

Stephen F. Austin, called home. 

That history is exciting but even more exciting 

has been watching this historic county transform 

from a rural, small town Texas into a wealthy 

industrial region, with great opportunities for 

its residents. 

I salute the Economic Development Alliance 

for Brazoria County and the local chambers of commerce for the community building work they 

do and for making this beautiful book possible. 

I’m privileged to have lived in Brazoria County for 55 years. And even though my residence is 

no longer within its boundaries, Brazoria County, Texas will always be home to me. 


6

Chapter 1 

Spirit of the Past 

The eight-inch Howitzer canon, on 

Quintana Island, is on loan to the Brazoria 

County Parks Department. The Howitzer 

sits atop one of two gun emplacements from 

World War II. 

CHAPTER 1 

7

Right: Today Jones Creek is a peaceful place 

where the sound of owls and armadillos 

rooting around at night are the only things 

to be heard. In 1824, however, Karankawa 

Indians found themselves attacked by part 

of the Texan army. The Battle of Jones 

Creek broke out after several Indian raids 

killed settlers. Then the Karankawas 

demanded to purchase ammunition and 

were denied. The army raided the Indians’ 

camp, killed twenty-three of them and the 

rest fled across the San Bernard River. 

Bottom, left: For a brief moment in the late 

1870s, Austin’s colony counted 46 

plantations. Among those was Ellerslie in 

Jones Creek. At the time, Ellerslie was 

considered one of the most lavish. The home 

was made of brick, had two stories and 21 

rooms. Carpets covered the floors, hearths 

and mantels were made of marble. The 

home’s original owner was John Greenville 

McNeel who came to Texas in 1822 as one 

of Austin’s Old Three Hundred. Nothing 

remains today. 

Bottom, right: The empty tomb of Stephen F. 

Austin resides in Gulf Prairie Cemetery in 

Jones Creek. In 1910, his remains were 

reinterred in the State Cemetery in Austin 

and a statue erected over top. 


8

Unassuming Jones Creek, a quiet village of 2,000 people, is home to 13 State of Texas historical 

markers including the empty tomb of the Father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin. 

In the early 1820s, Austin led the first settlers to the mouth of the Brazos River to colonize the 

region under Mexican land grants. Those first families, “The Old Three Hundred”, braved 

Karankawa Indians, mosquitoes, malaria and yellow fever, floods, hurricanes and finally a 

revolutionary war. 

Austin’s sister, Emily Austin Bryan Perry, followed her brother to Texas and he considered her 

home, Peach Point Plantation, to be his as well. Although he traveled a great deal, he always 

returned to Peach Point, and when he died in 1836, he was interred at nearby Gulf Prairie 

Cemetery. Many pioneer descendants are buried at Gulf Prairie. Austin’s remains, however, were 

reinterred in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin in 1910. 

Top, left: Old Oakland Plantation historical 

marker commemorates Henry William 

Munson who bought property from Stephen 

F. Austin that adjoined Peach Point 

Plantation, Austin’s home. 

Top, right: Two historical markers 

commemorate Stephen F. Austin’s sister 

Emily, and her last husband James Perry. 

The Perrys built the house at Austin’s Peach 

Point Plantation that he considered home. 

Below: Many markers dot the historic Gulf 

Prairie Cemetery. The pioneers’ final resting 

place was originally part of Stephen F. 

Austin’s Peach Point Plantation. The 

cemetery is still in use. 

CHAPTER 1 

9

The Old Three Hundred were not the first people to see the shores of the birthplace of Texas. 

Fierce Karankawa Indians roamed the beaches and bays in constant search of food. 

In 1528, the first European, a Spanish explorer by the name Cabeza de Vaca, landed on Isla 

de Mal Hado “The Island of Bad Luck”. Historians consider Mal Hado to be San Luis Island, which 

no longer exists. More than 100 years ago, the sandy spit joined the mainland after Cold Pass filled 

with silt. 

De Vaca and his men battled the Karankawas for survival and Austin’s settler’s battled the 

Indians for sovereignty over the land. 

The pioneers’ efforts produced homes and plantations, schools, churches, towns, a county seat. 

They produced sugar, cotton, cattle and finally oil and the petrochemical industry. 

Most importantly, Austin’s settlers and those who came after began the settlement of Texas. 

Stephen F. Austin worked tirelessly for his 

beloved Texas, from its conception to his 

death, at age 43, on December 27, 1836, in 

Columbia, now West Columbia. That date is 

honored each year by a local chapter of the 

Masons. The St. John’s Masonic Lodge #5 

AF and AM re-enact Austin’s burial 

ceremony, beginning at the replica of the 

First Capitol of Texas in West Columbia. 

Volunteers in period dress use a horse and 

wagon to take the coffin to Gulf Prairie 

Cemetery in Jones Creek where Masonic 

rituals are performed. Direct descendants of 

Austin attend the event. The ceremony 

concludes with six period cannons firing 23 

shots for the 23 counties in the Texas 

Republic at the time of Austin’s death. 


10

THE GOLDEN DECADE 

PLANTATION LIFE 

As Austin’s Old Three Hundred pioneers worked the land and improved 

transportation, log cabins were replaced by plantations. 

Between 1850-1860, Brazoria County reveled in a “Golden Decade” characterized by 

profits and plenty. Sugar and cotton made plantation owners some of the wealthiest 

people in Austin’s Colony. 

Historians count 46 plantations in Brazoria County during the Golden Decade. 

Those estates included Peach Point which Austin called home. Not much of the old 

plantations are visible today. Ruins of sugar mills built with handmade bricks dot the 

countryside. However, several sites are being resurrected, and Varner-Hogg Plantation 

just outside West Columbia is the crown jewel. 

Today, the plantation is run by the Texas Historical Commission, but in 1824, the land 

was granted to a Virginian, Martin Varner. Ten years later, he sold the property to 

Columbus R. Patton of Kentucky. Patton brought his family and between 40 and 60 slaves 

to work the land. The slaves made bricks and built the house, smokehouse, sugar mill and 

their own dwellings. Patton made a success of his sugarcane operation, but his open 

relationship with his slave Rachel didn’t sit well with his neighbors. In 1854, his family 

had him declared insane and sent him to an asylum in South Carolina. The home changed 

hands numerous times until 1910, when former Texas Governor James Hogg bought the 

land and began drilling for oil. Not a drop was found in his lifetime, but his children lived 

to benefit from the black gold which gushed from the land in which Hogg saw promise. 

Today, visitors can walk through the home and tour the grounds which include barns 

and other outbuildings, ruins of the sugar mill, the governor’s outdoor bathtub fed by 

an artesian well, the Pattons’ cemetery and the pecan orchards. Most recently, two of the 

outbuildings were made available for overnight rentals. 

CHAPTER 1 

11

EAST COLUMBIA 

NATIONAL HISTORIC DISTRICT 

The beauty of Brazoria County begins in its history and the reverence people show that history. The biggest example of pride in our 

beginnings is the East Columbia National Historic District. There are 13 primary structures in all, little changed from their early 19th 

century construction. 

East Columbia was platted in 1823 by Josiah H. Bell, an original Old Three Hundred colonist. The settlement was originally a landing 

on the Brazos River for riverboats carrying supplies. The spot was called Bell’s Landing then. Eventually the area was populated by 

merchants, a physician and a gun factory. 

The district includes the Weems House, circa 1847, which was the home of Dr. Mason Locke Weems II, the first of several physicians 

to live here. Texas pioneer Ammon Underwood’s 50-year residence is here also. Underwood served as the town’s postmaster from 1836- 

1845. He also ran a boarding house and eventually operated two large cotton plantations. He was elected to the 19th Texas Legislature in 

1884 and served on many committees. 

Adjoining the Ammon Underwood home is a small, nondescript log cabin. This is the Sweeny-Waddy cabin, circa 1850. Originally, the 

one-room building was the home of Mark and Larkin Waddy who were slaves on the John Sweeny plantation about 9 miles away. The 

cabin was moved to East Columbia as part of a museum preservation effort. 

The Aldridge-Dance-Smith House, circa 1840, is one of the more famous of the homes in East Columbia because it belonged to the 

Dance family. The Dance family was best known as the manufacturer of guns and pistols at the Dance Gun Shop. Across Main Street from 

the house are the scant remains of the gun shop including the original factory forge consisting of handmade bricks, iron skirting and 

hinges. Many buildings, including two that stood on this site, were destroyed in the 1900 hurricane. 


12

Below: Although not the original building, 

the Bethel Presbyterian Church is one of the 

oldest in Texas, organized June 13, 1840, 

on land given by Mrs. Josiah H. Bell. This 

new church was acquired in 1932. 

CHAPTER 1 

13

BATTLE ISLAND RANCH 

Battle Island Ranch. The name is romantic, and so is the story of its long history 

embroidered with historic events and people. 

The “island” was actually a motte of oak trees which still stands on the ranch today 

outside of West Columbia. The ranch takes its name from an 1834 duel fought on the 

Phillip’s ranch “island” between William T. Austin and John Wharton. The two men 

are prominent in Texas’ battle for independence; Austin may be distantly related to 

Stephen F. Austin. Wharton suffered a severe wound in his right arm. Newspaper 

accounts and legends grew up around the duel, each more fanciful than the last. 

John G. Phillips moved to the ranch in 1872, living in a small house and running 

a large ranch. His son John “Jack” Phillips, Jr., ran the ranch until his death in 1994. 

Jack was a gifted cattleman. He spotted the immense potential in longhorns and was 

the owner of the most famous longhorn, Texas Ranger J.P. or “Tex” as he is better 

known. Tex had 48-inch horns. Jack loaned him to a breeder, and Tex became sire to 

some of the most famous longhorns in Texas. The Phillip’s longhorn legacy doesn’t 

end there. A bronze statue at the Fort Worth Stockyards commemorates the seven 

families who saved the longhorn breed, the Phillips being the oldest family. 

John Phillips III leads a cattle drive at his 

family-owned Battle Island Ranch. The 

ranch has been in the family for 

generations. Living at the ranch today are 

John and his wife Larkad and John’s sister 

Linda Carol and her husband Don Holt. 

John and Larkad live in the original ranch 

house, more than 100 years old. Linda 

Carol and Don live in the newer house her 

dad Jack Phillips built. Both houses are full 

of ranching memorabilia. 


14

After the capital of Texas was moved from West Columbia to 

Houston, the town quieted down for a while. A post office was 

established in 1905, but it wasn’t until 1918 that the boomtown broke 

out. Wildcatters discovered a 26-square mile oilfield in and around 

West Columbia. The population exploded with folks looking to cash 

in. The Texas Company (later Texaco) drilled several dry holes in West 

Columbia, but in July 1920, the company discovered oil at the Abrams 

No. 1 well which produced 26,500 barrels a day for six weeks. 

The discovery of the Abrams gusher also meant that land values shot 

up. Previously valued at 10 cents an acre, now brought $96,000 an acre 

for mineral rights. The influx of rowdy roughnecks and wildcatters 

brought wild nights, muddy streets, board sidewalks and oilfield shacks 

covered with tarpaper roofs, anything to provide cheap shelter. 

The boom didn’t last long. By 1922, production fell steeply, but in 

1940, another field was discovered that produced 15.7 million barrels 

of oil. Eventually, most of the wells ran dry. A few pumpjacks are still 

working today, but the boomtown is gone. 

The Confederate veterans of John A. Wharton Camp and members 

of the Lamar Fontaine Chapter of the United Daughters of the 

Confederacy initiated the development of the Confederate Cemetery 

in Alvin. The first 2 acres were purchased in June 1898, more was 

purchased in 1903 and 1927. The final piece, bought more recently, 

brought the total area to about 20 acres. 

On May 9, 1924, the Lamar Fontaine Chapter of the UDC unveiled 

the granite monument in the center of the cemetery listing the 

members of the Wharton Camp. In 1969, a brick entrance to the 

cemetery was erected and a Texas State Historical Marker was placed. 

There are three known graves of Union soldiers in the cemetery, and 

it is believed that there are 36 graves of Confederate veterans, 

including that of Alvin Morgan, the man for whom the city is named. 

The Alvin Museum Society sponsored the placement of a marker by 

Morgan’s tombstone at a dedication ceremony in 1986. 

Alvin was the site of a WWII Prisoner of War Camp at 1910 

Rosharon Road and FM 1462. The camp housed German POWs who 

filled the labor shortage by working in the rice fields, raising 

vegetables and working in a canning factory. The camp closed Dec. 

13, 1945. The site of the camp is now Brighton Place Subdivision. 

Alvin is also home to Camp Mohawk, on Hwy 35 near CR 2917. 

The Karankawa Indians were probably the first to use the site. Many 

arrowheads, pottery shards and several large piles of buried oyster 

shells and animal bones are evidence of the Indians’ presence. In 1861, 

when Texas joined the Confederacy, the area was used as a Confederate 

Army Camp for training Brazoria County recruits. Today, the area is 

under the umbrella of the Brazoria County Parks Department. 

CHAPTER 1 

15

LEGACY OF LEARNING 

The Brazoria Heritage Foundation is 

restoring a schoolhouse of its own. The oneroom 

Hinkle’s Ferry school (below) was 

built no later than 1883 by J. V. Hinkle, a 

local merchant and ferry operator on the 

San Bernard River. At the time it became 

operational, the school had one teacher and 

11 students. An artifact in the Brazoria 

County Historical Museum lists the 

teacher’s contract in 1916 with Effie Watts. 

Her pay was $90 a month for eight months. 

Like the Rosenwald School in West 

Columbia (above), this one was found in a 

pasture. Currently the building has received 

a new roof, period windows, floor and paint. 

Today the building sits behind the Brazoria 

Heritage Foundation and Museum in the 

middle of town. 

West Columbia may be a sleepy town today, but it is steeped in history. West Columbia is known 

for being the first capitol of the republic of Texas, for two oil booms and a Rosenwald School. 

The Rosenwald School was part of the Rosenwald School Building Program begun in 1912 by 

Julius Rosenwald, president of the Sears, Roebuck and Co. Booker T. Washington suggested to 

Rosenwald an idea for a foundation to construct more than 5,300 buildings in 15 states, including 

shops, teacher’s houses and schools—built by and for African Americans. 

The Columbia Rosenwald School is located behind the Columbia Historical Museum in 

downtown. The school was built in 1921 and served as the center of African American education 

and community for more than 30 years. The school was built about 5 feet off the ground because 

it originally was near the Brazos River. After it closed, the building was sold, moved to a pasture 

and used as a hay barn—waiting for the moment it would be brought back to life. In 2002, the 

wheels were set in motion, literally, and the building was moved into town behind the museum. 

In December 2007, the museum received a Texas Historical Commission marker. 


16

PIECES OF THE PAST 

Left: The first thing visitors do when they 

walk through the front doors of the Lake 

Jackson Historical Museum is look up. 

Suspended above them is a Windecker Eagle 

airplane, the first all-composite aircraft to 

receive FAA certification. The Windecker 

was the creation of Dr. Leo Windecker and 

Dr. Fairfax Windecker who worked with the 

Dow Chemical Co. to develop lightweight, 

Fiberglass, reinforced plastic structures for 

aviation use. Only six were ever made. 

Bottom, left: The museum’s timeline covers 

prehistory, Lake Jackson’s plantation era 

and the founding of the city in the 1940s. 

The museum has a few animatronics that 

explain Lake Jackson’s history, including 

why streets in downtown are named “This 

Way” and “That Way”. 

Bottom, right: The late singer Selena 

“Queen of Tejano Music” is remembered. 

Selena was born in April 1971 in Lake 

Jackson. She became an award-winning 

Latina recording artist, but was murdered 

by the founder of her fan club after Selena 

learned she was embezzling. 

CHAPTER 1 

17

MAMMOTH 

LAKE 

Texas’ newest and largest dive lake has its 

roots in the past. Mammoth Lake began as a 

sand pit in Clute. Vernor Material and 

Equipment purchased the property in 1986 

and excavated sand and clay from the pit 

until 2006. However, in 2003, bones were 

uncovered. Vernor invited archeologists in to 

study them and conduct a dig. They found 

a partial mammoth skeleton. The animal 

was determined to be about 14 feet high to 

its shoulders and up to 17 feet long. 

Archeologists also uncovered pottery shards 

and a wooden bowl. By 2006, Vernor began 

converting the pit into a lake for scuba diving. 

Today, Mammoth Lake offers 55 acres of clear 

water with a range of objects to see including 

an F-5 jet, wrecked boats, a submarine and a 

Columbian mammoth replica. Lakeside 

dining is available at Asiel’s restaurant, which 

took its name from the name of the 

mammoth. Asiel’s tusks were cast and are on 

display in the restaurant. 

The Brazos Historical Society is proud to 

show off its biggest accomplishment—the 

restoration of the Schuster house. The 

house, at 1130 W. Second Street, was built 

in 1917 by the Schuster family. The 

Schusters owned a shipbuilding business, 

and knew how to weather storms. The wood 

was installed diagonally to minimize 

hurricane wind damage. The Schuster 

family still owns the home, but the historical 

society has it in trust and spent more than 

10 years renovating it. The house is 

outfitted with antique furniture and 

documents including old newspapers; 

yearbooks and the original plat of Freeport; 

an 1880s piano; an electric refrigerator, one 

of the first in Freeport, and so much more. 

The home is open the first Saturday of each 

month to visitors. 


18

Chapter 2 

Spirit of a 

Dynamic Economy 

Port Freeport. 

CHAPTER 2 

19

Above: Kelsey-Seybold Pearland has many 

specialties including cardiology, ob/gyn, 

orthopedics, sports medicine, pulmonology 

and many more. 

Below: Pearland Town Center. 

Brazoria County’s economy is booming, affecting transportation, housing, retail—in fact, all 

facets of life in this coastal county are impacted by the major influx of workers here to build and 

expand. Dow, BASF, Phillips 66, Freeport LNG are just a few of the big name employers that are 

expanding operations. 

Dow Chemical Co. came to Freeport in 1940 building a plant to extract magnesium from seawater. 

Today, Dow sits at the center of the world’s largest chemical manufacturing complex. Some of the 

county’s top employers are: Dow, Fluor Corp., Zachry Group, the Infinity Group, Brock Group, 

Phillips 66, BASF, Schlumberger, Mammoet, Trinity Turbine, and Excel. 

Industry is supported by 28 tank truck lines, 10 motor freight carriers, and seven local terminals 

as well as an air freight/package service. 

Pearland was once a sleepy suburb just southwest of Houston. Today, it is one of the fastestgrowing 

cities in the country and the fastest growing city in the Houston region. 

Since 2000, Pearland’s population increased by 142 percent. Every day it seems more awards 

are heaped on this city of more than 117,000 and growing. The Pearland Economic Development 

Corp. boasts that Pearland is one of the top 10 safest cities in Texas. The Parks and Recreation 

Department earned an administration/management excellence award. The city won the Voice of the 

People award in 2017 for transformation in community engagement—the city that best listens to 

and acts for the benefit of their community. 


20

FROM AGRIBUSINESS TO OIL TO TECHNOLOGY 

Ranches and farms have been a vital part of Brazoria County from before its inception. Cattle and crops were the mainstays of yesterday’s 

and today’s farmers. Chief among crops are rice, cotton, corn, sorghum and soy beans. Besides family-owned businesses, RiceTec is a major 

agribusiness employer. This Alvin-based company has been developing rice products since 1988 and exporting its unique products and 

techniques to the world. RiceTec was the first company to commercialize hybrid rice seed in North and South America. 

Experiments to determine how to harvest pond-bred shrimp were first carried out in Angleton in 1969 with the help of the Brazoria 

County Mosquito Control District. Texas A&M University’s Sea Grant College program initiated this new endeavor which has spread to 

other locations and redefined shrimp farming. 

Brazoria County is home to one of the Gulf's largest commercial shrimp trawler fleets with more than 500 boats. 

FREEPORT SULPHUR COMPANY 

The endless prairies and beaches of Brazoria County are a photographer’s dream providing beautiful backdrops to stunning sunsets. 

The flat land offers endless vistas and so when a “hill” was discovered, it warranted investigation. 

The hill was actually a salt dome containing sulfur. In 1912 the hill took on the name Bryan Mound and the Freeport Sulphur Company 

began mining. The town of Freeport derived its name from the company. 

Freeport Sulphur opened a second dome in 1922 at Hoskins Mound, which is now within the confines of the Brazoria National Wildlife 

Refuge. Eventually another dome was discovered at Stratton Ridge. 

The Freeport Sulphur Company employed 800 workers at Bryan and Hoskins Mounds in 1930 and produced two thousand tons of 

sulfur daily. Before Bryan Mound closed in 1935, more than 5 million tons of sulfur was produced. 

Today, Bryan Mound is used by the United States as one of the country’s two main strategic petroleum reserves. 

CHAPTER 2 

21


22

BLACK 

GOLD 

UNDER 

THE 

PRAIRIES 

West Columbia’s early days were filled with history-making events. The fledgling city was the first capitol of the republic of Texas. In 

the early 1800s, legendary Texans, including Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, walked its streets, planning the future of the new 

republic. Roughly a hundred years later, excitement about West Columbia reached across state lines when oil was discovered in 1920. The 

Abrams No. 1 oil well was drilled by the Texas Company (later Texaco) on a 1,650-acre field. That discovery qualified West Columbia as 

a major oil field, eventually producing up to thirty thousand barrels daily of crude oil. 

Today, the oil fields are relatively quiet. About twelve hundred pumpjacks plunge into the pastures around West Columbia, and the 

Abrams lease is still one of the most productive in the county. 

CHAPTER 2 

23

Below: Dow Chemical Co. executive, Dr. 

A.P. Beutel, is depicted here in an exhibit at 

the Lake Jackson Historical Museum. Dr. 

Beutel was instrumental in building Dow 

Freeport from its humble beginnings in the 

1940s. His office contained a reddish-brown 

and yellow desk shaped similar to an 

hourglass. The desk was designed to Dr. 

Beutel’s specifications by Alden B. Dow so 

that everyone sitting around it at 

conferences could see everyone else. 

DOW 

CHEMICAL 

COMPANY 

DOW CHEMICAL 

FREEPORT TIMELINE 

• In 1961, President John F. Kennedy pushed the button to start up the first 

seawater conversion plant. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson also attended 

the event. 

• In 2012, Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris announced Dow’s Freeport 

site had been chosen as the home for a new world-scale ethylene cracker. 

• In 2015, Dow Texas Operations celebrated its 75th anniversary. 

• In 2015, Dow opened its Innovation Center in Lake Jackson. The complex 

includes nearly 900,000 square feet of office and laboratory space in five 

structures. The A.P. Beutel administrative building accommodates about 1,000 

employees from manufacturing and engineering. 

• In 2016, the Dow Diamond Center opened in January and features a 400-seat 

café, the Dow Family Health Center and the Dow Wellness Center. 

• In 2017, the Herbert H. Dow Building and the Edgar C. Britton Building were 

dedicated to research and development. 

Brazoria County is the cradle of Texas, 

nurturing industry and a robust economy. 

The county is perhaps best known as being 

the site of Dow Chemical Company’s Texas 

Operations. Dow developed a process to 

“mine” ore from sea water and create 

magnesium. Freeport was chosen as the site for 

this new venture in 1940, and from then on 

Dow Chemical Company began to change the 

face of the county. 

Within a year, about 14,000 construction 

and operations workers moved into the 

Freeport area. Housing was an immediate 

concern so “Camp Chemical” was erected as a 

temporary solution, but permanent plans 

were in the works. 

In 1941, Dr. A.P. Beutel, who was the general 

manager of Dow’s Texas Division, suggested 

building a new town for Dow employees. That 

town would be known as Lake Jackson. 

By 1944, Lake Jackson incorporated. Dow 

gave the fledgling city streets, parks, water 

and sewer systems, fire equipment and more. 

Today, Lake Jackson consistently earns 

Keep America Beautiful awards for its 

commitment to trees and beautification. 


24

BASF 

BASF chose to partner with Dow Chemical in 1958 to build its first manufacturing plant outside of Germany since World War II. That 

original $7 million plant in Freeport was called Dow Badische Chemical Company and its goal was to produce basic chemicals and 

preliminary fiber products. Dow sold its shares to BASF in 1978. 

Today, BASF employs about 850 people and almost that many contractors. The facility produces 24 products in 25 plants. BASF 

continues to invest in Freeport. In July 2015 the company broke ground on an ammonia plant, a joint partnership with Yara International. 

The plant is expected to be operational in 2018. 

CHAPTER 2 

25

PHILLIPS LEGACY 

David Erfert is the manager of the refining 

business improvement and special projects 

at Phillips 66 at the Sweeny Refinery. 

Phillips Petroleum, now Phillips 66, is another early powerhouse in Brazoria County. The 

company got its start in 1947 when it purchased a government carbon black plant and facilities for 

making aviation gasoline. This plant, near Sweeny, was the basis for a refinery, natural gas liquids 

center and petrochemicals complex with pipelines to markets east of the Mississippi. 

Today, the Sweeny Refinery, in Old Ocean, processes mainly heavy, high-sulfur crude oil as well 

as some light, low-sulfur crude oil. The site is about 14,000 acres, and the company employs more 

than 1,200 including contractors. 

The refinery facilities include two fluid catalytic cracking units, delayed coking, alkylation, a 

naphtha reformer and hydrodesulfurization units. It operates nearby terminals and storage 

facilities in Freeport, Jones Creek and on the San Bernard River, along with pipelines that connect 

these facilities to the refinery. 

The refinery produces a high percentage of gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels. Other products 

include petrochemical feedstocks, home heating oil and fuel-grade petroleum coke. Refined 

products are distributed throughout the Midwest and southeastern United States by pipeline, barge 

and railcar. 

Most recently, Chevron Phillips invested $6 billion at the Sweeny refinery by building two 

polyethylene units. Feedstocks will be provided via a pipeline and storage system that was 

expanded for this project. In addition, the company purchased almost 3,000 rail cars and 

constructed a state-of-the-art rail facility to ship the polyethylene pellets to customers around 

the world. 


26

RUNWAY TO SUCCESS 

The Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport (LBX) is the first face of Brazoria County for many 

visitors and investors and after a recent renovation project, is looking better than ever. 

The airport is a FAR Part 139 certified and general aviation reliever airfield providing enhanced 

general aviation services to the community as well as private and corporate visitors. 

The general aviation reliever airfield is owned and operated by Brazoria County. The airport has a 

7,000 foot runway with all-weather approaches, a new public terminal, full FBO service and is currently 

home to 75 single-engine planes, five multi-engine planes, three jet planes and six helicopters. 

The airport provides excellent road access to State Highway 288, a direct route to Houston, and 

has Foreign Trade Zone areas. 

Airport amenities include on-airport rental cars including limos, a restaurant that caters, pilot 

lounge, temporary aircraft storage and much more. 

CHAPTER 2 

27

BILLION DOLLAR IMPACT 

Port Freeport has the distinction of being the first deepwater port on the Texas coast. That effort 

was more than 125 years ago dating to December 1891. Today, Port Freeport is the fastest growing 

port on the Texas coast. 

The port has a $46.2 billion impact on the county’s economy with more than 800 vessels calling 

annually. The current depth of the harbor channel is 45 feet, but plans are to deepen that to 55 

feet. Tenants include: Riviana Foods, MSC/Chiquita Brands, Inc., Dole Fresh Fruit Co., Freeport 

LNG, G&H Towing Co., Horizon Terminal Services, Mammoet, Ports America, Tenaris and U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection. Five companies have private terminals including Dow, Freeport 

LNG, BASF, Enterprise, and Phillips 66. 

The port’s capabilities include a seamless transportation system of rail, highway, vessel and barge 

with access to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Brazos River Diversion Channel, state highways, 

Union Pacific Railroad and the added benefits of its Foreign Trade Zone. 

In September 2016, the first Neo-Panamax vessel called at Port Freeport. The Motor Vessel 

Hoegh Target was successfully piloted into Port Freeport on the evening of September 14. The MV 

Hoegh Target is the world’s largest Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) with a carrying capacity of 

8,500 car equivalent units and capacity to take cargo weighing up to 375 tons. 


28

General Motors exports vehicles 

manufactured in Texas on the worldwide 

Ro/Ro carrier Hoegh Autoliners. General 

Motors also utilizes newly established 

vehicle processing and storage facilities at 

Port Freeport. These facilities are operated 

by Horizon Terminal Services. 

CHAPTER 2 

29

FREEPORT LNG 

Freeport LNG is a relative newcomer to Brazoria County. In 2014 the company began construction of a natural gas liquefaction and 

liquefied natural gas export facility on Quintana Island. 

The enormous shale gas field discoveries in west Texas in the late 2000s, created a new business opportunity for Freeport LNG. The 

company transformed an import terminal into a natural gas liquefaction and liquefied natural gas export facility. The company is 

constructing a $12.5 billion facility on the island and is well on the way to becoming one of the largest U.S. exporters of LNG. 

The company built three production units, or trains, and recently secured financing to build a fourth. At peak construction, the project 

will generate more than 5,000 jobs, and, once the facility is operational, almost 300 full-time employees will clock into work. 


30

UNIQUE COMPANIES CALL 

BRAZORIA COUNTY “HOME” 

Buc-ee’s convenience stores are destinations in Texas. The chain is known for their clean restrooms, 

great food on the go, luxurious car washes and their signature mascot, Buc-ee the Beaver. 

The successful business got its start in 1982 when co-founders Arch “Beaver” Aplin and Don 

Wasek opened their first store on Oyster Creek Drive in Lake Jackson. The store is still in operation 

today. Since that first station, Buc-ee’s has spread across Texas and across state lines. A lot has 

changed, advancements have been made, but Buc-ee’s signature is still clean restrooms. 

Mammoet is quite literally the biggest company in the heavy lifting and transportation business. 

Mammoet is headquartered in The Netherlands, and its U.S. headquarters is in Rosharon. 

The biggest thing Mammoet moves is time, but in 2011, the company also moved its Rosharon 

offices into a spacious, contemporary structure full of glass and exposed beams. The 32,000 

square-foot, two-story building was actually constructed about a quarter mile away from its final 

destination, for safety issues. Moving their headquarters was a non-issue for the company that lifts 

the heaviest things in the world. 

Rosharon is also home to Schlumberger’s Reservoir Completions Center which focuses on subsea 

engineering and sustaining products, including testing in a specially constructed hyperbaric 

chamber where pressures can be created to match subsea conditions. 

Other major employers in Brazoria County, including Zachry, Fluor and INEOS among many 

others, find a hospitable business environment with up-to-date infrastructure, an educated workforce 

and friendly tax abatement process. 

The main artery to and from Houston, State Highway 288, is undergoing a huge renovation 

project, the Brazoria County Expressway. The $97 billion expressway will construct four toll lanes 

from the county line to CR 58 and is expected to be complete by July 2019. 

CHAPTER 2 

31

WORKFORCE EDUCATION 

BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE 

A skilled and educated workforce is one of the top priorities of Brazoria County 

businesses and industry. Education is supported through grants, one-on-one tutoring by 

employees, summer internships and science camps and so much more. 

Brazosport College, in Lake Jackson, is a shining example of a powerhouse 

partnership with business and industry. The college offers two four-year degree 

programs in Industrial Management and Health Services Management. Numerous 

two-year degrees and certificate options are available in a variety of careers. 

The college’s physical footprint has expanded with beautiful additions including the 

BASF Center for Process Technology, the Dow Academic Center, the Byron & Sandra 

Sadler Health Professions/Science Complex, the Freeport LNG Crafts Academy and, most 

recently, the BCPC Welding Technologies Laboratory. 

Brazosport College’s Corporate Learning Center is home to the Center for Business 

& Industry Training, which provides a large range of consulting and educational 

services to area businesses. The Corporate Learning Center also hosts the Small 

Business Development Center. 

Several plum awards were given to the college. In 2013 and 2015, Brazosport 

College was named one of the “top 10 community colleges in the nation” by the 

Aspen Institute. 

ALVIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 

The Aspen Institute named Alvin Community College (ACC) a top community 

college in the nation in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Some of the qualifications for winning 

the honor include first-year retention rates, three-year graduation and transfer rates 

as well as the number of certificates and degrees awarded. 

ACC uniquely offers associates degrees in a variety of health fields including 

diagnostic sonography, pharmacy technician, respiratory care, nursing and more. 

Other programs include communications, court reporting, culinary arts, industrial 

design technology and paralegal. 

UHCL PEARLAND 

The most recent higher education system in Brazoria County is the University of 

Houston-Clear Lake Pearland Campus. Since 2010, UHCL Pearland has offered 

undergraduate and graduate degrees in education, criminology, healthcare 

administration, accounting and many more. Undergraduates with more than 60 

credit hours can complete a bachelor’s degree in eight programs. Graduate students 

can earn master’s degrees in six programs. 

Above: The University of Houston-Clear Lake Pearland campus. 

Right: Brazosport College, in Lake Jackson, was named Safest College Campus in Texas, as well as a Top 10 

Beautiful Yet Affordable College Campus in the nation. 


32

CHAPTER 2 

33

BURGEONING INDUSTRY 

OF SERVICES 

Brazoria County offers residents strong, diverse healthcare services. Every corner of 

the county has a wealth of medical professionals to handle any emergency. 

Sweeny, in far west Brazoria County, is breaking ground for a 90,000-square-foot 

hospital to replace its current building. Sweeny Community Hospital has been providing 

health care for 50 years. Services have grown to include a Level IV Trauma Center and 

surgical suite. 

In Lake Jackson, Brazosport Memorial Hospital recently merged with CHI St. Luke’s 

to become CHI St. Luke’s Health Brazosport. The 154-bed center has Level III trauma 

services, advanced cardiac care and a multidisciplinary cancer center. Lake Jackson is 

also home to the Southwest SIDS Research Institute. The Institute provides medical, 

education, support and research to families and caretakers of babies at risk of Sudden 

Infant Death Syndrome. 

A few miles up the road in Angleton is UTMB Health Angleton Danbury Campus, an 

acute care hospital with services for wellness, rehabilitation, imaging, outpatient surgery 

and much more. 

Pearland boasts a wealth of health care options including the Memorial Hermann 

Pearland Hospital and Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation. More big 

names in healthcare are represented in Pearland including HealthSouth Rehabilitation 

Hospital, Houston Methodist Primary Care Group, Texas Children’s Pediatrics Shadow 

Creek Ranch and Kelsey-Seybold Pearland. 


34

CHAPTER 2 

35

Above: CHI St. Luke’s Health–Brazosport Cancer Center, Lake Jackson, provides radiation and chemotherapy services with cutting edge radiation technology, an infusion suite and a private 

lab for quick results. 

Below: CHI St. Luke’s Health Brazosport. 


36

Chapter 3 

Spirit of 

Fascinating Places 

Sunrise on the beach. 

CHAPTER 3 

37


38

GET OUTDOORS 

Prairies, bottomland, woods, bays and beaches. At 1,407 square miles, Brazoria County offers endless opportunities. The county boasts a 

diverse range of communities and includes major attractions, including twenty-three miles of Gulf beaches and countless ways to relax. 

Like to be outdoors? Brazoria County averages 204 sunny days a year. Unique activities abound. Skydive in Rosharon. Drive more than 100 

mph in Angleton. Ride a marsh buggy in Brazoria. 

Bird life is abundant. Brazoria County is in the Central Flyway for migrating birds. Every spring, usually in April, thousands of bright-winged 

visitors land on the shores and in the oak trees to rest after traveling from Central and South America. The Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, in Lake 

Jackson, sends volunteers for the month of April to Quintana Island’s Neotropical Bird Sanctuary to help bird watchers locate new species. In 

the fall, sandhill cranes, and occasionally the endangered whooping crane, takes up residence for the winter at one of two wildlife refuges in 

the county—the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge near Angleton and the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge south of Sweeny and Brazoria. 

Each April, the San Bernard refuge hosts the Migration Celebration, a birding festival with activities for the whole family including a birds of 

prey program, kayaking and a marsh buggy ride. 

CHAPTER 3 

39

Brazoria County is blessed with 23 miles of 

sandy beaches, most with vehicle access. 

Jetties at Surfside Beach and Quintana Island 

are excellent locations to fish. Try fishing in 

the surf or go offshore. Surfside Beach has 

two marinas, five charter fishing guides and 

twenty-three businesses that rent vacation 

homes. While you’re at Surfside, you can ride 

horses on the beach, rent surf and boogie 

boards, learn to Jet Ski, watch for dolphins 

and so much more. 

Freeport is one of the closest launch sites 

for divers going 70 miles offshore to visit the 

National Marine Sanctuary Flower Garden 

Banks—the only sanctuary in the Gulf of 

Mexico. The Flower Garden Banks was discovered 

by snapper and grouper fishermen in 

the early 1900s. The corals sit atop salt 

domes. Fishermen named the banks after the 

brightly colored sponges, plants, and other 

marine life they could see on the colorful 

reefs below their boats. 

Charter boats and fishing guides take fishermen 

offshore and into the bays in search of 

redfish, trout, snapper and more. 


40

Left: The Mystery shrimp boat greets 

visitors to Freeport Municipal Park. 

Below: Visitors to the San Bernard 

National Wildlife Refuge get a guided 

tour through the woods in the search for 

migrant songbirds. 

CHAPTER 3 

41

SEA CENTER 

Sea Center Texas, in Lake Jackson, is a marine aquarium, fish hatchery and education center operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife 

Department in partnership with the Coastal Conservation Association, Dow Chemical Co. and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sportfish 

Restoration funds. Sea Center’s visitor center gives up close looks at some marine animals that live in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 

Aquariums are the prime attraction. One recreates a salt marsh. Another shows the complex inner workings of a Texas bay system. 

Redfish, black drum and flounder weave in and out of oyster reefs. Another visitor favorite is the coral reef aquarium with colorful sea 

stars, sea cucumbers and corals. Eel, enormous grouper, snapper and jacks cruise by a miniature offshore oil and gas production platform. 

The star of the show is the Offshore Gulf of Mexico Aquarium. At 50,000 gallons, visitors are dwarfed by the bonnethead sharks, large 

red drum, gray snapper, Atlantic spadefish, green moray eel and tarpon. 

A 20-foot touch tank allows small visitors to 

experience marine animals like blue crabs, 

snails and anemones. 


42

FREEPORT HISTORICAL 

MUSEUM 

The City of Freeport opened the doors to its Historical Museum 

in 2009. Inside is a model of the old swing bridge and the light house 

that was located in old Velasco. Currently, the 3,000-square-foot 

building has a media room and a conference/meeting room in addition 

to the main room with pictures of local history. The Dow 

Heritage House, Children's Museum and the temporary exhibit hall 

are all available for rental. Rotating exhibits include Birds of 

Freeport, World War II, Dinosaur George, Shaking Hands with Other 

Lands and Oval Office. 

CHAPTER 3 

43

MOTOR SPEEDWAY RESORT 

MSR Houston, Motor Speedway Resort, sits on 383 acres outside Angleton and 

offers a karting track and 180,000 square feet of paddock space. A 2.38 mile road 

track with 17 turns gives thrill seekers a combination of slow, medium and highspeed 

corners. The facility was sanctioned as a test site for Champ Car World Series, 

Atlantic Championship and Formula BMW Series. 

The ¾ mile karting track has 17 turns and is configured to run clockwise and 

counter-clockwise. MSR has Italian-made karts that reach speeds of 45 mph. 


44

CENTER FOR 

THE ARTS & 

SCIENCES 

Founded in 1976, the Center for Arts & 

Sciences is a wonder of volunteers and 

diverse talent. Located in Clute, the center 

sports dedicated space to five partner groups: 

the Art League, Center Stages Theater, 

Brazosport Museum of Natural Science, the 

Brazosport Planetarium and the Brazosport 

Symphony Orchestra. 

The Art League has more than 170 members 

and artists who showcase their talent during 10 

annual shows in the Center’s Gallery. 

Workshops, demonstrations and life drawing 

classes meet regularly, and children are 

encouraged to attend with classes, 

competitions and scholarships. 

Center Stages is the oldest continuously 

operating community theatre on the Gulf Coast 

of Texas. The all-volunteer group puts on highquality 

entertainment with a chance to learn 

from veteran performers, designers, producers 

and technicians. 

The museum exhibits one of the largest sea 

shell collections on the coast along with 

dinosaurs, fossils, mammoth bones, a 

Megaladon jaw, rock, minerals and more. 

The planetarium features a 30-foot dome 

equipped combined with a Spitz Star Ball 

projector produces the night sky as it appears 

to the naked eye. Together with a large variety 

of high-tech equipment, the show gives patrons 

a close-up feel for things like comets, exploding 

stars, and black holes. The planetarium sports 

a special show for Christmas and public star 

gazing parties. 

The quality of symphony performances 

rivals those in more metropolitan areas. The 

symphony members are all volunteers and they 

encourage community involvement. Several 

well-known soloists have performed with the 

group, including outside professionals. 

CHAPTER 3 

45


46

CHAPTER 3 

47

The 600-seat Clarion hall features a lobby 

showcasing a specially commissioned bronze 

sculpture Spirit of Music. 

THE CLARION 

The Clarion at Brazosport College, in Lake Jackson, is an extraordinary performance hall. The 

highest acoustical standards produce beautiful music for local performers and professionals, including, 

most recently, Leann Rimes; Delfeayo Marsalis and Jackie Evancho. 


48

CHAPTER 3 

49

Above: Downtown Lake Jackson was 

revitalized recently with designer street 

lighting, updated signage and greenery. The 

area comes alive at dusk. Here, a local band 

performs at a downtown restaurant. 

Right: The bridge over the Brazos at 

Brazoria was completed in 1939 by 

Brazoria County in partnership with the 

Works Progress Administration. The bridge 

is listed on the National Register of 

Historic Places. 


50

Top: The Alvin Historic Depot Centre is 

more than 100 years old. The former hub 

for business and agriculture served the 

Santa Fe Line. Now the structure is 

available to rent for special events. 

Middle: The Angleton Recreation Center 

features an indoor pool with plenty of 

entertaining water features including a mini 

slide, lazy river, tipping buckets and 

water blasters. 

Bottom left: The Wilderness Golf Course in 

Lake Jackson was built in 2004, is open to 

the public and is available year round. The 

course was listed by Golf Advisor as one of 

the top courses in Texas in 2014, 2015, 

and 2016. 

Bottom, right: A baby croc smiles for the 

children during a field trip at Crocodile 

Encounter near Angleton. Crocodile 

Encounter maintains 14 species of 

crocodilians. The facility has the largest 

group of Nile crocodiles in the nation. 

CHAPTER 3 

51

Entertainment venues are varied in Brazoria 

County. Football lights up The Rig, in 

Pearland, on Friday nights in the fall. 


52

Chapter 4 


Unique Lifestyle 

CHAPTER 4 

53

UPSCALE SHOPPING 

Brazoria County residents enjoy two malls—one indoor and one outdoor—on either 

end of the county. 

Pearland Town Center is an open-air, walker’s pleasure center. Anchor stores include 

Dillard’s, Macy’s and Barnes & Noble with a wide selection of smaller stores between. 

H&M recently opened. Shoppers will also find Chico’s, francesca’s Collections and 

Torrid. Restaurants include la Madeleine, BJ’s, Fish City Grill and more. 

A 110-room, four-story Courtyard by Marriot Hotel is located on the property. In 

addition there are multi-family residential spaces above the retail outlets, a twenty-fiveacre 

lake and miles of walking paths and parks. 

Shoppers who want an indoor experience can visit Brazos Mall in Lake Jackson which 

recently received a makeover and its facelift is a fresh, contemporary look. Victoria’s 

Secret, Pink and Bath and Body Works expanded their spaces, and new stores are 

arriving including Ulta, T.J. Maxx and Home Goods. Anchor stores are Dillard’s, 

JCPenney and a 14-sceen AMC Starplex Cinema. A food court as well as El Chico and 

Texas Roadhouse offer shoppers tempting meals. On property, a new-from-the-groundup 

hotel, The Courtyard by Marriot, opened in late 2017. 


54

ANTIQUE TREASURE HUNT 

Walk into the past in the abundance of antique shops throughout Brazoria County. Alvin and West Columbia are antique meccas, each 

featuring quirky curiosity shops. You may wander into the Alvin Antique Center and Marketplace which houses many antique vendors or pop 

over to Roadside Antiques which repurposes antiques to create one-of-a-kind finds. 

In West Columbia, walkers will find treat after treat along Brazos Avenue. Side-by-side with the history, shoppers can visit the Capitol of 

Texas Park, a walk through the history of the birth of Texas. Across the street are places like Chesney’s Jewelry, in business since 1924. Next 

door is the Carta Valley Market, which is a new store, but specializes in vintage. Further down the street are more old stores, antique shops and 

boutiques and places to rest with a delicious lunch and a cold iced tea. 

CHAPTER 4 

55


56

FARM TO TABLE 

Children learn where their food comes from when they pick it themselves at Froberg’s Farm and 

Country Store in Alvin. Strawberries are ripe for the picking from January to May, depending on the 

weather. In the fall, kids can wander the corn maze and check out the indoor pumpkin patch. The 

country store offers aisle after aisle of the freshest vegetables and fruits. Froberg’s also has a bakery with 

homemade fried pies, preserves, kettle and caramel corn. 

Left: Local produce is also available at the 

open-air Peach Street Farmers Market in 

Angleton. Nearby farms offer up goodies like 

unfiltered honey, home grown chickens and 

eggs, jams and jellies, pestos, sauces, 

vinegars. Pick up goat’s milk soaps, salves 

and even wine. 

CHAPTER 4 

57

SYMPHONY OF SOUND 

Music is one of the favorite pastimes in Brazoria County—either playing it or listening. Numerous 

volunteer orchestras and symphonies can be heard any time of year in venues as diverse as churches, 

festivals, restaurants and the concert stage. A recent cultural concert series featured Step Rideau and 

Sunny Sauceda with their Zydeco sounds. The Bluewater Highway Band takes its name from the road 

that run along the beach from Surfside to Galveston. The band got its start here at home and now tours 

across the United States. Big name country singer Cole Degges is a hometown Lake Jackson product. 

He’s performed with the likes of Kenny Chesney and Tracy Byrd, but he also can be found singing to 

his Brazoria County friends and family. 


58

Chapter 5 


People United 

Festival-goers enjoy Fourth of July fireworks 

at Freeport Municipal Park over the old 

Brazos River in Freeport. 

CHAPTER 5 

59

FESTIVALS, 

FOOD & FUN 

Brazoria County is its people. They create 

the character of the county with a diverse 

range of cultures with a strong emphasis on 

the arts, the environment, historical 

preservation and fitness. 

Together Brazoria County has created 

strong communities and a positive atmosphere 

for growth. 

Brazoria County has a knack for turning 

a negative into a positive. Even public 

enemy number 1, the mosquito, has earned 

itself a festival—right in the middle of the 

heat of summer. 

Willie Manchew can be seen waving to the 

crowds every July at the Mosquito Festival in 

Clute. Big name entertainment takes the stage 

each night for the multi-day event. Cook offs, 

games, a carnival and a 5K Mosquito Chase. 


60

Above: The Mosquito Festival, in Clute, 

features a variety of entertainment. Pleasing 

the crowd here is the Spazmatics, the 

ultimate new wave 80s show. 

Left: The Mosquito Festival’s barbecue 

and fajita cook-offs draw serious 

competitors like the Pit Meisters. The 

event is sanctioned by the International 

Barbeque Cookers Association. 

CHAPTER 5 

61

The Giddy Up Cookers participated in a 

barbecue cookoff challenge: Make 

something tasty with random ingredients 

they were given. 

Brazoria County celebrates all manner of things. There are several food truck festivals, crawfish 

festivals, birds, history and heritage, autumn, and Christmas. There’s a biker bash at the Freeport 

Summertime Blues festival. Alvin hosts a music festival. The SPCA holds its biggest and glitziest 

fund-raiser of the year at its New Year’s Eve gala. 

Sweeny celebrates its city with Pride Day each May. Brazoria puts the No Name Festival on its 

calendar each June. 

There are dozens more—something to fill every weekend of the calendar. 


62

FITNESS WITH A TWIST 

With all the sunshine and warm temperatures, the outdoors beckons fitness buffs. Every fitness genre is represented—tai chi, yoga, 

Zumba, CrossFit, obstacle course workouts, and martial arts. 

Even 5K runs get twisted with costumes like Lake Jackson’s Monster Dash and the Zombie Fest. There’s a run with your dog, Lake Jackson 

Doggy Dash. You can Run for the Arts, do the Gator Gallop at Brazosport College. Do the Diva Dash and Lil’ Princess Girls Run in Pearland. 

Of course, there are wildly popular color runs. 

The county has several golf courses, numerous bike and walking paths, indoor pools, outdoor pools, gyms, and, of course, the beach. 

Run a half marathon at Surfside Beach, surf or take part in the pole vault competition in the sand. 

Fitness classes for every age and fitness level are available. Pearland Parks and Recreation offers adaptive recreation to people with 

physical or developmental disabilities. 

You’ll find leagues for T-ball, softball, baseball, soccer, basketball for youth and adults. Try Archery Tag, disc golf or FootGolf. 

Even if you just want to walk around your neighborhood, cities have put a priority on building sidewalks. So get out there and enjoy 

the weather! 

CHAPTER 5 

63

A marina at Freeport. 

SAND & SEA 

Fun is limitless at the beaches, bays and deep-sea fishing and diving. One of the biggest 

attractions at the water during the summer is the Freeport Hosted Lions Club Fishin’ Fiesta. Dating 

back 70 years, the multi-day tournament offers tournaments for inshore and offshore fish, food, live 

music, beer gardens, a carnival and more. 

The Surside Kite Flyers Club attends the Treasures by the Sea festival at Surfside Beach. The kite 

flyers demonstrate their skills and unique kites. The Old Guys Surf Reunion in May draws long-time 

surfers to Surfside’s Stahlman Park. 

Quintana hosts the Quintana Beach Vault which draws pole vaulters of all skill levels. 

Whatever the weather, whatever the season, beach and bay enthusiasts get the most out of their 

backyard treasures. 


64

BRAZORIA COUNTY FAIR 

The Brazoria County Fair is the largest county fair in Texas. More than 500 volunteers are required to pull off this 9-day event that starts 

with a parade through downtown Angleton. Local school clubs, bands and community groups dress up, line up and march a well-trodden 

route to kick off the fair festivities. 

The 120-acre fair grounds are covered with permanent buildings including stalls for livestock exhibitions, concessions, an auditorium 

and a rodeo arena. 

Today’s fair offers Brazoria County residents a friendly place to gather to compete in agricultural and homemaking pursuits. 

CHAPTER 5 

65


66

COWBOYS & 

COWGIRLS 

Get close to the action at the Brazoria 

County Fair Rodeo Arena. The open air venue 

was the site of the twenty-fifth annual 

Cowboy’s Professional Rodeo Association 

finals in 2017. The audience was treated to 

bareback riding, barrel racing, bull riding, calf 

roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling 

and team roping events. Bigger kids are able to 

take part in the 4H/FFA calf scramble, and the 

littlest ones go mutton bustin’—similar to bull 

riding but with sheep. 

Tradition and family values are at the 

core of the Brazoria County Fair. The fair 

has long been billed as an event for the 

whole family. 

CHAPTER 5 

67


68

CHAPTER 5 

69


70

TROUBLED 

WATERS, 

HEALING 

HEARTS 

Flood waters and hurricanes have been a 

part of life for folks in Brazoria County since 

Stephen F. Austin brought the Old Three 

Hundred to settle here. So when meteorologists 

forecasted Hurricane Harvey in August 

2017, cars were gassed up, cash withdrawn 

from the bank and everyone watched the 

weather forecasts. 

Still, the predictions of rainfall totals were 

simply unbelievable. Historic flooding? Yes, historic 

flooding. Just a little more than a year after 

the Memorial Day flood of 2016, Brazoria 

County was inundated with rainfall, as were our 

neighbors to the north. Their rainfall became 

our river flooding, and the Brazos left its banks, 

in company with creeks and bayous. 

Thousands were left homeless. 

How would they all recover? Sure FEMA 

and the Red Cross arrived, but Brazoria 

County is strong and neighbors helped neighbors. 

Strangers volunteered. 

Heather Lynn lost the first floor of her 

house. Where would she and her family live? 

Acquaintances from church opened their home 

to the Lynn family. They lived there more than 

four months. Neighbor Doug Whipple, from 

Sugar Mill, the subdivision where she lives, put 

together a team that worked for two weeks 

straight tearing out the Sheetrock from her 

flooded first story. A friend from school, who 

Heather hadn’t seen in years, messaged her 

through FaceBook and offered her a trailer to 

put on her property while they rebuild. 

That’s the ultimate Spirit of Brazoria County. 

Right: Heather Lynn and Danny Hickey show off a “We 

Survived Harvey Sugar Mill 2017” T-shirt Hickey made at his 

Blueline Print Shop and gave to neighbors. 

CHAPTER 5 

71


72

Brazoria County Partners 

Profiles of businesses, organizations and families 

that have contributed to the development and 

economic base of Brazoria County 

Brazosport College ...............................................................................................................74 

City of West Columbia ..........................................................................................................78 

Ascend Performance Materials................................................................................................81 

NALCO Champion ................................................................................................................82 

Candlewood Suites ® Lake Jackson............................................................................................84 

Staybridge Suites ® Lake Jackson .............................................................................................85 

G.B. Industry Co., L.P...........................................................................................................86 

Rollac Shutters of Texas, Inc..................................................................................................88 

Architecture Etc* 

Raymond L. Burroughs, AIA..............................................................................................90 

BASF..................................................................................................................................92 

Alvin Animal Clinic..............................................................................................................94 

Dow Texas Operations ..........................................................................................................96 

The Eye Contact, Inc. ...........................................................................................................98 

Brazoria Heritage Foundation ..............................................................................................100 

Sandy Point, Texas .............................................................................................................101 

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, LP.................................................................................102 

HomeTown Bank, N.A..........................................................................................................103 

Commissioner Ryan Cade.....................................................................................................104 

Smile Avenue Family Dental.................................................................................................105 

Gulf Coast Water Authority .................................................................................................106 

Brazoria County Government ...............................................................................................107 

SI Group, Inc.....................................................................................................................108 

Port Freeport.....................................................................................................................109 

Jaco Roofing & Construction, Inc. .........................................................................................110 

Greater Angleton Chamber of Commerce ................................................................................111 

Phillips 66 Sweeny Refinery .................................................................................................112 

Brazosport Area Chamber of Commerce..................................................................................113 

Brazoria Chamber of Commerce............................................................................................114 

COMPOSURElife Portrait Design ..........................................................................................115 

Kimco Services, Inc. ...........................................................................................................116 

Fagioli, Inc. ......................................................................................................................117 

West Columbia Chamber of Commerce....................................................................................118 

Robert H. Sipple ................................................................................................................119 

Brazoria County, Constable Precinct 3 ...................................................................................120 

Sweeny Chamber of Commerce..............................................................................................121 

Alvin-Manvel Area Chamber of Commerce ..............................................................................121 

Pearland Chamber of Commerce............................................................................................122 

Lammert, Inc. dba HPNbooks and HPN Custom Media & Publishing ..........................................123 

The Economic Development Alliance of Brazoria County ...........................................................124 

BRAZORIA COUNTY PARTNERS 

73

BRAZOSPORT 

COLLEGE 

Above: An overhead view of the Brazosport 

College campus in 1975. 

Bottom: Brazosport College’s administration 

wing in 1985. 

Brazosport College has been the College of 

Choice for southern Brazoria County for fifty 

years now. 

From its humble beginnings in 1967 and 

an initial graduating class of twenty-five 

students in 1970, to being named one of the 

top community colleges in the nation with 

more than 1,000 graduates in 2016, 

Brazosport College has seen tremendous 

growth. However, the primary goal has always 

remained the same: Brazosport College is 

focused on student success. 

Located in Lake Jackson, Texas, Brazosport 

College has enriched the lives of its students 

with affordable and efficient educational 

opportunities including certifications, associate 

and baccalaureate degree programs, as well 

as academic transfers and workforce development. 

Students planning to pursue a bachelor’s 

degree may enroll in academic classes, as 

well as courses in major fields of study that 

will transfer to four-year institutions. 

Recognized twice by the Aspen Institute as 

one of the nation’s top ten community colleges, 

Brazosport College offers more than 

seventy-five degree and certificate programs. 

Currently, Brazosport College is one of four 

schools in Texas to offer a Bachelor of Applied 

Technology degree. 

Brazosport College is considered by 

many to be among the best community colleges 

in the nation, and that accolade is not 

something the college takes lightly. Brazosport 

College has taken pride in being the first 

choice for students since it opened its doors 

fifty years ago. 

The college was founded after voters 

authorized a tax to support the maintenance 

of the college in 1967. The board of trustees of 

the Brazosport Independent School District 

divested itself of the college’s management, 

control and operation. The board of regents 

for the college district was installed in August 

of 1967. 

In 1968, Dr. J. R. Jackson became the 

first president of Brazosport Junior College. 

The first semester of classes began in the fall 

of 1968 with an enrollment of 879 students. 

The first class graduated in 1970 with twentyfive 

students. 

In its fifty-year history, Brazosport College 

has had four presidents, including Dr. J. R. 

Jackson, 1968-1978; Dr. W. A. Bass, 1978- 

1988; Dr. John R. Grable, 1988-1996; and Dr. 

Millicent Valek, 1996-present. 

In October of 1970, the college’s name was 

changed to Brazosport College to reflect its 

broader purpose. After the turn of the century, 

Brazosport College underwent many changes, 

from building additions and improvements to 

adding innovative new programs. 

First of all, in 2002, the Corporate 

Learning Center and the Children’s Center 

(later renamed the Bill & Julia May Children’s 

Center) were built. A few years later, in 2004, 

Brazosport College received accreditation 

approval from the Southern Association of 

Colleges and Schools as a baccalaureatelevel 

institution. 

“When we received the authority to offer 

baccalaureate degrees, there were fifty community 

colleges in Texas. Three colleges received 

that authority, and Brazosport College was one 

of them,” said Dr. Valek. “It took a while to go 

through all the steps, such as getting the 

authority from the Legislature, but it has had a 

huge impact for this community. It would not 


74

have been possible without the support of 

Representative Dennis Bonnen, who to this 

day remains instrumental to our success with 

that program.” 

Community support has also been an integral 

part of the growth of Brazosport College’s 

spacious campus, which today sits on 156 

manicured acres. In 2005 the school’s music 

venue, The Clarion at Brazosport College, was 

built, and classes began for a Bachelor of 

Applied Technology degree in Technology 

Management program. 

In November of 2007, the community 

approved a $70 million bond referendum that 

paved the way for even more additions. In 

2011 the Master Plan Project was completed 

with the following additions: the BASF Center 

for Process Technology, the Byron & Sandra 

Sadler Health Professions/Science Complex, 

the Dow Academic Center, a new Student 

Pavilion, and an expansion to the college’s 

library. In 2016 the BCPC Welding 

Technologies Lab and the Freeport LNG Crafts 

Academy were dedicated. The college even 

added a jogging trail, which is utilized by the 

community and students alike, in 2009. 

“In the college’s fifty-year 

history, we’ve only had two 

general obligation bonds, 

which colleges generally use 

to build their campuses— 

once when it was built, and 

again in 2007, which was 

forty years later,” Dr. Valek 

said. “We’ve been able to do a 

tremendous amount of building 

and construction without 

having to go back to the voters 

numerous times. We’re 

very pleased to have tremendous 

support for that, and 

with that support we’ve been 

able to really transform the 

campus as it went from one 

single building to a complex 

of buildings.” 

Brazosport College has 

approximately 4,200 students 

enrolled annually in its 

certification programs, 4,000 

enrolled each year in its noncertification 

programs, and 20,000 participants 

in its business and industry training. 

“One thing that is fantastic about community 

colleges is that so many of our students 

are first-generation college students,” Dr. 

Valek said. “There’s a great deal of pride 

from their family and friends when we have a 

graduation ceremony.” 

Top: The Byron & Sandra Sadler Health 

Professions/Science Complex at Brazosport 

College opened in 2011 and supports 

programs for health professions and 

lab sciences. 

Left: The BCPC Welding Technologies Lab is 

one of Brazosport College’s newest buildings, 

opened in 2016. The new welding lab 

replaced the College’s old welding lab, which 

was more than forty years old. 

Bottom: The Student Pavilion, pictured 

behind the BC Clock Tower, 

opened in 2011 and is one of many new, 

state-of-the-art buildings on the Brazosport 

College campus. 


75

Top, Left and below: The Dow Academic 

Center at Brazosport College hosts a variety 

of college and community events, such 

as commencement. 

Top, Right: The process technology program 

offered at Brazosport College enables 

students to build skills to be successful in 

the chemical industry, but also provides 

students with skill sets that will broaden 

their career opportunities. 

This was never more evident than when the 

college opened the Dow Academic Center for 

commencements. Because of the high 

demand, commencements went from being a 

single ceremony in the school gym to two separate 

ceremonies in the much larger building. 

As Brazosport College’s campus and student 

population have grown, so too has its 

reputation. In 2013 and 2015, the Aspen 

Institute named the college a Top 10 

Community College in the Nation, an award 

bestowed biennially to institutions that excel 

in the areas of student learning, certificate and 

degree completion, graduate employment rate 

and earnings, and success rates among minority 

and low-income students. In 2010, 

Brazosport College was named a Leader 

College by Achieving the Dream and was 

recertified in 2013 and 2016. Also in 2016, 

Brazosport College was selected as one of 

twelve Texas community colleges to participate 

in the Texas Pathways Project, a statewide 

initiative designed to increase credentialed 

Texans to sixty percent by 2030. 

Dr. Valek said, “Brazosport College is 

unique from other community colleges 

because of the strong synergy that exists 

between the college and its industry partners. 

“We serve about 20,000 people a year in 

business training, which is pretty atypical. We’re 

responding to industry requests with a customized 

response. They do not have to build up 

as robust an internal training department 

because they’ve outsourced that to the college. 

“The first contract the college had was in 

the mid 1990s to train 2,000 employees on 

how to use a personal computer. We started 

with a blank slate and said, ‘What do you 

want and how long?’ and we were able to 

respond and deliver. One of the buildings we 

added in our first expansion in 2002 was a 

center dedicated to business and industry 

training. They’ve been able to support a business 

plan that has kept that vibrant for close 

to two decades now.” 

Expanding even more on Brazosport 

College’s involvement with the community it 

serves is its Community Education 

Department. Through Community Education, 

students can register for a variety of career 

programs in areas such as healthcare, education, 

web design and other computer technologies. 

In addition to career training, it 

also offers personal enrichment programs, 

such as painting, ceramics, photography, 

sewing, and music. In 2015, Community 

Education served more than 4,100 students. 

Student success has always been a chief 

priority for the community through their support 

of the Brazosport College Foundation. 

Created as a tax-exempt corporation in 1995, 

the Brazosport College Foundation raises and 


76

administers funds for the enhancement of 

educational opportunities at the college. 

In the past three years, the Brazosport 

College Foundation has raised more than $1 

million in scholarships. In 2002 the foundation 

raised $5.6 million with its Building a 

Legacy campaign. In 2008, it raised $5.5 million 

with its Your College Capital Campaign, 

and, in 2015, $3 million was collected through 

the Crafts Academy Capital campaign. 

The foundation is comprised of the 

Brazosport College regents, staff and faculty, 

as well as business and community leaders. 

Its scholarship programs include WISE, 

Sponsor a Scholar, ACE It scholarships, childcare 

assistance, and other initiatives. Other 

projects include the Excellence Fund, which 

provides for the development of new degrees, 

classes and lab equipment enhancements, 

planned gifts, memorial/honorary gifts and 

naming opportunities, and the Spirit of Music 

fund, which supports The Clarion at 

Brazosport College. 

“The foundation is very focused on 

raising scholarship dollars, and this makes it 

possible for so many students to attend 

Brazosport College and graduate with little to 

no student debt. 

“Having served as the school of choice for 

Brazoria County students for half a century, 

Brazosport College will continue to do what it 

does best as it looks toward the future: support 

industrial and skilled trades, grow its 

medical programs and prepare its students for 

transfer to other institutions or successful 

careers after college. A governing board that 

remains singularly focused on the college’s 

mission, a beautiful campus, state-of-the-art 

labs, and strong community and business relationships 

provide all the integral pieces for an 

excellent foundation of education and training, 

she added.” Dr. Valek said. 

Having served at the helm of Brazosport 

College for more than two decades—three 

times the average college president’s tenure— 

Dr. Valek is one of several staff and faculty 

members who have remained loyal to the 

institution and its goals. 

“Be it faculty, staff, students—and myself, 

loyalty runs high here at Brazosport College,” 

she said. “This really is the College of Choice 

for all of us.” 

Brazosport College is located at 500 

College Drive, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566. To 

learn more, visit the college website at 

www.brazosport.edu or call 979-230-3000. 

Top: Brazosport College’s administration 

wing today. 

Below: Dr. Millicent Valek has served as 

Brazosport College’s president 

since 1996. 


77

CITY OF WEST 

COLUMBIA 

Strategically located at the 

intersection of State Highways 35 

and 36, West Columbia emphasizes 

its unique place in Texas history 

with an eye for the future. 

Established in 1824 by Stephen F. 

Austin’s land agent and friend, 

Josiah Bell, West Columbia, then 

known as Columbia, served as the 

first capital of the Republic of 

Texas. The first Congress of the 

Republic convened in Columbia 

on October 3, 1836. Sam Houston 

took the oath of office as president of the new 

republic on October 22, 1836, on the steps of 

the House of Representatives building. 

Although none of the original buildings that 

housed the Congress are still standing, a replica 

of the House of Representatives stands near 

city hall. In addition, an historical park occupies 

the site of the original buildings and 

includes the sites’ original cistern. This park 

features twenty-two historic stations that 

chronicle the town’s early history from founding 

to Texas’ annexation to the United States. 

Other historic sites to visit include the 

Columbia Historical Museum, which emphasizes 

the families that helped develop early 

Texas; the Columbia Rosenwald School, one 

of few surviving schools built in fifteen southern 

states to educate African American children 

in rural areas; the old Columbia 

Cemetery, the resting place of many early 

Texans and Texas Revolutionary heroes; and 

Varner Hogg Plantation State Historic Site, the 

plantation home of the state’s first native governor, 

James S. Hogg. The plantation site was 

given to the state in 1958 by Governor Hogg’s 

only daughter and surviving child, Ima. It is 

currently operated by the Texas Historical 

Commission and open to the public. Docents 

share the property’s transition through three 

owners: Martin Varner, who received 4,428 as 

one of Stephen F. Austin’s original 297 

colonists; Columbus Patton, who operated a 

sugarcane enterprise with the 

help of forty to sixty slaves; 

and purchased by Governor 

James Stephen Hogg in 1901. 

Although Governor Hogg 

died five years later, his will 

stipulated his heirs could not 

sell the mineral rights to the 

property for fifteen years. 

During this period, oil was 

discovered on the property, 

and the Hogg heirs became 

very wealthy philanthropists. 

The Veterans Memorial Park, 

a project of the American 

Legion Mattson Ringgold Post 

503, honors the men and 

women of our area who have 

served our nation in the military. 

Ceremonies are held in 

the park each Veterans and 

Memorial Day. 


78

Boasting a population of just over 3,900 in 

the 2010 census, West Columbia enjoys a 

small-town atmosphere with larger city convenience. 

Most businesses in West Columbia 

are locally owned and operated. Some stores 

have been in existence for generations, such as 

Chesney’s Jewelry (1924), Bob Barta Lumber 

Company (1945) and Jenn’s Furniture (1946). 

Additionally, stores such as Walmart, 

Walgreens, HEB, and Dollar General have 

found their place in West Columbia. The 

Chamber of Commerce serves these businesses’ 

needs and encourages residents to shop 

local. If shopping, entertainment or medical 

needs are not met locally, the growing City of 

Lake Jackson can be reached in twenty minutes 

and Houston, with its world-class medical 

facilities, museums, sports teams and 

entertainment, is only an hour away. 

Galveston, also an hour’s distance, is a popular 

day trip or weekend destination. 

The West Columbia Police, Volunteer Fire 

Department and Central Emergency Medical 

Services ensure our citizens health and safety. 

Columbia-Brazoria Independent School 

District recruits the finest of teachers and 

administration and prepares our younger citizens 

for higher education and the competitive 

job market. The school district recently 

invested in two new campuses, West 

Columbia Elementary and West Brazos Junior 

High, and completed renovations to the 

Columbia High School campus. Sports facilities 

are second to none in the area. In addition, 

the school district has partnered with 

nearby Brazosport College to offer dual credit 

courses on the high school campus. 

Older citizens’ needs are met through 

the Senior Citizens Center, which also offers 

a Meals on Wheels for those homebound 

Top: Varner Hogg Plantation. 


79

Above: Smokin’ R BBQ on Broad Street. 

seniors. Senior Moments, a special program 

through the police department, ensures a 

weekly home visit. 

Located between the San Bernard River 

and the Brazos River, outdoor activities 

abound in and around West Columbia. Fresh 

water fishing is available in numerous locations 

including the city’s own stocked pond at 

First Capitol Park. If saltwater fishing is your 

game, the Texas Gulf Coast has abundant 

locations available within an hour or less. Bay 

fishing and off shore fishing by boat can be 

enjoyed, and charter boats are available for a 

memorable fishing experience. 

Brazoria County, located along the Great 

Texas Coastal Birding Trail, has become a 

popular birding destination. Brazoria County 

also boasts several well-maintained county 

parks, including its newest addition, the 

Stephen F. Austin statue. Texas Parks and 

Wildlife oversees the Brazos Bend State Park, 

approximately twenty minutes from West 

Columbia. This park encompasses some 

5,000 acres of wildness. Popular activities 

include camping, picnics, hiking, biking, 

horseback riding, and fishing in any one of 

the six lakes. 

In addition to numerous neighborhood 

parks within the city, First Capitol Park offers 

a stocked fishing lake, half-mile walking trail, 

RV hookups and a softball complex and 

swimming pool. Columbia Lakes Resort in 

West Columbia offers an eighteen-hole championship 

golf course. 

Mayor Laurie Kincannon encourages residents 

and visitors to explore the town’s historic 

sites and recreational opportunities. 

“Quite simply, West Columbia is the perfect 

place to live,” says Kincannon. “Our beautiful 

oak and pecan trees bear witness to our 

unique place in Texas history. Our central 

location allows our residents to work in the 

chemical plants and refineries that surround 

us and play in the numerous choices that 

Houston and Galveston offer, yet return home 

to idyllic West Columbia.” 

For more information on the City of 

West Columbia, please visit the website is 

www.westcolumbiatx.org. 


80

Ascend Performance Materials was founded 

in 2009 when executives from SK Capital 

Partners, a group of global chemical and materials 

executives, purchased nylon, chemical, and 

fiber plants throughout the southeast United 

States. Ascend, the world’s largest fully integrated 

producer of PA66 resin, produces materials 

that go into thousands of everyday essential 

items from automotive parts and sports equipment 

to cable ties and textiles. With annual revenues 

exceeding $2 billion, Ascend has earned 

its place as a world-class provider. 

Ascend’s Chocolate Bayou plant began operating 

in 1962 and is now the largest acrylonitrile-producing 

facility in the world. Ascend uses 

acrylonitrile as part of the nylon creation 

process, but the chemical is used by other industries 

to make hundreds of everyday products, 

including acrylic fiber for clothing, blankets, and 

textiles; acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) 

plastics for automotive components, electronics, 

appliances, and toys; acrylamide for wastewater 

treatment and oil and gas production; nitrile 

rubber for medical gloves; carbon fibers used in 

clean-power industries as well as aeronautics, 

automotive, and sporting equipment; specialty 

amines used as surfactants for personal 

care products; polyester polyols for 

polyurethanes; and latex polymers for 

paper coatings and other applications. 

Chocolate Bayou also produces products 

used for herbicides, soaps, animal 

feed supplements, enhanced oil recovery, 

heat transfer fluids, and gold mining. 

The plant also hosts operations on behalf 

of guest companies on its 2,500-acre 

site, which is well-connected to intercoastal 

waterways, rail, road, and 

cross-country pipelines 

that handle billions of 

pounds of chemicals. 

Chocolate Bayou has 

been an OSHA VPP 

Star site, recognized for 

its outstanding safety 

focus, since 1995. 

In addition to the 

Chocolate Bayou site, 

Ascend operates facilities 

in Pensacola, 

Florida; Foley and 

Decatur, Alabama; and Greenwood, South 

Carolina; as well as sales offices in Europe and 

Asia. The company employs about 2,400 people 

across these locations, including about 

650 at Chocolate Bayou. 

Ascend strongly supports the volunteer efforts 

of these employees in their respective communities. 

Team members give back at food banks, 

schools, Habitat for Humanity projects, the 

United Way, and a number of other nonprofit 

organizations. Recent projects include back-toschool 

supply drives, student mentoring activities, 

and Habitat builds on Ascend’s facilities. 

Additionally, the Ascend Cares Foundation 

is a unique partnership of Ascend employees, 

resident contractors, and vendors that support 

Ascend families in times of need, provides 

inspiring opportunities for community 

engagement and facilitating community leadership. 

A 501(c)(3), Ascend Cares is funded 

entirely by donations, which Ascend matches, 

and every dollar donated supports the work of 

the foundation. 

For more information on Ascend 

Performance Materials, visit the company’s 

website at www.ascendmaterials.com. 

ASCEND 

PERFORMANCE 

MATERIALS 

Left: Aerial view of Ascend’s Chocolate 

Bayou Plant. 

Below: The Chocolate Bayou Plant is now 

the largest acrylonitrile-producing facility in 

the world. 


81

NALCO 

CHAMPION 

AN ECOLAB 

COMPANY 

Top: Aerial view of the Freeport site. 

Below: Sunset over the Freeport site. 

Every single day, NALCO 

Champion–an Ecolab Company 

strives to make the world cleaner, 

safer, and healthier while protecting 

the earth’s people and precious 

resources. NALCO produces chemicals 

used in all facets of oil generation, 

from production and refining 

to water treatment chemicals. 

Ecolab, NALCO’s parent company, 

is a global leader in water, hygiene 

and energy technologies and services, 

providing and protecting what is 

vital: clean water, safe food, abundant energy, 

and a healthy environment. The companies 

are guided by a shared set of values that define 

how they make a difference. 

NALCO was founded in 1928 with the 

merger of Aluminum Company of America 

(ALCOA), Chicago Chemical Company and 

Aluminate Sales Corporation. These three 

companies held similar ideals when it came to 

meeting the needs of the water treatment 

industry. In April 1959 stockholders approved 

the name change to NALCO Chemical 

Company. Once a small business focused on 

the sale of sodium aluminate, NALCO 

emerged as a leading supplier of specialized 

chemicals and technology with annual sales 

approaching $50 million. 

NALCO Champion’s Freeport facility on 

County Road 229 is a vital part of the Energy 

Services division of Ecolab. This site produced 

lead additives for gasoline in the 1960s. In 

1962, capital spending reached a record level, 

with some addition or improvement influencing 

nearly every facility. Even with new plants 

erected by subsidiaries in Europe and Mexico, 

the largest portion of the record capital investment 

in 1962 went into a new manufacturing 

operation at Freeport, Texas, for the production 

of lead antiknock compounds for gasoline. The 

plant employed a new electrolytic process 

developed by Dr. David G. Braithwaite. 

NALCO sales soared during the 1960s. By 

1969, sales neared $160 million, and the company 

set another record year for capital expansion. 

In 1970, NALCO’s name appeared for the 

first time in Fortune magazine’s “Directory of the 

500 Largest U.S. Industrial Corporations,” ranking 

495th. At the end of the 1970s, the Federal 

EPA announced plans to severely restrict the 

allowable lead content in gasoline by 1985; 

these plans would impact NALCO as it entered 

the new decade. 

Concerns relating to the safety and welfare 

of customers, employees, and neighboring 


82

communities went hand-in-hand with NALCO’s 

growth in the 1980s. As lead additives would no 

longer be used, NALCO Chemical’s Freeport 

facility was leveled in the 1980s to pave the way 

for the construction of NALCO Company, an 

oxyalkylation plant, with its initial operations 

producing their first product in 1992. The safe 

handling and disposal of drums—generally the 

fifty-five-gallon variety, widely used for chemical 

shipments—emerged in the 1980s. In addition 

to the cost of handling drums, their disposal 

became a major environmental concern. 

In 1984, NALCO introduced an alternative 

to drums: the PORTA-FEED program features 

stainless-steel units in several sizes that are 

drainable, stackable, and easily re-used. These 

units are portable bulk containers requiring 

less space, as they are connected to create a 

continuous supply of chemical. By 1989, nearly 

18,000 PORTA-FEED units were in circulation 

worldwide and continue to be used today. 

The same year, teamwork and quality consciousness 

helped NALCO cross the threshold 

of $1 billion in annual sales. Earnings and dividends 

also reached record levels. 

In the decades that followed, NALCO experienced 

tremendous growth worldwide, as 

they continued to produce oxylated chemicals 

for the oil and gas industry. There have also 

been several name changes at the Freeport site 

in the past fifty-plus years. In NALCO’s early 

days, visionaries Herbert Kern and Wilson 

Evans shared a focus of inspiring creativity and 

teamwork among their employees. Their 

vision can be seen today with NALCO’s parent 

company, Ecolab, which purchased it and 

Champion Technologies in 2012, forming the 

brand-recognized name of NALCO Champion. 

NALCO Champion’s Freeport facility is a 

founding member of the local Brazosport 

CAER, (Community Awareness and Emergency 

Response) organization, which uses educational 

programs and emergency drills to prepare 

emergency responders for emergencies. In 

addition, they are one of seven sponsor companies 

on the Freeport Community Advisory 

Panel, also known as CAP. The CAP is an advisory 

group that provides a forum for dialogue 

between community interests and the sponsor 

companies. The Freeport site is also an active 

member of the Brazoria County Petrochemical 

Council (BCPC), an organization dedicated to 

coordinating efforts and maintaining communications 

between local petrochemical plants 

and the community. The site also sponsors and 

participates in local community institutions 

and organizations, such as Brazosport College, 

Brazosport Health Foundation, Brazoria 

County Dream Center, The Center for the Arts 

& Sciences, Brazosport Rotary Club, Junior 

Achievement of Brazoria County, and United 

Way of Brazoria County, just to name a few. 

In 1998 the Freeport site had forty-three 

employees; it now has seventy-eight total 

employees, including nested contractors. Since 

acquiring NALCO Company and Champion 

Technologies, Ecolab (ECL) provides services to 

1.3 million customers and operates in 

more than 170 countries worldwide. 

With 2016 sales of $13 billion and 48,000 

associates, Ecolab has the ambitious goal 

of reaching $20 billion by 2020. 

Ecolab is headquartered in St. Paul, 

Minnesota. Corporate headquarters for 

Energy Services is in Sugarland, Texas. 

For more information on NALCO 

Champion–an Ecolab Company, visit the 

company’s website at www.ecolab.com. 

Above: Fleet Tanker Truck in front of Nalco 

Champion’s Freeport site. 

Bottom: Scenic view of the firewater ponds 

with the Reactor Structure in the 

background. 


83

CANDLEWOOD 

SUITES ® 

LAKE JACKSON 

Candlewood Suites Lake Jackson- 

Clute, one hour south of Houston, with 

a multi-lingual friendly staff offers 86 

guest suites and 6 accessible suites on 3 

spacious floors with a plethora of signature 

amenities. Rooms include a 

complete kitchen, flat-screen television 

with cable and satellite, a DVD player, 

stereo/radio, and workspace. There is 

wireless internet in each room, in the 

hotel’s suites, and public areas. 

The business center is open twentyfour 

hours a day and offers printing, 

copying, and office supplies. The meeting 

room can accommodate up to thirty people. 

Candlewood’s on-site fitness center, available 

twenty-four hours a day, is complementary 

to all guests. The fitness center offers 

exercise equipment including two treadmills, 

an elliptical, multi-station weight machine, 

and a reclining bike. Guests have the opportunity 

to watch television while they work out. 

An off-site fitness center is also available for a 

fee of $10. 

Candlewood Suites’ guests are invited to 

stop by the Candlewood Cupboard for a meal, 

snack, or refreshing beverage. Self-serve laundry 

facilities are available, along with laundry 

and same-day dry-cleaning pickup. Full 

housekeeping is done once a week. In 

between house-keeping days, clean towels 

and linen are available twenty-four hours a 

day at the front desk. 

Guests with a little downtime may enjoy 

the hotel’s outdoor pool, open 10 a.m. to 10 

p.m. daily. An evening reception with complementary 

soft drinks and hors d’oeuvres is 

offered on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

Candlewood Suites is near attractions, museums, 

parks and restaurants. William P. Hobby 

Airport is only fifty miles and George Bush 

Intercontinental Airport is only seventy-two 

miles away. Of course, we cannot forget the 

beaches—Quintana Beach and Surfside Beach 

are both just fifteen minutes from Lake Jackson. 

Candlewood Suites is operated by 

InterContinental Hotels Group, which has 

more than 744,000 guest rooms throughout 

the world and serves more than 150 million 

guests annually. IHG operates InterContinental 

Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & 

Restaurants, Hualuxe Hotels & Resorts, 

Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel 

Indigo, Even Hotels, Crowne Plaza Hotels & 

Resorts, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday 

Inn Resort, and Staybridge Suites. Most hotels 

are independently owned and operated. 

Check-in is 3 p.m., and check-out 

is noon. (Late check-out is available upon 

request.) Minimum check-in age is nineteen. 

Hotel parking is always free. Candlewood Suites 

Lake Jackson-Clute is located at 506 East 

Highway 332 in Lake Jackson, Texas. Call 1- 

979-297-0011 or visit the hotel’s website at 

www.ihg.com/candlewood/hotels/ 

us/en/lake-jackson/ljntx/hoteldetail or on 

Facebook at www.facebook.com/candlewood. 

suiteslakejacksonclute. 


84

Staybridge Suites ® hotels in the United 

States offer a home-like, upscale extended stay 

with a feeling of community with free wireless 

Internet, suites with more space and a full 

kitchen, evening receptions and complementary 

hot breakfast. At Staybridge, we know 

that being on the road means balancing work, 

family and friends, so we go out of our 

way to make your stays enjoyable 

while keeping you connected to what 

matters most. 

We offer a welcoming fireplace in the 

Great Room and residential comforts of 

the spacious suites; every guest has plenty 

of room to relax, recharge, and be productive. 

Travelers can start each day with 

our complementary deluxe breakfast 

buffet or can pick up something light on 

their way out the door at The Pantry. 

Social spaces and activities create 

a comfortable environment for guests 

to connect, if, when, and how they 

want. For guests who are looking for a 

hotel that meets both their physical 

and emotional needs of comfort, we 

offer a twenty-four hour fitness center 

with wireless Internet and an outdoor 

pool. For guests that just want to relax, 

we have you covered as well. You can 

wind down at the social receptions with 

a free beverage and a light meal. Before turning 

in, stop by The Pantry for snacks and 

sundries. You can rest assured that your every 

need is covered. 

At Staybridge Suites, we are flexible and 

accommodating, and provide the amenities of 

home and hotel to enable guests to personalize 

their stay whether for business or pleasure. 

We promise travelers the comforts of home, 

and we are pet friendly. Staybridge Suites Lake 

Jackson is no exception, offering all the 

amenities necessary for work and play. 

Staybridge Suites is ranked highest in guest 

satisfaction among upscale extended hotel 

chains. For reservations at Staybridge Suites, 

visit www.ihg.com on the Internet. 

STAYBRIDGE 

SUITES ® 

LAKE JACKSON 


85

G.B. INDUSTRY 

CO., L.P. 

Founder Gert E. Bahlo.. 

G.B. Industry Co., L.P., 

also doing business as GBI, 

is a manufacturer of 

Wellhead & Christmas Tree 

Components such as casing 

and tubing hangers, bottom 

hole test adapters, primary 

and secondary seals, back 

pressure and two-way 

check valves, and BPV and 

TWC installation tools 

(lubricators.) The company 

was founded by President 

Gert E. Bahlo and Vice 

President Marta I. Bahlo on 

August 19, 1986. 

Gert was born in former 

East Germany, and Marta 

was born in Hungary. The couple married in 

1967 and Gert moved to Hungary in 1968 

with permission from the East German government; 

they escaped together through 

Yugoslavia to West Germany. On August 2, 

1969, they immigrated to Worcester, 

Massachusetts. They arrived with $70, a suitcase, 

and lots of ambition. 

While attending college in Massachusetts, 

Gert worked full time as a machinist, and later 

as a quality control inspector and a quality 

assurance engineer. He received his Associate’s 

Degree in mechanical engineering from 

Worcester Junior College and his Bachelor’s 

Degree in Engineering Management from the 

Central New England College of Engineering. 

He earned his Masters of Business 

Administration in General Management from 

Babson College in 1975. Marta worked as a 

social worker and homemaker. 

When business began to slow in 

Massachusetts, the couple moved to Houston 

in 1977. There, he worked for several companies 

as plant manager and went on to start a 

few business ventures with other partners. In 

1986, Gert founded GBI. 

In 1978, their first child, Andrea, was 

born. They decided they wanted to have 

another child, but this time Gert was shooting 

for a boy while Marta wanted another girl. 

With Gert’s German efficiency, they both got 

what they wanted and twins, David and 

Gabriela, were born in 1983. 

Andrea attended Texas A&M University, 

David went to Texas Christian University, and 

Gabriela went to the University of Houston. 

After completing their studies, they returned 

to GBI, where they had worked during high 

school breaks as full-time employees. David is 

Operations Manager while also handling 

domestic and international sales; Andrea is 

Human Resources Manager and also 

handles accounts payable and payroll; and 

Gabriela is Purchasing Manager and also 

handles marketing. 

In the early days, GBI rented office 

space at a machine shop and subcontracted 

all of their work to the shop. It was a slow 

time in the energy industry, and with the 

machine shop not being busy, GBI delivered 

parts to customers quickly. As business 

conditions began to improve, GBI’s supplier 

capacity was reallocated to their larger 

customers, and lead times for GBI’s subcontracted 

parts increased substantially. Gert 

learned about an 18,000-square-foot 

building on 3.33 acres of property in 

Pearland, which available due to bankruptcy 

of the previous owners. A deal was struck 

with the National Bank of Alvin to rent the 

building from the bank with an option 

to buy. The building was dirty and full of 

junk, but also had many used machine tools. 

The old machine tools were sold, and the 

money was used to pay off the bank. GBI soon 

owned the building. 


86

After about two years 

in business, Gert and 

Marta spent $20,000 

(which they did not 

have) to rent a booth at 

an Oil Tool Show in 

Singapore, and they 

began receiving orders 

from Indonesia, India, 

and Scotland—the start 

of GBI’s international 

business. Today, GBI’s 

products are sold in 

thirty-two countries, as 

well as domestically. 

GBI purchased a used 

NC Lathe and two used 

NC machining centers and began to produce 

its own parts, but the old machines experienced 

continuous breakdowns and caused late 

deliveries, and spare parts such as electronic 

boards were expensive; cash flow was almost 

nonexistent. Fed up with the used machines, 

Gert attended a machine tool show at the local 

Mazak Dealership, where he witnessed a 

Mazak Quickturn doing turning and milling 

work in one operation. He suggested to Marta 

that they buy one of the machines, but when 

he mentioned the $230,000 price tag, she 

suggested calling the “nice gentlemen in white 

jackets” for a chat. Despite top management’s 

objections, the first Mazak was purchased, 

and GBI began manufacturing high-quality 

products with decreased labor cost and lead 

time. Cash flow improved, so they purchased 

a second Mazak, then a third. 

After implementing a quality plan in 1989, 

GBI obtained the rights to apply the API 

monogram to its products, API License 

Number 6A-0248. This continued to increase 

business as GBI was now complying with the 

standards of the American Petroleum 

Institute, the largest U.S. trade association for 

the oil and natural gas industry. In 2006, a 

new 18,400-square-foot building was added, 

of which 16,000 square-feet are used for environmentally 

controlled manufacturing space 

and 2,400 square-feet for office space. The 

building is now filled to capacity with twentytwo 

state-of-the-art Mazak machines, including 

Vertical Machining Centers, Quick Turn, 

Multiplex, and Integrex machines. Older 

Mazak machines are being replaced with the 

new models to increase efficiency. 

In 2012, an adjoining 1.66 acres of land 

was purchased, and preliminary plans for a 

24,000-square-foot manufacturing building 

are in the works. If the business climate 

remains steady and improves, GBI could grow 

from its current workforce of 46 employees to 

70 or 80. 

GBI would hereby like to thank all of 

their employees, suppliers, and especially 

their customers who stood by them 

through good times and bad, making their 

success possible. 

Top: Children of Gert and Marta listed from 

left to right: Gabriela, David, and Andrea. 

Below: Vice President Marta I. Bahlo. 


87

ROLLAC 

SHUTTERS OF 

TEXAS, INC. 

For thirty-three years, Rollac Shutters of 

Texas, Inc., manufacturers and installers of 

exterior rolling manual and electric shutters, 

has operated with an emphasis on quality, 

service, and modern technology to produce 

the best possible products for legions of customers. 

That commitment to excellence began 

in the 1980s, when Walter Konrad was hired 

to manage a German company in the United 

States, bought the retail business, and set out 

on his own to mold it into a successful multimillion-dollar 

corporation. 

Konrad’s success was hard-fought. During 

the company’s infancy, shutters were not prevalent 

in the U.S.; the onus was on Rollac Shutters 

to introduce the public to the product and its 

benefits. To spread the word, Konrad turned to 

advertising in various city phonebooks, which 

was difficult from a logistics standpoint, and 

newspaper ads, which were expensive. 

Konrad and his wife, Eva, have been at the 

helm of Rollac Shutters, serving as president 

and vice president, respectively, since founding 

the company in 1982. In 1985, three years 

after carving out a niche for their company in 

a market that was, at the time, largely unheard 

of, Rollac Shutters introduced retractable 

awnings. Next to shutters, zip shades (also 

known as retractable solar screens) remain one 

of the company’s top-selling products. To this 

day, the company concentrates on manufacturing 

and selling products that are top-of-theline 

in quality and design. 

Rollac Shutters also aims to achieve Energy 

Star compliance for their shutters, which can 

be an arduous, time-consuming process. The 

company’s emphasis on energy efficiency is 

currently being analyzed at the University of 

Berkeley, where researchers are in the process 

of testing Rollac Shutters’ energy-saving benefits. 

But Rollac Shutters’ proudest achievement 

to date occurred in 2012, when it 

secured a U.S. patent on its single wall aluminum 

slat, which was designed in-house. 

In 1986, Konrad bought his first building, a 

20,000-square-foot building that previously 


88

housed a roller skating rink. He gradually grew 

the business into a wholesale corporation, 

increasing its staff from two to forty-five. The 

company’s first ever shutter was installed on a 

gasoline pump case in downtown Houston. 

Rollac Shutters has since broadened its reach, 

with dealers throughout the United States, 

Canada, and Mexico. Rollac and its dealers 

have installed shutters on a NASA building in 

Clear Lake, the homes of celebrities such as 

musician Fats Domino and actress Sharon 

Stone, and on the cage of Siegfried and Roy’s 

tigers. The company experienced one of its 

most exciting years in 2006, after the Category 

3 hurricanes hit Florida, and Hurricane Katrina 

devastated New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Rollac Shutters became the only manufacturer 

in the U.S. to utilize highly sophisticated 

German roll-forming machines, each about 

100 feet long. The first machine was bought in 

1994 and installed in the warehouse a year 

later. Two more machines followed. Eventually, 

Rollac Shutters moved from a 1,200-squarefoot 

rental warehouse in Houston into a 

105,000-square-foot warehouse the company 

purchased in Pearland, its current location. 

The company now employs forty-four employees, 

has approximately 200 dealers (fifty of 

which are active throughout the U.S., Canada, 

and Mexico) and operates a retail department 

tasked with sales and installations in the 

greater Houston metropolitan area. Rollac 

Shutters has come a long way from its first year, 

when sales were $23,000 annually, to now, 

with sales approaching $10 million a year. 

Rollac Shutters is a member of the 

Pearland Chamber of Commerce, a founding 

member of the Exterior Shade and Shutter 

Association (ESSA), and a member of the 

Attachment Energy Rating Council (AERC.) 

Rollac Shutters is located at 5331 West 

Orange Street in Pearland. For more information 

on the company, please visit their website 

at www.rollac.com. 


89

Above: Angleton Recreation Center. 

Bottom: The Clarion Music Performance 

Hall at Brazosport College, Lake Jackson, 

Texas. 

ARCHITECTURE ETC* 

RAYMOND L. BURROUGHS, AIA 

Architecture Etc* was founded on the 

belief that the only good deal is that deal that 

is good for everyone involved. Commitment 

to excellence, honesty, fairness, and integrity 

based on Christian principals are concepts on 

which the firm was established, built, and has 

operated since 1976. With the foundation of 

a proven past and the promise of a proud 

future, the firm’s goal is to provide clients 

with the best possible professional services 

available. Caring about the challenges that 

confront our clients, Architecture Etc* welcomes 

the opportunity to become a part of 

their successful resolution. 

Raymond L. Burroughs, AIA, principal and 

sole proprietor of Architecture Etc*, with his 

experienced team and specialized consultants 

have provided quality design services to clients 

and communities in Brazoria and surrounding 

counties for over four decades. An award-winning 

designer during undergraduate studies at 

LSU, (Bachelor of Architecture, 1966), graduate 

studies at Rice University, (Master of 

Architecture in Urban Design, 1972) and 

throughout his professional career, Raymond’s 

personal commitment to quality and service is 

physically documented by almost 400 built 

projects of every type, size, and function. 

Working with the client to verify the 

scope, size, positioning, budget, special 

requirements and ultimate purpose and goal 

of the project, Raymond and his highly motivated 

and experienced team of professional 

associates design beautiful, functionally practical, 

financially responsible, environmentally 

healthy, and sustainable projects of timeless 

style that add significant value to the communities, 

organizations, and individuals, 

Architecture Etc* has the privilege to serve. 

Numerous projects designed by Architecture 

Etc* play an important role in defining the character 

and quality of Brazoria County communities 

as they exist today. Sophisticated repeat 

clients, both public and private have provided 

extensive opportunities to demonstrate the 

firm’s capability, capacity, and commitment to 

bringing quality projects to successful fruition 

Whether for the municipal complex at 

Lake Jackson or Clute; award winning buildings 

at Brazosport College; renowned 

Recreation Center at Angleton; city halls of 

four major cities in southern Brazoria 

County; or any of the other public, private, 

industrial, or residential projects the firm has 

helped bring to physical reality; every client 

has received dedicated personal and priority 

attention to all aspects of their projects. 

Regardless of project type or size, 

Architecture Etc* welcomes opportunities 

to provide professional services that add 

value to the quality of life of those they 

serve. The firm’s specialty is quality. Quality 

programming, quality design and documentation, 

and quality service. The mission 

statement of Architecture Etc* is simple: 

“Quality…it’s what we do!” 

For more information please visit 

www.archetc.com or www.brazoscrossing.net. 


90

GOD SMILES 

FOR ME 

WHY DEATH COULD 

NOT HOLD ME 

By Raymond L. Burroughs 

Published in 2009 the book God Smiles 

for Me, Why Death Could Not Hold Me has 

touched the lives of many people in a very 

positive way. 

God Smiles for Me is a story of hope, promise, 

commitment, the power of prayer, and 

the healing grace of God. It is a Christian 

how-to book, a story of life, death, and life 

after death; of miracles and a heavenly journey; 

of loss, frustration, pain, survival, recovery 

and personal growth. It is also a story of 

love: of God, family, community and this 

wonderful journey called life. 

Brazoria County Author Raymond L. 

Burroughs is an Architect, a dreamer, and 

an eternal optimist. He is also a Christian. He 

believes, and he knows, because he saw 

after dying on the operating table, that there 

is a beautiful life after this one in a place 

called Heaven. 

In 1975, at the age of thirty-three 

Raymond and his young family learned he 

had a massive tumor at the base of his brain. 

On the day he was told he had only six weeks 

to live, Raymond promised God that if he survived 

he would tell the world of God’s miracles 

in his life. 

The questions Raymond and his 

family asked over and over during 

their life threatening ordeal are the 

same ones others often ask during 

times of personal trouble. Why me? Why 

now? Why is this happening in my life? 

And how can I, and the ones I love, possibly 

make it through. 

It was through faith in God and the 

fulfilling of the promises in the Bible that 

Raymond and his family handled, overcame, 

and turned to positive advantage the challenges 

they endured. 

Whether you have read God Smiles for 

Me or only heard of this Brazoria County 

story of hope and the miracles of God’s 

healing grace, Raymond will welcome an 

opportunity to speak to your church, social 

group, or organization. 

To schedule a program or request 

information on obtaining soft or hard copies 

of the book, please contact Raymond L. 

Burroughs at God Smiles Network, P. O. Box 

1660, Lake Jackson, Texas, 77566 or for more 

information visit www.godsmilesnetwork.org. 

The Kindle version of the book is available 

at www.amazon.com. 

“Becoming the Light” 

As I reached to embrace that 

heavenly glow and the veil of 

life at last was rent 

I no longer heard the eternal 

shout of loved ones lost and 

time unspent 

But a voice of love in angel’s 

song “Come hither mortal lot, 

Come smell the roses yet 

unborn and share the hour of 

time that’s not.” 

Poem from the book God Smiles for Me 

Copyright 2009 Raymond L. Burroughs 


91

BASF 

BASF is the world’s largest chemical producer, 

and its Freeport, Texas, site manufactures 

raw materials essential to everyday 

living—from diapers, fertilizers, food packaging 

and paints, to carpet, wood finishes, oven 

bags, fishing line, and sticky notes. 

BASF’s U.S. legacy dates back to 1958, 

with the opening of its Freeport location, its 

first manufacturing site outside Europe. BASF 

Freeport manufactures twenty-four products 

in twenty-five units and is one of the company’s 

six Verbund sites; these sites emphasize 

efficient use of resources, conserve raw material 

and energy, and reduce emissions, lower 

costs, and utilize synergies. BASF’s original 

Verbund site in Ludwigshafen is the world’s 

largest integrated chemical center. 

BASF was founded in Mannheim, Germany, 

by Friedrich Engelhorn in 1865. Engelhorn, 

an entrepreneur and goldsmith, created the 

company as a coal tar waste recycler. He wanted 

the company to produce dyes as well as raw 

materials and auxiliaries. To this day, BASF’s 

diverse product range includes soda ash and 

aniline the original raw materials for dyes. 

In 1897, BASF scientists learned of mercury’s 

key role in the manufacture of phthalic 

acid, which aided in the production of synthetic 

indigo. After seventeen years of research, the 

indigo was sold worldwide as Indigo rein BASF 

(Indigo Pure BASF). In the 1960s, indigo 

denim jeans with BASF dyes became a 

wardrobe staple, a trend that continues today. 

In 1969, BASF’s Diofan 190D, a flame-retardant 

coating, was used on Apollo 11’s electrical 

modules systems before its historic launch in 

1969, and the flag the shuttle crew ceremoniously 

placed on the Moon consisted of BASF’s 

aquaprint Scarlet LF. 

BASF operates 353 production sites worldwide, 

has locations in more than eighty countries, 

and supplies products to business partners 

in nearly every corner of the world. The BASF 

site in Freeport is home to some of the largest 

plants in the world, including the largest nylon 

plant and the largest Hexanediol plant. The 

Freeport site is also home to one of the largest 

super absorbent polymer plants in the world. 

BASF Freeport employs more than 920 

people and approximately 820 contractors. 

BASF has been recognized by Forbes, Houston 

Business Journal and so many more as an 

employer of choice. 

In 2015, BASF Freeport began construction 

on an ammonia plant, a partnership between 

BASF and Yara International. The plant is 

expected to have a capacity of 750,000 metric 

tons annually that will supply ammonia for 

caprolactam, an essential ingredient in nylons 

production for items such as carpet, textiles, 

film, monofilaments, wire, and cable. 

BASF Freeport’s achievements in the areas of 

safety performance, environmental stewardship, 

and community outreach have been recognized 

with awards on numerous occasions. The site 

has set numerous records in safety performance, 

production, and environmental performance, 


92

and was awarded the Pinnacle Award by Union 

Pacific for chemical transportation safety as 

well as the Texas Chemical Council’s Excellence 

in Caring for Texas. The Freeport site has 

accumulated several times more than 1 million 

man-hours without a recordable incident. BASF 

credits these accomplishments to highly skilled 

and trained employees who understand the 

importance of workplace safety and are actively 

involved in each process. 

BASF embraces a culturally diverse workplace 

that fosters understanding and is 

representative of all genders, races, and backgrounds. 

The BASF Freeport site hosts eight 

employee resource groups: Women in Business, 

African American Employee Group, Asian 

Business Community, Veterans Employee Team, 

Latin American Employee group, Parents at 

BASF, ALLchemie and Emerging Professionals 

and Friends. Each group helps employees connect 

and promotes their involvement in the 

community. 

BASF believes in giving back to the communities 

that allow its operation. Its Freeport 

site, in particular has invested more than half 

a century in the community. The site, on average, 

participates in more than 150 local events 

each year, and its employees have a reputation 

for active community involvement, donating 

more than a thousand hours of their time and 

talents to various boards and charities. 

These nonprofits include United Way, 

Keep Texas Beautiful, American Cancer 

Society, Junior Achievement, the Brazoria 

County Fair, the Brazoria Wildlife Refuges, 

American Heart Association, Brazosport 

College, Habitat for Humanity, Boy and Girl 

Scouts of America, Boys and Girls Club of 

Brazoria County, Hospice Care Team, among 

others. BASF Freeport has received the Gold 

Employers for Education Excellence Award 

and Stand up for Texas Public Schools award 

from the Texas State Board of Education. 

BASF Freeport is located at 602 Copper 

Road in Freeport, Texas. For more information, 

visit their website at www.basf.com. 


93

ALVIN ANIMAL 

CLINIC 

Top: Dr. Lori West and Dr. 

Amanda Hoffpauir. 

Bottom: The Alvin Animal Clinic is 

located at 2202 North Gordon Street in 

Alvin, Texas. 

More than a few things have changed 

about Alvin Animal Clinic since Dr. Beryl 

Cline first opened the hospital in 1956 to treat 

cows and other animals that lived on local 

dairy farms. Once comprised of just three 

rooms and a small barn, the clinic eventually 

outgrew its space and expanded its client 

base. Under new ownership since 2005, Alvin 

Animal Clinic began treating a greater variety 

of animals, evolved in its diagnostic and treatment 

offerings as new technology became 

available, and matured into the hospital it is 

today. What has not changed in sixty years is 

Alvin Animal Clinic’s commitment to providing 

superior patient care to each and every 

animal that walks through its doors. 

Dr. Cline founded Alvin Animal Clinic 

after graduating from Texas A&M College of 

Veterinary Medicine. He primarily saw dairy 

cows, but also treated dogs, cats, and other 

animals that lived on dairy farms in the Alvin 

area. In 1958, Dr. Cline hired Dr. Richard 

Baker, who later became a partner. Over the 

years, small dairies closed down, and farm 

animals were slowly replaced by family pets. 

Alvin Animal Clinic grew and changed with 

the area it served, and eventually became a 

small animal veterinary hospital serving 

mainly dogs and cats. 

In 2005, Dr. Amanda Hoffpauir purchased 

Alvin Animal Clinic from Drs. Cline and 

Baker. Dr. Hoffpauir graduated with her 

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from 

Louisiana State University School of Veterinary 

Medicine in 2003. When Dr. Hoffpauir took 

over, Alvin Animal Clinic had just over 9,000 

clients, each with an average of three pets, in 

its database. By 2017 the clinic’s database had 

burgeoned to more than 23,000 clients, each 

with an average of three pets. 

More space was needed as the clinic flourished. 

In 2006, patients were seen in just two 


94

examination rooms. By 2010, four examination 

rooms were needed to examine patients. 

Alvin Animal Clinic experiences a growth of 

eleven to thirteen percent each year and is limited 

only by its infrastructure. The clinic plans 

to open a new location in the near future. 

Alvin Animal Clinic is a full-service veterinary 

hospital that treats cats, dogs, small 

mammals including hamsters, rabbits, gerbils, 

mice, and guinea pigs, as well as non-venomous 

reptiles, goats, sheep, and chickens. 

The clinic also offers medical boarding, prescription 

diets and medications, performs soft 

tissue surgeries and dental procedures, digital 

dental and whole body X-ray imaging, and 

stem cell harvesting and treatment. Other 

treatments include photobiomodulation, or 

cold laser therapy; PRP, or platelet rich plasma 

treatments; and blood transfusions. Alvin 

Animal Clinic can also help pet owners manage 

complex medical issues in their pets such 

as diabetes and renal failure. Regardless of the 

animal being treated or the condition being 

addressed, the clinic strives to provide quality 

care. It meets this goal by emphasizing client 

education, employee training programs, and 

continuing education for its veterinarians. 

As its clientele has multiplied, Alvin 

Animal Clinic has moved its practice to the 

forefront of technology, offering cutting-edge 

options in terms of diagnosis and treatment. 

When Dr. Cline graduated from veterinary 

school in 1956, there were no microscopes. 

Today, Alvin Animal Clinic uses its microscope 

at least ten times an hour to help diagnose 

conditions in patients. In 2010 the clinic’s 

veterinarians, Dr. Hoffpauir and Dr. Lori 

West (who joined the practice in 2007) 

became the first veterinarians in Brazoria 

County to be certified to use stem cells to treat 

arthritis and other inflammatory conditions in 

dogs. Furthermore, the clinic’s in-hospital 

laboratory allows it to provide results for most 

tests in fewer than forty-five minutes. 

Alvin Animal Clinic employs more than 

eighteen full-time staff members and three fulltime 

veterinarians. As one of the oldest, if not 

the oldest, continuously operating veterinary 

hospitals in Brazoria County, Alvin Animal 

Clinic has greatly impacted the lives and livelihoods 

of most Alvin area residents and, thus, is 

incredibly involved and invested in its community. 

Dr. Hoffpauir is a Rotarian, Cub Scout den 

leader, and has served on several committees 

for the City of Alvin, City of Manvel, and Alvin 

Independent School District. Alvin Animal 

Clinic proudly supports the Alvin Food Pantry, 

Alvin ISD Education Foundation, Rotary Club 

of Alvin, Manvel FFA, Alvin FFA, Alvin 

Community College Education Foundation, 

and numerous other worthy charities. 

Alvin Animal Clinic is located at 2202 

North Gordon Street in Alvin, Texas. For more 

information on the clinic and its services, visit 

its website at www.alvinanimalclinic.com. 

Above: Advanced digital x-ray image of 

bladder stones in a dog. 

Bottom: Dr. Amanda Hoffpauir with two of 

her patients. 


95

DOW TEXAS 

OPERATIONS 

Top: The first ingot of magnesium ever 

mined from seawater is poured at Dow’s 

Plant A on January 21, 1941. 

Below: The Freeport Facts announces that 

The Dow Chemical Company has agreed to 

move to the area and start to build what 

would become known as Dow’s Plant A. 

Everything is bigger in Texas and 

that includes The Dow Chemical 

Company. Dow is the largest petrochemical 

manufacturer in the state 

with six manufacturing sites, an 

engineering center and state-of-theart 

R&D facilities. 

Dow’s presence in Texas began at 

its Freeport site in 1940 with the 

world’s first production plant that 

could mine the ocean for magnesium, 

making the company one of 

the largest suppliers to the Allies in 

World War II. The first ingot was 

poured January 21, 1941. Today, 

Dow in Texas employs close to 13,000 people. 

Dow’s Freeport site (also known as Texas 

Operations) is one of the largest integrated 

chemical complexes in the world. It employs 

more than 7,500 people and has more than 

forty manufacturing plants. These plants 

work together to produce forty-four percent 

of Dow’s products sold in the United States 

and about twenty-one percent of the company’s 

products sold globally. 

The Texas Operations complex is comprised 

of four locations (Plant A, Plant B, 

Oyster Creek and Salt Dome Operations), 

which sit on 7,000 acres. The site gets fresh 

water from the Brazos River and stores it in 

two reservoirs covering 4,700 acres. The site 

has more 3,200 acres of internal waterways 

and pipeline corridors and more than 1,900 

buildings. It also has 6 dock units, including 

10 barge berths and 4 deep-water berths. 

Texas Operations manufactures thousands 

of products, which are used in industrial and 

consumer applications including food packaging, 

healthcare, automobiles, construction 

and electronics. 

Looking to expand to the U.S. Gulf Coast in 

the late 1930s, Dow officials studied potential 

locales from New Orleans to Brownsville 

before finally choosing Freeport, a small village 

in Brazoria County, Texas, due to its proximity 

to natural gas reserves and salt domes, a 

large harbor, seawater rich in magnesium and 

its location near the Brazos River. Dow bought 

800 acres bordering Freeport Harbor on 

March 7, 1940, and began building in the area 

known today as Plant A on March 22, 1940. 

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. 

Government asked Dow to step up its production 

of magnesium (a key material in the war 

effort), so a second magnesium plant was constructed 

a few miles north of Plant A. The first 

ingot at Plant B was poured June 26, 1942. 

One of the reasons Dow chose to build farther 

inland was for protection against the possibility 

of a U-boat attack. 

In the early 1940s, the housing market in 

the Freeport area was not growing at the same 

rate Dow was building plants, forcing some 

employees to live in tents or even their cars. To 

alleviate this problem, Dow constructed “Camp 

Chemical,” a temporary housing area at Plant B. 

Designed by Alden B. Dow, it consisted of more 

than 2,000 one-room cottages, forty-six barracks, 

a school, a ballpark, an entertainment 


96

hall and a police station. At its pinnacle, Camp 

Chemical was the largest city in Brazoria 

County and home to 12,000 people. 

As Camp Chemical was being built, Dow 

officials set out to find a location to build a 

permanent city after being turned down by 

the village of Velasco to build homes there. 

They found an area not far from Freeport that 

had once been a part of the Abner Jackson 

plantation. Dow bought 6,500 acres for 

$400,000 and started building a city from 

scratch. A lake on the property was known as 

Lake Jackson, so it was decided to give the 

new town the same name. 

Alden designed Lake Jackson as a home for 

5,000 people, giving the city winding streets 

with names like “This Way” and “That Way.” The 

first residents moved into Lake Jackson at the 

end of 1943 and the city incorporated in 1944. 

The site’s Salt Dome Operations was started 

in 1948 for brine mining and hydrocarbons 

storage. By the early 1960s, the Freeport 

site had grown to 3,000 acres and become the 

largest basic chemical facility in the world. In 

1967 the Oyster Creek complex started. 

Dow is the largest employer in Brazoria 

County and in 2016, the company’s economic 

impact on the area was $1.2 billion (employee 

payroll-benefits, retiree pensions, local purchases, 

taxes and charitable giving.) Dow also 

has a long history of charitable giving to organizations 

in the surrounding area. In 2016, the 

site gave out $1.1 million in donations to local 

nonprofits. More than half of the site’s employees 

live in the Brazosport area with almost 

ninety percent living in Brazoria County. 

The Brazosport community and Brazoria 

County have long been supportive of the Texas 

Operations sites as they compete for growth 

projects. Since 2012, Dow has built a new ethylene 

cracker, a new propylene dehydrogenation 

(PDH) plant, two new performance plastics 

plants and a new Dow AgroSciences plant in 

Freeport, creating close to 500 new jobs. 

During this time, Dow also opened the 

Texas Innovation Center (TXINN) in Lake 

Jackson. The campus includes two state-ofthe-art 

research & development buildings, a 

customer interface center and a four-story 

administration building. The TXINN houses 

around 2,000 Dow employees. 

Top: Dow’s Freeport site is one of the largest 

integrated chemical complexes in 

the world. It manufactures thousands 

of products that are used in industrial 

and consumer products. 

Bottom: Dow’s Texas Innovation Center 

campus is located in Lake Jackson. It 

includes two state-of-the-art research and 

development buildings, a customer interface 

center and an administration building. circa 

February 2016. 


97

THE EYE 

CONTACT, INC. 

Below: Dr. William Jackson, Optometrist. 

Since its founding, The 

Eye Contact, Inc., has operated 

with a mission to serve 

patients ethically, effectively, 

thoroughly, and professionally. 

Though The Eye Contact, 

Inc., opened with a primary 

goal of helping patients who 

had difficulty with contact 

lens fittings, the practice now 

offers complete family eye 

healthcare, eye examinations, 

cataract and glaucoma testing, 

and retinal evaluation. 

The Eye Contact, Inc., utilizes 

the latest technology in diagnostics and 

offers an onsite optical lab, as well as a variety 

of options in eyeglasses, contact lenses, safety 

glasses, and UV-protective sunglasses. 

A native of Arkansas, Dr. William Jackson, 

Jr. graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 

Zoology from the University of Arkansas, and 

earned a Bachelor of Science degree in visual 

science from Northeastern State University 

(NSU) in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and his 

Doctor of Optometry from NSU College of 

Optometry. Dr. Jackson came to the Lake 

Jackson area in 1991 to practice, as his wife 

Denese Jackson, a chemical engineer, was 

relocated to the area with Dow Chemical. 

Denese also has a Master of Business 

Administration degree and, throughout the 

years, has served as a business consultant for 

the practice when needed. 

Dr. Jackson began practicing optometry with 

Primary Eye Care in Texas City and Lake 

Jackson in 1991. The following 

year, Dr. Jackson started practicing 

as an independent Optometrist, 

William Jackson, Jr. O.D., P.C. He is 

a Therapeutic Optometrist, licensed 

as a Glaucoma Specialist, board certified 

by the American Board of 

Optometry, and a member of the 

Beta Sigma Kappa International 

Optometric Honor Fraternity. 

Dr. Jackson realized his vision 

of opening a private practice after 

five years of working as an independent 

Optometrist in affiliation 

with Sears Optical. The Jacksons 

spent much of the spring of 1996 working 

with a contractor for the build-out at Brazos 

Emporium. Denese was pregnant with the 

couple’s first child during this time. The Eye 

Contact, Inc., opened in August of 1996, and 

William III was born about a month later. The 

Jacksons tell their son they will always 

remember how old the practice is because 

they share the same birth year. A few years 

later, the Jacksons welcomed daughter 

Destiny. As they each became teenagers, both 

worked at the office in various roles during a 

couple of summers. William III and Destiny 

have both expressed interest in pursuing 

careers in the healthcare industry. 

In 2010 Dr. Jackson completed a business 

expansion by purchasing land and building a 

stand-alone practice in a new location in Lake 

Jackson. In 2011 construction was completed 

at 4 West Way Court and The Eye Contact, Inc. 

opened in its new location. The location 


98

contains more exam rooms, an expanded optical, 

lab, and rooms for additional patient 

workup and ocular evaluations. The Eye 

Contact, Inc., was at one point nominated by 

the Brazosport Area Chamber of Commerce as 

one of the area’s Top Ten fastest-growing small 

businesses. Dr. Jackson maintained two practices 

for twenty years until the summer of 2016 

when he merged the William Jackson, Jr. O.D., 

P.C. practice with The Eye Contact, Inc., practice. 

Denese was instrumental in the merger 

and plans for implementation of Corporate 

Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. 

Through the years, The Eye Contact, Inc., 

has had numerous loyal staff members, and 

the practice has evolved with organizational 

structures that meet patients’ needs and practice 

growth. Carolyn Warner was on the 

ground floor as the first office manager of The 

Eye Contact, Inc., and although she has since 

retired after many years of service, she still visits 

from time to time. 

The Eye Contact, Inc., is committed to serving 

Brazoria County and beyond. Its staff offers 

local preschool vision screenings, and Dr. 

Jackson speaks during career days at elementary 

and junior high schools. The Eye Contact, Inc., 

also donates eyewear to local charitable organizations. 

For approximately twenty years, Dr. 

Jackson served as the doctor liaison and doctor 

connect for Cole Vision and Luxottica for the 

Houston area and part of Louisiana. Dr. Jackson 

is a member of the Angleton Independent 

School District’s Education Foundation, 

Angleton ISD District Advisory Council, the 

Angleton Better Living Corporation (ABLC), the 

Angleton Chamber of Commerce, and the 

Brazosport Area Chamber of Commerce. 

In looking toward the future, The Eye 

Contact, Inc., plans to continue to grow its 

patient and customer base locally as well as 

outside the community. With Dr. Jackson having 

been in practice for more than twenty-five 

years, The Eye Contact, Inc., has a renewed 

emphasis on business partnerships, as well as 

CSR initiatives. The Eye Contact, Inc., will 

launch a new CSR partnership in 2018. 

For more information on The Eye 

Contact, Inc., visit the company’s website at 

www.theeyecontact.com. 

Above: Carolyn Warner, The Eye Contact, 

Inc.’s first office manager. 

Left: William III and Destiny Jackson with 

diagnostic equipment. 

Bottom: Dr. William and Denese Jackson. 


99

BRAZORIA 

HERITAGE 

FOUNDATION 

Top: The Brazoria Fallen Heroes Memorial 

in front of the 1933 building. 

Bottom: Santa Ana Ball, 2013. 

Brazoria has a long and rich history of providing 

education for young people, and the 

Brazoria Heritage Foundation was born of the 

desire of Brazoria Elementary alumni to save 

their old school building. 

From one-room schoolhouses to the 

Brazoria Academy and finally to Brazoria 

Elementary, education was always a priority in 

the Cradle of Texas. When the Columbia- 

Brazoria Independent School District decided 

to close Brazoria Elementary, built in 1933, its 

alumni formed a nonprofit, acquired the property 

and restored the building. Today the 1933 

building is the hub of activity for Brazoria and 

a base for the Brazoria Heritage Foundation. 

The foundation is busy year-round promoting 

history and hometown fun and values. 

The foundation produces two major events 

each year including: 

• Heritage Celebration—Held the first 

Saturday in March, Brazoria relives the 

hurly burly days of the 1940s and 1950s. 

Cattle are driven through the main artery of 

town toward the railroad tracks as folks line 

the streets to watch. The day also features 

western games, food, booths and more. 

• Santa Ana Ball—This is a recreation of a 

celebration ball held on July 21, 1832, in 

Brazoria after the “Texians” beat Mexican 

forces at Fort Velasco in the first battle for 

Texas’ independence from Mexico. 

The Brazoria Heritage Foundation Civic 

Center now houses: 

• Brazoria Chamber of Commerce; 

• Brazoria Historical Museum; 

• Brazos Valley Railroad Museum; 

• Brazoria Lions Club; 

• Brazoria County Cavalry; 

• Master Academy of Fine Arts; and 

• West of Brazos WIC and Vaccination Clinics. 

The foundation is proud of the museum 

that depicts Brazoria’s rich history and features 

such things as an Environmental Room, African 

American History Room, Dr. Sofie Herzog’s 

1890-1925 medical office and Freedman Tree. 

The foundation furnishes speakers to retell 

the area’s history, arranged tours of the Cradle 

of Texas as well as venues that are available 

for rent. 

The foundation has more dreams to bring 

history alive in Brazoria. A historic park at the 

site of the 1837 to 1895 county seat is becoming 

a reality. The foundation was able to secure 

a site in Old Town Brazoria and plans are 

underway to develop this area into a living 

history museum. The Hinkle one-room 

schoolhouse and George E. Badge’s 1950s store 

will be moved to the site. Blueprints reveal 

plans to rebuild the 1837 courthouse, Dr. Sofie 

Herzog’s medical office and Jane Long’s Tavern. 

To keep up with the latest in Brazoria, 

please visit www.brazoriahf.org. 


100

The City of Sandy Point, Texas is located 

on Farm to Market Road 521 near the 

north central Brazoria County line. A group 

of citizens banded together in 2002 and 

held an election to incorporate with the support 

of then Brazoria County Judge John 

Willy. They filed a lawsuit to fend off an 

annexation attempt by the City of Missouri 

City, and incorporated to preserve their quiet 

way of life as long as possible while planning 

for future development. 

Sandy Point is a small general law city that 

is rich in history. The historically designated 

and marked Sandy Point Cemetery contains the 

graves of two of Stephen F. Austin’s Old Three 

Hundred colonists (Francis Bingham and John 

W. Bradley), along with soldiers from the Texas 

Revolution, the Mier Expedition, Terry’s Texas 

Rangers, and the Civil War. The site is believed 

to have been the approximate point at which 

General Martín Perfecto de Cos heard the news 

of the defeat of the Mexican army at the Battle 

of San Jacinto and abandoned his cannon to 

retreat across the Brazos River. 

The city is located on land that was once 

part of a sugar and cotton plantation. The 

local post office operated from 1854 until 

approximately 1930. In 1859, the Houston 

Tap and Brazoria Railroad was extended 

to Sandy Point. Plantations and farms 

began shipping their sugar, molasses, 

and cotton. There were two general 

stores, several sugar mills, cotton gins, 

and a population of 250. In 1906, Sandy 

Point had 2 black schools, 1 white 

school, 3 school teachers and 72 pupils. 

The schools consolidated with the 

Angleton Independent School District in 

1948. Rice farms and cattle ranches 

eventually replaced the plantations. The 

Darrington Prison Farm was established 

in 1917. By the 1930s, the City consisted 

of dwellings, churches and a school. 

Today, Sandy Point is a zoned city and 

has purchased a six-acre site on which to 

build a City Hall. Mayor Curt Mowery, 

Commissioner John “Buck” Caldwell, Jr., 

and Commissioner Kurt Quinn were 

elected in the incorporation election of 

2002 and still serve on city council to 

date. Sandy Point is home to Medal of 

Honor recipient Clarence Sasser who 

was also awarded the Purple Heart, Combat 

Medical Badge and Expert Marksmanship 

Badge. It maintains a population of approximately 

200, three churches, and remains primarily 

a farming and ranching community 

managed by the same families for multiple 

generations. The Darrington Unit of the Texas 

Department of Criminal Justice has the capacity 

to house 1,900 inmates and is the largest 

employer in Sandy Point with approximately 

540 employees. 

SANDY POINT, 

TEXAS 


101

CHEVRON 

PHILLIPS 

CHEMICAL 

COMPANY LP 

Aerial photo of the Chevron Phillips 

Chemical Sweeny/Old Ocean Facilities 

spread across 1,200 acres. 

Bottom: World-scale polyethylene units in 

Old Ocean, Texas, that produces 2.2 billion 

pounds of resin annually. 

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP, a 

joint venture between Phillips 66 and Chevron 

Corporation, is one of the world’s top producers 

of olefins and polyolefins and a leading supplier 

of aromatics, alpha olefins, styrenics, specialty 

chemicals, piping, and proprietary plastics. 

These chemicals are essential to the 

manufacture of more than 70,000 consumer 

and industrial products and serve a plethora of 

markets, including adhesives and sealants, 

agricultural, appliances, automotive, building 

and construction, chemical manufacturing, dry 

cleaning, electronics, healthcare and medical, 

household, oil and gas, textiles, and more. 

The Sweeny/Old Ocean Facilities 

comprises one of the world’s largest single-site 

ethylene facilities, capable of producing 4.1 

billion pounds a year. In addition to ethylene, 

it produces 1 billion pounds per year of 

propylene and 135,000 barrels per day of 

natural gas liquids. The Old Ocean assets 

manufacture a combined 2.2 billion pounds 

of high- and low-density polyethylene and 

linear low-density polyethylene. The Old 

Ocean Rail Operations support the 

polyethylene units with full and empty railcar 

storage and staging, railcar maintenance, and 

other transportation functions. 

A trusted supplier to customers in nearly 

140 countries, Chevron Phillips Chemical has 

approximately 5,000 employees worldwide. 

With its joint venture partners, the company 

operates thirty-three manufacturing facilities 

located in the United States, Singapore, Saudi 

Arabia, Qatar and Belgium. Additionally, it 

has $15.5 billion in assets and more than $8.5 

billion in annual revenue. 

Headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, 

Chevron Phillips Chemical has two worldclass 

research and technology centers 

equipped with the latest processing and 

testing technology for molding and extruding 

polymer and copolymer resins. The company 

has approximately 3,200 domestic and 

international patents and patent applications; 

its MarTECH® loop slurry process for 

polyethylene production is one of the most 

versatile and widely licensed processes in the 

world with more than eighty commercial 

reactor facilities utilizing this technology. 

Chevron Phillips Chemical and its workforce 

donate funds, time, and resources to worthy 

causes in the areas of health, arts, social services, 

and education. Since 2000, the company has 

given more than $25.7 million to the 

communities where its employees live and work 

and has provided annual grants to eighteen 

colleges and universities totaling $355,000 per 

year. Annually, the company spends nearly $1 

million to support workforce development. 

Specifically, the Sweeny/Old Ocean Facilities 

averages $750 million in economic impact, 

which includes payroll, taxes, local purchases, 

capital projects, and charitable contributions. 

For more information on the Chevron 

Phillips Chemical Sweeny/Old Ocean 

Facilities, visit the company’s website at 

www.cpchem.com. 


102

At HomeTown Bank, N.A., our customers 

and our community come first. The bank has 

built lasting relationships with generations of 

its neighbors, and has a stake in the Brazoria 

County economy. 

Having “HomeTown” in their name sets 

them apart. HomeTown Bank takes its community 

banking role seriously, doing everything 

possible to help its customers succeed. 

Here are some of the benefits of choosing 

HomeTown Bank: 

• HomeTown Bank knows you and will 

make you feel at home. The HomeTown 

team takes the effort to learn about your 

goals and needs and matches its resources 

with your family and business. 

• You know HomeTown Bank. Whenever 

you need help, you will know whom to 

contact. HomeTown bankers are local people 

with ties to the same schools and 

churches your families attend and takes 

part in local civic organizations that serve 

the community. 

• They know Brazoria County. HomeTown 

Bank understands what unique opportunities 

exist in the area and helps you take full 

advantage of them. 

“Our bankers make decisions right here at 

home. There’s no waiting for approval from a 

distant office that doesn’t know Brazoria 

County,” HomeTown Bank President and CEO 

Jimmy Rasmussen said. 

“When customers call us, they dial a local 

number. Alvin Branch Manager and Senior 

Vice President Ray Rusk, Alvin Vice President 

Chad Dudley, Pearland Branch Manager and 

Vice President Sean Murphy and Pearland 

Vice President Donna Rizzo take pride in 

helping Brazoria County prosper.” 

Lending options include commercial real 

estate, construction and business expansion 

loans, consumer installment loans (including 

automobile loans), residential real estate, second 

mortgages, home improvement and home 

equity loans. 

Deposit accounts include many checking 

and interest-bearing options, including savings, 

interest-bearing checking, money market, 

and certificates of deposits. 

Those services are augmented by state-ofthe-art 

technology like mobile banking, online 

banking, including online external transfer, 

the personal payment service Popmoney ® , text 

message banking, online bill pay, mobile 

deposit, and instant issue debit cards. 

HomeTown Bank is also a member of ATM 

networks offering worldwide access. Cash 

management for businesses includes commercial 

remote deposit capture. 

The bank’s new SecurLock Equip app 

gives customers complete control over 

their debit card(s). The card(s) can easily be 

turned on or off through a mobile smart 

phone, and users can even define complete 

parameters for the card’s usage by dollar 

amount, type of merchant and even 

geographical location. 

Deposits are insured under the 

Federal Deposit Insurance Act up to 

applicable limits, and HomeTown 

Bank is a member of the Federal 

Reserve System and the Federal 

Home Loan Bank. 

Want to know what HomeTown 

Bank can offer you? Browse to 

www.htbna.bank or call (281) 388- 

5000 in Alvin or (281) 412-8000 

in Pearland. 

HOMETOWN 

BANK, N.A. 

Top: 1050 North Bypass 35, Alvin, 

Texas 77511. 

Bottom: 2651 Pearland Parkway, Pearland, 

Texas 77581. 


103

COMMISSIONER 

RYAN CADE 

Top: Ryan and Kelli Cade with children: 

Reagan, Miller and Logan. 

Bottom: Ryan and Kelli Cade. 

Commissioner Ryan Cade graduated 

from Brazoswood High School in 1995 

and is a fourth-generation resident of 

Brazoria County. A devoted husband 

and father, rancher, active community 

volunteer and leader, and accomplished 

business owner, Cade has a passion for 

bettering Brazoria County. 

Cade graduated from the University of 

Louisiana in 2000 and has been an agent 

with State Farm Insurance since 2001. 

Cade also owns RC Development, where 

he has spearheaded a number of projects, 

including the Velasco Shores Subdivision, 

Surfside Beach, Texas; Heritage Court in 

Angleton, Texas; and Old Ash Square, also 

in Angleton. Cade lives with his wife, 

Kelli, and their three children, Reagan, 

Miller, and Logan, at their ranch in 

Bailey’s Prairie, Texas. 

Cade is involved in a number of community 

organizations. He was named 

Volunteer of the Year by the Angleton 

Chamber of Commerce and Young 

Philanthropist of the Year by the Community 

Foundation of Brazoria County. He has served 

on the Board of Directors for the Brazoria 

County Appraisal District, Angleton Chamber 

of Commerce, Campus Advisory Council for 

Angleton High School, Angleton Police 

Departments Training Advisory Committee, 

United Way of Brazoria County, Brazoria 

County Dream Center, and Angleton’s 

Downtown Revitalization Group. Cade is a 

proud member of the Brazoria County 

Republican Party, Lions Club of Pearland, 

Angleton Rotary Club, Alvin-Manvel Area 

Chamber of Commerce, Brazosport and 

Pearland Chambers of Commerce, Coastal 

Conservation Association, Ducks Unlimited, 

Delta Waterfowl, the NRA, Texas Wagyu 

Breeders Association, American Wagyu 

Breeders Association, and Texas & 

Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. The 

Cades also support numerous other worthy 

charitable organizations in Brazoria County. 

Of the many hats Cade wears, his roles as 

that of a Christian, husband, and father are 

most important to him. With his responsibilities 

as county commissioner, Cade works hard 

for his constituents, but still makes his family 

his first priority. Having been so abundantly 

blessed himself, Cade strives daily to live by 

the words in Luke 12:48: “To whom much is 

given, much will be required.” Whenever possible, 

Cade strives to give back to Brazoria 

County–the greatest county, in the greatest 

state, in the greatest nation in the world. 


104

SMILE AVENUE 

FAMILY DENTAL 

Dr. Danielle Reed prides herself on gentle 

dental care and alleviating dental fears at 

Smile Avenue Family Dental. There are a large 

number of Dr. Reed’s new patients who fear 

going to the dentist because of past negative 

experiences. As business owner, founder, and 

dentist, Dr. Reed is determined to change fearful 

perceptions, starting with her youngest 

patients. “I love developing that good foundation 

for the kids so that they enjoy coming to 

the dentist,” Dr. Reed said. “That grows with 

them and affects the generations after them.” 

Dr. Reed, a general dentist, opened Smile 

Avenue Family Dental in March of 2010. By 

July of 2010, the office had mushroomed to a 

patient base of approximately 400. “That 

prompted me to expand,” Dr. Reed explained. 

“I had started with only two treatment rooms, 

and three months later, was ready for a third 

treatment room and hired a dental hygienist to 

assist me. By July of the following year, we 

had grown to almost 1,500 patients, and 

we’ve seen over 5,000 patients since opening!” 

Dr. Reed has a friendly, relaxed rapport 

with her patients. As a female, she said, she 

has an innate nurturing approach to patient 

care. “We go above and beyond to make 

patients comfortable,” she said. 

Dr. Reed originally came to Alvin to work 

at a federally qualified health center. Once she 

became aware of the area’s evident growth, she 

noticed there was a need for young dentist 

who could provide cutting-edge technology. 

Need coupled with a welcoming atmosphere 

spurred her decision to put down roots and 

establish a new private practice. 

Smile Avenue Family Dental has immersed 

itself in the community, participating in a 

number of charity events and donating to local 

causes. Dr. Reed has volunteered at the Hope 

Dental Clinic, which provides free dental services 

to the area’s low-income and uninsured 

population. She has donated to KidsRStrong2, 

the Alvin Library League, sponsored multiple 

local sports teams, and held collection drives 

for Alvin Meals on Wheels and Star of Hope. 

The office has also participated in events such 

as Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and 

Healthy Kids Day at the Alvin YMCA. Smile 

Avenue has also held presentations at local 

schools about hygiene and oral health. The 

company has been a member of the Alvin 

Chamber of Commerce since 2010. 

Smile Avenue Family Dental is located at 

1591 East Highway 6, Suite 109. The office 

accepts all PPO insurance plans, Medicaid, 

and private pay. For more information, 

visit www.smileave.com. 

Top: Smile Avenue Family Dental is located 

at 1591 East Highway 6, Suite 109. 

Below: Dr. Danielle Reed. 


105

GULF COAST 

WATER 

AUTHORITY 

Gulf Coast Water Authority works with 

industry and agriculture in Brazoria, Fort 

Bend and Galveston Counties. 

The Gulf Coast Water Authority’s 

mission is to deliver a reliable and 

cost-effective quality and quantity of 

water to industries, agriculture, and 

municipalities in the counties of 

Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Galveston, 

the latter of which includes more than 

185,000 customers. Gulf Coast Water 

Authority was created by the Fifty- 

Ninth Texas Legislature in 1965, but 

its predecessors have been sourcing 

water from the Brazos River since 

1908. The water authority holds senior 

water rights for approximately 

380,000 acre-feet of water from the 

Brazos and 57,500 acre-feet from 

Chocolate Bayou and Halls Bayou. 

To meet customer demand during 

times of drought and low river 

flows, Gulf Coast Water Authority is 

able to tap into stored water along 

the Brazos River, thanks to a contract 

with the Brazos River Authority 

(BRA). To further ensure water 

reliability during drought, the Texas 

Commission for Environmental 

Quality (TCEQ) in 2015 appointed 

a watermaster. 

Gulf Coast Water Authority 

owns and operates the Thomas S. 

Mackey Water Treatment Plant in Texas City, 

which serves thirteen water utilities in 

Galveston County with customers in the cities 

of Texas City, La Marque, Galveston, 

Hitchcock, League City, GCWCID #1, GCW- 

CID #8, GCWCID #12, GCFWD #6, GCMUD 

12, Bacliff MUD, Bayview MUD, and San 

Leon MUD. 

Gulf Coast Water Authority has approximately 

seventy full-time employees. It is governed 

by a ten member board of directors: 

• Five by Galveston County Commissioners 

Court—2 are representatives of industry, 1 

for municipalities, and 2 representatives 

at-large; 

• Three members by Brazoria County 

Commissioners Court—1 each for industry, 

municipalities, agriculture; and 

• Two members by Fort Bend County 

Commissioners Court—1 for municipalities 

and 1 as representative at-large. 

Gulf Coast Water Authority celebrated 

fifty years of service in 2015. Looking 

forward, the water authority will continue 

to provide its customers with leadership 

that is engaging, innovative, and educational 

and expand its customer base as supply 

is available. The water authority will conduct 

water planning, which will benefit the 

Tri-County area, including Brazoria, Fort 

Bend, and Galveston Counties, and will 

continue to provide expertise relating to 

current and future water supply issues. Gulf 

Coast Water Authority will also continue to 

serve as the conduit to its employees’ success. 

GCWA’s administrative office is located in 

Texas City at 3630 FM 1765. Its Canal 

Division Office is located in Alvin at 1500 West 

Highway 6. Additional facilities are located in 

Richmond, Sugar Land, Missouri City, and 

Juliff. For more information on the GCWA, 

visit www.gulfcoastwaterauthority.com. 


106

BRAZORIA 

COUNTY 

GOVERNMENT 

Welcome to Brazoria County, Where Texas 

Began. Come explore Brazoria County’s rich 

Texas history and see what we have in store 

for you. This diverse and thriving county has 

much to offer, from twenty-three miles of 

sandy beaches, to fast growing urban areas, to 

coastal plains rich with wildlife and pristine 

estuaries. County Judge Matt Sebesta takes 

great pride in welcoming you to Brazoria 

County, a community full of opportunities. 

“As your County Judge, I preside over 

Commissioners’ Court and serve as Chief 

Executive Officer of county government. 

Having previously served as County 

Commissioner of Precinct 2 from 2007 to 

2014, I have learned that the potential growth 

and economic development for Brazoria 

County is bountiful and will continue to grow. 

The vast economic development has enabled 

us to broaden the county’s tax base and maintain 

an affordable cost of living for the residents 

of this county. 

“As a lifelong resident of Brazoria County, a 

husband and father, it is my goal to provide a 

safe prosperous environment for families and 

residents to live, learn and flourish. Brazoria 

County provides vital government services to 

all residents, which includes county road and 

bridge, law enforcement services through our 

Sheriff’s Department and Constables, courts, 

county parks, county library system and the 

Gulf Coast Regional Airport. Brazoria County 

is governed by your Commissioners’ Court, 

who are proud to assure our many county 

departments and services have the resources 

they need to serve this growing community.” 

Brazoria County, began in 1821, when the 

first of Stephen F. Austin’s colonists landed by 

boat at the mouth of the Brazos River. The 

county’s name was derived from the Brazos 

River, which played an important part in the 

growth and colonization of the area. The city 

of Brazoria was the county seat when the 

county was organized on December 20, 1836, 

as one of the original counties, and was 

moved to Angleton in 1896. Brazoria County 

is the birthplace of the first capital for the 

Republic of Texas and is home to the oldest 

law enforcement agency in the state, the 

Brazoria County Sheriff’s Department, which 

formed in March 1836. 

Whatever you like to do; whether it is 

shopping, fishing, camping, playing on the 

beach or just simply relaxing, we have it 

all in Brazoria County and are glad you are 

here. Welcome to Brazoria County; Where 

Texas Began. 

Top: Commissioners’ Court members: 

Left to right: Commissioner Stacy Adams, 

Precinct 3; Commissioner Donald “Dude” 

Payne, Precinct 1; County Judge Matt 

Sebesta; Commissioner Ryan Cade, 

Precinct 2; and Commissioner David Linder, 

Precinct 4. 

Below: Brazoria County Historical Museum 

once served as the Brazoria County 

Courthouse, located on the current 

courthouse grounds. 


107

SI GROUP, INC. 

A plant in Baytown, Texas. 

The industry’s leader in the production of 

chemical intermediates, phenolic resins, 

alkylphenolic resins, and alkylated phenols, 

SI Group has a 112-year legacy of demonstrating 

strong values, integrity, innovation, 

and dedication to improvement. With more 

than 2,700 employees, operations on 5 

continents, and 20 facilities in 10 countries, 

the company has a global reach that allows 

for the consistent, efficient, and speedy delivery 

of quality products to customers all over 

the world. 

SI Group’s roots date back to 1895, when 

W. Howard Wright became a chemist with 

General Electric Company in Schenectady, 

New York. Upon Wright’s recommendation, 

GE in 1903 developed a facility that manufactured 

insulating varnishes and compounds. 

As orders for GE’s electrical devices 

soared, the company’s in-house varnish operations 

department could not meet the 

demand. As a solution, Wright developed 

Schenectady Varnish Company to provide 

insulating varnish to GE’s plants. Upon 

Schenectady Varnish’s success and rapid 

expansion, the current plant site was constructed 

in 1907. 

Wright’s son, Henry D. Wright, succeeded 

him as the company’s leader in 1959. The 

company then broke ground on a facility in 

Rotterdam Junction, New York, as well as a 

resin-manufacturing plant that would eventually 

grow to become a prominent commercial 

provider of phenol-formaldehyde resins. 

In 1962, the company changed its name to 

Schenectady Chemicals, Inc. 

In 1968, the W. Howard Wright Research 

Center in Niskayuna, New York, opened. 

With Henry at the company’s helm, manufacturing 

operations expanded into three divisions, 

and the number of operations sites in 

the Schenectady area multiplied to four. 

From the 1960s through the 1990s, additional 

plants were built in multiple countries, 

including an alkylphenol facility in Freeport. 

Its alkylphenol manufacturing capacity was 

increased in 1981, 1986 and 1990, allowing 

for the production of specialty alkylphenols 

including butylphenols, para-secondary 

butylphenols, di-secondary butylphenols, 

and dialkylphenols. 

In 1993, the company’s name was changed 

to Schenectady International, Inc. The same 

year, Schenectady Chemicals acquired 

Alphen Pratteln, AC, an alkylphenol producer 

in Switzerland, to complement its 

alkylphenol operations in the United States 

and Japan. In 1995, Henry died, and his sonin-law, 

Wallace Graham, became chief executive 

officer and chairman of the board. 

The company celebrated its 100-year 

anniversary in 2006 and changed its name to 

SI Group, Inc. President and Chief Executive 

Officer Stephen J. Large became the first nonfamily 

member to lead the company. He was 

succeeded by Frank Bozich in 2013. Under 

Bozich’s leadership, SI Group made the largest 

acquisition in its history, purchasing the 

antioxidants and active pharmaceuticals businesses 

from Albemarle Corporation, and 

acquiring more than 500 additional employees. 

Today, SI Group’s primary market segments 

include rubber, industrial and 

adhesive resins, fuels and lubricants, 

plastic additives, surfactants, 

antioxidants, pharma and specialty, 

and engineering plastics. With facilities 

in the United States, Brazil, 

China, England, France, India, 

Korea, Russia, Singapore, South 

Africa, and Switzerland, SI Group 

delivers top-of-the-line products 

and services, while emphasizing the 

safety and health of its employees, 

communities, and the environment. 

For more information about the 

company, visit www.sigroup.com. 


108

From the days of Stephen F. Austin’s first 

settlement in Texas, port facilities have been 

recognized as one of Brazoria County’s most 

vital resources. Eighty-five percent of Brazoria 

County is within the Port’s Navigation 

District. Port Freeport continues to expand its 

capabilities and services to meet and exceed 

the needs of its partners while creating longterm 

growth opportunities for Brazoria 

County residents. 

Port Freeport serves its customers and 

stakeholders through development of competitive 

world-class navigational capabilities, 

state-of-the-art infrastructure, and port-related 

industrial facilities. 

With current operating depth of forty-five 

feet and soon to be fifty-five feet, Port 

Freeport began the expansion of Velasco 

Terminal in 2013 with the completion of 

Berth 7 housing two Post-Panamax cranes. 

Future visions for Velasco Terminal include 

three berths for a combined total of 3,600 

feet, nine gantry cranes, and a total lift capacity 

of approximately 1,500,000 containers. 

Partnering with a worldwide ocean carrier 

has created a major Original Equipment 

Manufacturer Public Private Partnership 

Ro/Ro facility on the Gulf Coast offering all 

services to customers that move all types of 

rolling stock. In 2016, the Port welcomed 

the first Post-Panamax Ro/Ro vessel. It was the 

largest pure car, pure truck carrier in the 

world with the capacity to carry approximately 

8,500 Car Equivalent Units. 

The Port has also partnered with a global 

supplier of steel products who will be opening 

a new seamless pipe mill in Bay City, 

Texas. The $1.7-billion facility’s feedstock 

began arriving at Port Freeport 

in mid-2017. 

Additionally, Port Freeport 

reached historical milestones, 

surpassing three million tons 

of cargo handled at the public 

berths and broke ground on its 

first major rail project. The rail 

project will include a 200-acre 

multi-modal industrial park, 

which will feature three new 

rail lines, environmentallyfriendly 

vehicle storage and 

processing centers, as well as warehouse and 

distribution centers. 

Port Freeport is proud to be a fast-growing 

Texas port. The growth is primarily attributable 

to Texas being the twelfth largest economy 

in the world. In 2014, Port Freeport’s 

Economic Impact study, performed by Texas 

A&M Transportation Institute, estimated that 

126,000 jobs, $7.6 billion in total income, 

and $46.2 billion in economic activity supported 

economy wide were in direct relation 

to the operations at Port Freeport. As of 2016, 

$25 billion of new projects are being constructed 

in Brazoria County, and $18.5 billion 

of those projects are along Port Freeport’s 

Harbor Channel. 

Port Freeport envisions a bright future and 

will continue to invest in infrastructure 

and the surrounding community through job 

creation. Please visit www.portfreeport.com 

for additional information about your port. 

PORT FREEPORT 

Top: Port Freeport’s Post-Panamax cranes 

offloading at Berth 7, Velasco Terminal. 

PHOTO COURTESY OF VOGEL AERIAL PRODUCTIONS. 

Below: Port Freeport expanded 

infrastructure for Ro/Ro and steel 

pipe staging. 

PHOTO COURTESY OF VOGEL AERIAL PRODUCTIONS. 


109

JACO ROOFING 

& 

CONSTRUCTION, 

INC. 

Top: Staff of Jaco Roofing & 

Construction Inc. 

Bottom: Manvel High School, Manvel, 

Texas. 

As it celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, Jaco 

Roofing & Construction., Inc., of Angleton, 

Texas, has left an indelible mark on Brazoria 

County, installing countless quality roofing systems 

for churches, businesses, and school districts. 

The company has earned the Platinum 

Contractor Award, the highest quality distinction 

awarded to contractors that install Duro- 

Last brand roofing. As a Platinum Contractor, 

Jaco Roofing & Construction ranks among the 

top three percent of Duro-Last’s 2,000-plus 

dealers/contractors nationwide. 

Jaco Roofing & Construction specializes in 

commercial and single-ply roofing, metal 

roofing systems, and elastomeric coating 

applications. Jaco has been an authorized 

dealer/contractor for Duro-Last Roofing, Inc., 

since 1989. In addition to providing the 

best warranty in the industry, Duro-Last roofing 

systems are durable, environmentally 

friendly, and leak-proof. Since aligning itself 

with the Duro-Last brand, Jaco has installed 

more than 32 million square feet of roofing 

membrane as part of 1,700-plus projects. The 

company has also been named a three-time 

Contractor of the Year award-winner for consistently 

achieving top sales among Duro- 

Last’s dealers/contractors. 

Jaco Roofing & Construction believes its 

success is due in large part to the company’s 

commitment to integrity and excellence, dedication 

to teamwork, and respect as demonstrated 

to its employees, community, and the 

environment. In exemplifying these qualities, 

Jaco inspires the best ideas to create innovative 

solutions for physical assets that enhance customers’ 

commercial roofing for years to come. 

As it celebrates fifty years of service, Jaco will 

continue to install the best roofing systems in 

the industry, maintain excellent customer care, 

and provide quality careers to its employees, 

many of whom have been with the company a 

decade or more. 

Jaco Roofing & Construction is a member of 

the Alvin-Manvel Area Chamber of Commerce, 

Greater Angleton Chamber of Commerce, the 

Pearland Chamber of Commerce, the Victoria 

Chamber of Commerce, Galveston Chamber 

of Commerce, Brazosport Area Chamber of 

Commerce, and Corpus Christi Chamber of 

Commerce. Jaco is also a member of the 

Economic Development Alliance of Brazoria 

County, Contractors’ Safety Council of 

Brazosport, and the Roofing Contractors 

Association of Texas. The company has an A- 

plus rating with the Better Business Bureau. 

Jaco Roofing & Construction is located at 

1725 South Velasco in Angleton. For more 

information, contact the company at 800-265- 

5226, or visit www.jacoroofing.com. 


110

Angleton combines small town 

charm, awe-inspiring wildlife, and 

easy access to metropolitan convenience 

in a way few can. The town sits 

within a stone’s throw of the sprawling 

city of Houston, the beaches of 

Surfside and Galveston, and many of 

the Gulf Coast region’s other notable 

places. But this thriving community of 

nearly 20,000 residents is not one to 

be overshadowed. 

Angleton, the county seat of 

Brazoria County, is the home of the 

Brazoria County Fair, the largest county fair in 

Texas that showcases the rich agricultural heritage 

that still surrounds us today. Peach Street 

Farmers Market located in the heart of the city 

every Saturday morning provides an opportunity 

to purchase local honey, fresh eggs, 

organic chickens, handmade soap, and much 

more. Two times per year, Angleton Market 

Days attracts more than 200 vendors and 

many shoppers from across the state and 

beyond. Along with that, Brazoria County has 

the greatest number of bird species in the 

North American continent, and it was one of 

the first places in Texas settled by Americans. 

Thanks to its central location, Angleton offers 

an ideal launch pad to experience all that 

makes this corner of Texas unique. 

The Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, a 

44,000-acre area that more than 300 species 

of birds call home throughout the year, is a 

fine place to start your adventure in Angleton. 

Hiking and driving trails are available at the 

refuge, providing ample opportunities for 

birdwatchers and photographers to see a large 

amount of wildlife. Angleton is also home to 

MSR Houston, a premier road course and 

karting facility, and is close to a notable scuba 

diving facility and the warm beaches of the 

Gulf Coast. 

Angleton boasts an excellent school district, 

affordable housing and a low crime 

rate making our area an ideal community for 

families and individuals who can appreciate 

the close knit town in which our residents 

are proud. 

The area around Angleton was first settled 

by Americans in 1824, when Stephen F. 

Austin selected the area for colonization. 

Nearly 100 of the 300 land grants 

Austin received were sold to settlers 

moving into Brazoria County. Much 

of this history can be seen or experienced 

at the many museums in 

the area, such as the Brazoria 

County Historical Museum, the 

Columbia Historical Museum, or 

the Varner-Hogg Plantation State 

Park. A sixty-foot-tall statue of 

Stephen F. Austin stands just south 

of Angleton and serves as a 

reminder of the area’s history. 

Angleton is a wonderful starting 

point for any adventure in the 

Texas Gulf Coast region. Great 

Parks, schools and housing also 

help make Angleton a great place to 

call home. 

GREATER 

ANGLETON 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

Greater Angleton Chamber of Commerce is 

located at 222 Velasco.. 


111

Top: The Phillips 66ers, from the 1920s 

through 1960s, played in the Amateur 

Athletic Union that exemplified honor and 

commitment, which we value today. 

Above: Young Eagles Program, supported by 

Phillips 66, introduces children to the joy 

of flying. 

PHILLIPS 66 SWEENY REFINERY 

Phillips 66 Sweeny Refinery spans 

approximately 14,000 acres in Old Ocean, 

Texas, sixty-five miles southwest of Houston. 

The refinery processes heavy, high-sulfur and 

light, low-sulfur crude oil. Sweeny receives 

U.S.–advantaged and foreign crude oil 

primarily through owned and jointly owned 

Gulf Coast terminals, including a deepwater 

terminal in Freeport, Texas. 

The refinery’s facilities include two fluid 

catalytic cracking units, delayed coking, 

alkylation, a naphtha reformer, and 

hydrodesulfurization units. Sweeny also 

operates terminals and storage facilities in 

Freeport, Jones Creek, and on the San Bernard 

River with pipelines connecting to the 

refinery. In addition to gasoline, diesel, and 

aviation fuel, Sweeny’s products include 

petrochemical feedstocks, home heating oil, 

and fuel-grade petroleum coke. Pipelines, 

barges, and railcars deliver these products 

throughout the Midwest and southeastern 

part of the United States. 

Built in 1942, Sweeny Refinery has more 

than 1,200 employees, including contractors 

who work on site. The refinery was purchased 

by Phillips 66 in 1947. Headquartered in 

Houston, Phillips 66 processes, transports, 

stores, and markets fuels and products 

throughout the world and operates businesses 

specializing in midstream, chemicals, refining, 

marketing, and specialties, including Phillips 

66 Partners, its master limited partnership. As 

of 2016, Phillips 66 had $52 billion in assets 

and $87.2 billion in revenue. 

With a history that dates back to 1875, 

Phillips 66 is one of the most recognized 

brands in the energy manufacturing industry. 

The company was preceded by Conoco and 

Phillips Petroleum Company, which merged 

into ConocoPhillips in 2002. In 2012, 

ConocoPhillips became two independent, 

publicly traded companies, one of which is 

Phillips 66. Today, Phillips 66 boasts an 

interest in fifteen refineries, an excess of 

10,000 branded markets, 86,000 miles of 

pipeline, and a processing capacity of over 

forty billion pounds of chemicals. 

More than improving lives with transportation 

fuel, natural gas operates businesses and 

heats homes, and the petrochemicals, polymers, 

and plastics found in electronics, vehicles, and 

items used every day, Phillips 66 provides quality 

jobs to approximately 14,800 people globally. 

The company operates based on three core 

values: safety, honor, and commitment. Safety 

means Phillips 66 is committed to protecting 

the environment and communities where and 

for whom it serves. Honor means the company 

operates with integrity and is dedicated to 

always doing what is right. Commitment means 

it is dedicated to conducting business at the 

pinnacle of performance. 

Phillip 66 Sweeny Refinery is located at 

8189 Old FM 524 Road in Old Ocean, Texas. 

To contact the refinery, call 979-491-2200 or 

visit their website at www.phillips66.com. 


112

BRAZOSPORT 

AREA CHAMBER 

OF COMMERCE 

Welcome to the Brazosport area where the 

future is happening right now with exciting 

growth and expansion occurring throughout 

our community. 

The Brazosport Area Chamber of 

Commerce, founded in 1945, is celebrating 

seventy-two years of providing unified support 

and promotion of the Brazosport community. 

The Brazosport Chamber has led the 

way in fostering economic prosperity while 

enhancing quality of life. 

Located on the Texas Gulf Coast just fifty 

miles south of Houston, the Brazosport area 

encompasses eight cities: Clute, Freeport, Jones 

Creek, Lake Jackson, Oyster Creek, Quintana, 

Richwood, and Surfside Beach. This is your destination 

if you are looking for miles of sandy 

beaches and fishing that is unmatched anywhere 

in Texas. Family fun can be found at Sea Center 

Texas, an aquarium and fish hatchery. Take in a 

planetarium show or explore the largest seashell 

collection in the South at the Center for the Arts 

and Sciences. Nature lovers can discover the 

Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge or the San 

Bernard National Wildlife Refuge. 

There are unique shops in all of our cities 

throughout the Brazosport Area including 

Brazos Mall. There is no shortage of restaurants 

throughout our community. If you crave 

it, we have it. Each city offers something for 

everyone through a wide variety of attractions. 

Also, history abounds, this is where Texas 

began. Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas 

settled the first 300 colonists and thus was the 

start of the great State of Texas. 

Our community is a great place to live, 

work, and raise a family. It has a strong economic 

base that has helped establish the 

Brazosport area as an influential retail and 

commerce center. It is home to world-scale 

petrochemical facilities, a world-class port and 

an incredible array of fishing, tourism and 

agriculture industries. We are an outstanding 

example of how quality of life and a safe environment 

can co-exist. 

The Brazosport Chamber serves our community 

through advocacy initiatives, business 

development programs, preserving quality of 

life and member services. It is a people driven 

organization and serves approximately 700 

members. 

You are welcomed whether you are here for 

a short time or a lifetime. The Brazosport 

Area’s excellent quality of life, economic diversity, 

culture, and vast recreational opportunities 

make it the destination where businesses 

want to locate and people desire to live. 

There is no better place to live, work, and 

play than right here in the Brazosport Area 

because “The future is now.” 


113

BRAZORIA 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

The first Brazoria Chamber of 

Commerce was founded in 1984 by 

a large and diverse group from 

Brazoria. Members from all walks 

of life came together. In the beginning, 

the group wanted to have a 

yearly festival, to bring in money to 

assist with various town activities. 

The search began for a name. 

Numerous names were suggested 

and refused. Brazoria is unique and 

so the name for the festival needed 

to be unique. As time got closer 

and closer, there was still no name 

for Brazoria’s festival. There was no 

agreement among the various 

groups in town. When no consensus 

could be reached on a name, 

the town decided to go with the 

Brazoria No-Name Festival. There 

has been some thought to change 

the name, but it has never gained 

much movement and so the name 

has remained the same over 

the last thirty-three years. 

The city of Brazoria has a lot to 

offer. It is a small town with the 

closeness of a big city. It is located on State 

Highway 36 between the San Bernard River 

and the Brazos River. Brazoria is a friendly, 

peaceful town with a population of approximately 

2,900. Just an hour away from 

Houston, America’s fourth largest city and 

minutes away from the Gulf of Mexico. 

Brazoria is in a prime location to have a career 

and still enjoy the small town charm. 

Brazoria is the Cradle of Texas, and as such, 

has a very diverse history. John Austin and 

Jane Long both had homes in town. We celebrate 

the Santa Ana Ball and re-enact it every 

year for the historical society. An old-fashioned 

cattle drive and parade also takes place 

the first weekend in March. The town lays 

claim to the first woman doctor in Texas. Dr. 

Herzog used her initials to gain the job for the 

railroad initially. When the owners discovered 

what they had done, Dr. Herzog refused to 

resign and continued to work the railroad. She 

was famous for her extraction of bullets and 

even had a jeweler in Houston string the bullets 

she extracted into a necklace. The necklace 

was buried with her. 

Brazoria Chamber of Commerce is “the 

Front Door to the Community” and as 

such, keeps our door open and welcoming 

to all. We pride ourselves in getting answers to 

all questions that are asked about our community. 

We believe in our community and helping 

you become a part of the small town that 

is Brazoria. 


114

In the spring of 2000, Amy received a film 

SLR camera on loan from her uncle. Little did 

she know, that this would be the first of many 

SLR cameras she would have in her hand. She 

enrolled in a black and white film photography 

class and immediately felt a connection to the 

craft. While studying photography, she also 

dabbled in other mediums of art, learning all she 

could about composition and lighting. In 2001 

she built a portfolio and walked into a respected 

portrait studio in her hometown. They hired her 

as a wedding portrait photographer and with 

this, a career was born. It wasn’t long before she 

was the lead photographer at this studio. 

When the digital era was born, it turned her 

film world upside down, but she didn’t back 

away from the challenge. Amy, studied new 

lighting techniques and ways to manipulate her 

photograph with tools like photoshop. 

Suddenly there was a world of possibilities right 

at her fingertips. 

In 2009, Amy opened her first portrait 

studio in a beautiful historic building located 

in the downtown area of Moline, Illinois. 

Throughout the next few years, she focused on 

creating portrait art for her clients, filling their 

walls and hearts with captured memories. 

While attending a photography workshop in 

2012, Amy met and fell in love with fellow 

photographer, Cody Clinton. It didn’t take her 

long to make the decision to relocate to Lake 

Jackson and join forces with him. They opened 

COMPOSURElife portrait design in 2013 and 

enjoy working together to provide the people 

of Brazoria County with beautiful artwork of 

their family. They also take joy in traveling the 

globe while sharing the love of their craft. They 

have taught many others about lighting and 

COMPOSURELIFE PORTRAIT DESIGN 

posing techniques and delight in seeing a new 

photographer develop. They share a passion 

for their life as portrait artists and as role 

models for their daughter, Stella. 

Amy has said this about their work today: 

“Love and Legacy.” That is our focus here at 

COMPOSURElife. Through our craft and 

artistry, your story will be told. BOLD, 

CONFIDENT, STRONG and LOVING. We take 

great pride in creating timeless, heirloom 

portraits that secure the love and legacy of your 

family, so that your children can remember 

today, right now, what you shared with them… 

who you are today.” 

For more information and to view galleries of 

their work, please visit COMPOSURElife.com. 

You can also stay up to date on daily activities by 

following them on Facebook and Instagram. 

Above: Cody, Amy, and Stella Marie Clinton. 


115

KIMCO 

SERVICES, INC. 

For Kimco Services Inc., providers of 

self-contained breathing apparatuses 

(SBCA) used by firefighters and chemical 

plant workers, timing is everything. 

Kimco was incorporated in 1984 when 

firefighter Roy Kimmel experienced a 

two-month turnaround to have his 

own fire department SCBAs repaired. 

Kimmel and Clyde Gates decided to 

start a business to support local fire 

departments that were experiencing the 

same issues. With certifications from six 

different SBCA manufacturing companies 

as opposed to just one, which competitors 

have operating similar to Kimco; 

Kimco Services has a unique competitive edge. 

Kimmel and Gates started the business in a 

shop behind Kimmel’s home, where they 

repaired any SCBAs that they could not service 

at the customer’s location. In its first few 

years of operation, Kimco was contacted to 

service some Louisiana Fire Departments that 

had heard about the business’ quick turnaround. 

This later led to additional customers 

in Arkansas. Gates eventually left the business, 

and Michael Quisenberry replaced him, 

working part-time for a number of years. In 

1991, Kimmel began working for the company 

full time and hired additional staff to 

accommodate its growth. 

Today, Kimco Services’ staff consists of one 

office manager and four technicians. Its customers 

are local and scattered throughout a 

third of Texas, Arkansas, and most of Louisiana. 

For the past decade, the business has experienced 

marked growth in terms of employees 

and customers, the latter of whom require 

annual service calls and emergency repairs. 

Kimco Services aims to support all firefighters, 

from the volunteer departments that 

struggle to stay afloat with the aid of fundraisers, 

to the larger paid departments. The business 

likely will hire more staff in 2018 to meet 

these anticipated demands. 

Kimco Services has been a member of the 

Brazosport Chamber for the past thirty-two 

years and the Angleton Chamber for the past 

two years. Kimmel is a member of the 

Angleton Rotary Club and a twenty-year 

Rotarian. He was a member of the Freeport 

and Lake Jackson Fire Departments for more 

than twenty years and also served in the U.S. 

Army, retiring with the rank of Major after 

twenty-one years. 

Kimco Services collects donated SCBAs 

that are no longer legal for use in the 

United States. These are then refurbished, and 

the Angleton and University Area Rotary 

Clubs send them to Mexico and South 

America, where firefighters have to buy 

their own equipment. Through this Rotary 

program, Kimco has donated more than 

$10,000 in equipment. 

Kimco Services is located at 103 Oyster 

Creek Drive #3, in Lake Jackson, Texas. For 

more information, please visit the company’s 

website at www.kimco-services.net. 


116

G. Fagioli, known as “The Grandfather,” 

founded Fagioli, Inc., in 1955 as a transport 

company. After a brief time, Fagioli became a 

leader in the transportation of goods throughout 

Italy. With momentum from the company’s 

rapid success, Fagioli expanded globally into 

the project shipping market. When clients 

approached Fagioli with complex problems, 

the astute businessman responded to their 

needs with new ideas and technologies, effectively 

catapulting the company to the forefront 

of heavy transportation and lifting. 

Today, Fagioli specializes in worldwide 

logistics and transport, heavy-lift transport, 

and door-to-door project cargo shipping. The 

company’s primary activities include logistics 

management, in-house engineering, transport 

engineering, international road transport, 

erection engineering, specialist lift systems, 

plant disassembly and erection, transport, lifting, 

and final positioning of nuclear industry 

components, project logistics and forwarding, 

emergency services and humanitarian aid forwarding 

activities, heavy-lift deep-sea 

shipping, deep-sea barge operations, and 

abnormal road load transportation. Fagioli 

owns and operates conventional trailers, selfpropelled 

modular transporters, strand jacking, 

tower lift and flat jacking equipment, 

medium-range cranes, gantry lifting systems, 

and lattice boom cranes. Its maritime equipment 

includes heavy transport ocean and 

river barges, and self-geared roll on/off ships. 

Transport, logistics services, and engineering 

activities are conducted in-house with the aid 

of technology including CAD facilities and 3D 

simulation movies. Fagioli holds a unique 

position in the market as a global provider of 

managed logistics solutions, whether 

for a single item or an entire project. 

Fagioli also operates in construction 

sectors including power, chemical, 

petrochemical, off shore, civil, industrial 

machinery, shipwright, and the nuclear 

industry. Within each sector, an experienced, 

dedicated team works with 

clients to efficiently manage the transport 

and/or erection scheme, all the 

while adhering to strict safety protocols. 

Today, Fagioli’s son, Allesandro 

Fagioli, leads the company. Fagioli 

operates with strict adherence to an ethical 

code and HSE requirements. Its employees 

are skillful at what they do and perform their 

jobs with integrity and common sense, helping 

the company fulfill its principles of operating 

ethically, with an emphasis on mutual 

respect, trust, and team work. Fagioli also is 

mindful of the environment in which it operates, 

even though its activities do not have a 

direct negative impact. The company’s Quality 

and Safety department pays close attention to 

environmental laws to ensure its adherence. 

Fagioli is headquartered in Italy. It also has 

operations in Algeria, Angola, Australia, 

Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, 

India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Libya, Mexico, 

Poland, Singapore, Spain, Suriname, Thailand, 

Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, the United 

Kingdom, and Manvel, Texas. For more information 

on Fagioli, Inc., visit the company’s 

website at www.fagioli.com. Its Manvel, Texas, 

office is located at 21310 Highway 6, and can 

be reached at 281-997-3434. 

FAGIOLI, INC. 


117

WEST 

COLUMBIA 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

Above: Visitors are greeted with a large 

mural at the Columbia Historical Museum. 

The museum is located at 247 East Brazos 

Avenue. 

Welcome to West Columbia, the First 

Capitol of the Republic of Texas. West 

Columbia is a friendly, outgoing people place; 

an environment with something for everyone, 

and a community rich in heritage. 

Nestled midst oak trees dripping with 

Spanish moss, majestic pecan trees, and the 

mighty Brazos River, West Columbia is a great 

place to call home. Historical sites and markers 

tell the history of the land where Texas 

was born. 

Located about an hour from Houston and 

just minutes from the Gulf of Mexico, West 

Columbia provides a gateway to “big city” fun 

and entertainment, as well as the lure of the 

Gulf with its many saltwater activities. 

Locally, residents take pleasure in the slower-paced 

lifestyle of golfing, fishing, sport 

activities, local festivals, and events. 

A city rich in Texas history, West Columbia 

is also home to the Varner Hogg State Historic 

Site; Veteran’s Memorial Park; Replica of the 

First Capitol of the Republic of Texas; 

Columbia Historical Museum; Rosenwald 

School; Capitol of Texas Park; Old Columbia 

Cemetery; Underwood House; Sweeny Waddy 

Cabin; Nash Prairie Preserve; site of the Dance 

Gun Shop; Aycock Crews House, and Stephen 

F. Austin death site. 

This community is fortunate to have so 

many dedicated citizens working in harmony 

with local business, educational and industry 

who continue to invest in the Chamber of 

Commerce. West Columbia Chamber of 

Commerce was established in 1957 and is 

located on Highway 35 downtown West 

Columbia at 202 East Brazos Avenue. 

Represented are businesses, organizations, 

and individuals that believe in and support 

the work of the chamber. That alone places 

them a cut above those that do not choose to 

reinvest in their community. 

The chamber office is the information center 

for West Columbia. Whether it is a new 

business looking for a location, a new family 

looking for a realtor, tourists wanting to know 

about the many historic sites in and around 

West Columbia, a mother wanting to sign up 

her child for soccer, a tour guide wanting to 

schedule a tour group or someone just needing 

maps and phone books, the chamber is 

the source. 

The West Columbia Chamber of Commerce 

is a partnership of over 200 growing concerned 

city, schools, business women, men and 

citizens working together to accomplish 

and create a stronger community. 

The chamber conducts regular network 

events, held at local businesses, Annual 

Chamber Appreciation Banquet, Antique 

Junktique Quilt Show, San Jacinto 

Festival, Annual Networking Golf 

Tournament, and Light Up the First 

Capitol Festival, Business After Hours and 

Ice Cream Social. All events are coordinated 

by volunteers and staff of the chamber. 


118

Throughout my early career, we were 

blessed with many growth moves and lived in 

several states and homes. My family: wife Lori, 

son, Jeff, daughters, Jody and Jenny, and I 

arrived in Brazoria County, Lake Jackson in 

September of 1981. When we arrived in Lake 

Jackson we were so impressed with the city, 

surrounding cities and the county, we knew 

we had found our permanent home. We 

engaged in many civic and industry activities 

as well as serving on many boards for several 

years. The people engaged in the various trade 

associations and civic organizations served as 

great mentors. The successes we have experienced 

are the results of the quality of state, 

county, city, college and school leadership and 

the people who make up our area quality of 

life. Brazoria County is not only a great place 

to live but a great place to do business. 

When Dow Chemical located here in the 

early 1940s, it changed the landscape forever 

and they, along with other investments by 

other major chemical industry leaders such as 

BASF, Phillips 66, Chevron Phillips, and 

Shintech, have been the driving force for many 

other support industries, retailers, commercial, 

and contractors. Our area cities, as I like to say, 

are “joined at the hip,” which includes Lake 

Jackson, Clute, Freeport, Richwood, Oyster 

Creek, Surfside Beach, Jones Creek, and 

Quintana, where the preponderance of these 

industries are located. They are tied together 

through what this area is known as Brazosport. 

The Brazosport Chamber of Commerce serves 

these cities in promoting commerce and 

tourism. I have been a member of the Chamber 

for over thirty years. I have served on the board 

for many years, and have been blessed to work 

with many extraordinary industry and government 

leaders. Our cities have many, in my 

opinion, the finest, hardest working employees 

we have experienced in our lifetime. 

Never having dreamed I would enter into 

politics, I ran for Lake Jackson City Council in 

2005 and was successful. I then ran for Mayor 

in 2006 and served the three allowed terms 

through 2012. I never imagined this would be 

one of the most enjoyable endeavors of my 

life. I have been blessed with an exceptional 

wife, who has supported my activities 

throughout our career and we both agree that 

serving the citizens of Lake Jackson has been 

the most rewarding. 

As we interacted with other city, county 

and state officials and learned the value of 

having the top representatives in place from 

several aspects, legislation, budgeting and 

every other aspects of governing, Brazoria 

County has the best. We are proud to be citizens 

of Lake Jackson, the Brazosport community 

and Brazoria County. Our family has been 

blessed with many friends over the years. 

Brazoria County and its cities provide a 

quality of life unmatched and I feel, having 

lived in several different states and cities, reasonably 

qualified to say so. 

ROBERT H. 

SIPPLE 

Top: Robert H. Sipple. 

Bottom: Robert and Lori Sipple. 

Profile written by Robert Sipple. 


119

BRAZORIA 

COUNTY 

CONSTABLE, 

PRECINCT 3 

Brazoria County is full of supporting 

businesses and citizens. Westside Veterinary 

Hospital is but one of them. Pictured is Dr. 

Cara Campbell, DVM, Constable Buck 

Stevens, and Business Manager Mike 

Doleski. 

Say the word “policeman” and most people 

have a good idea of what you are talking 

about; say the word “Sheriff” and they are still 

pretty sure of themselves. But say the word 

“Constable” and the meaning becomes hazy! 

It conjures up stories of Robin Hood, 

Sherlock Holmes and of England decent. 

They are seen more frequently now on the 

roads and in courtrooms across the state, but 

what do they do? 

Research suggests the Constable is the oldest 

form of law enforcement in the world. 

They existed in the kingdom of King Alfred, 

who ruled England from 871 to 899 A.D. In 

1066, King William divided England into 

fifty-five military districts called “shires” and 

each had army reserves called “reeve.” (Over 

time, the citizens combined the two words, 

thence the word “sheriff.”) Constables were 

appointed to head the communities within 

those shires. 

The earliest mention of Constable in written 

law was in 1215 A.D. as part of the Magna 

Carta. The early law enforcers’ apprehension 

process was first formalized by the hue-andcry, 

which meant that every person on a 

Constable’s order must aid in the pursuit of a 

felon, or face fine and imprisonment. 

The Texas Constitution of 1876 mandated 

that Constables would be elected at the 

precinct level. Today, Constables numbering 

approximately 780 are elected from precincts 

in nearly all of the 254 Texas counties. 

Constables are elected to serve four-year 

terms and are empowered directly by the 

Texas Constitution. Texas Government Code 

defines the Constable is an associate member 

of the Texas Department of Public Safety and 

given that same authority by the signature of 

the Governor. They are the administrative 

officers of the Justice Courts in Texas. 

Each Constable appoints their deputies 

who work under his authority; each deputy 

has the same lawful authority as the 

Constable. The Constable and their deputies 

all have the same responsibilities, arrest powers, 

and training of every peace officer in the 

state; however, they have become subject 

matter experts in civil process. The actual 

elected Constable must also complete forty 

hours of training through the Bill Blackwood 

LEMIT program at Sam Houston State 

University in order to remain in office. Some 

have even been credentialed after completing 

an intense 100 hour course under the 

Constable Leadership Institute. 

The office routinely performs such other 

duties as serving warrants, writing traffic 

citations, working accidents, public appearances, 

making calls for service and conducting 

investigations. A Constable is considered 

to be the “people’s police” because of their 

Constitutional origin and local connections to 

the citizens and community. 

The earliest record of an elected Constable 

in Brazoria County is on November 6, 1900, 

in which eight constables were elected. 

However, the first record of affirmation of 

office was in 1937. Constable Charles Buck 

Stevens, who wrote this article, has held the 

Office of Constable in Precinct 3 since January 

1997 and will still be serving as of 2020. 


120

The Sweeny Chamber of Commerce began 

in 1964 with the goal of promoting and 

advancing the commercial, agricultural, 

industrial, civic, and general interests of the 

trade area as bound by Sweeny Independent 

School District. The organization first met at a 

donated building and city lot on Main Street. 

Ann Andrews was Sweeny Chamber of 

Commerce’s first executive director, and Earl 

Halloway filled in once a month. Royce Murphy, 

then president of Sweeny Merchant’s 

Association, served as president. Other officers 

included H.M. Culpepper, first vice president; 

R.W. Lortz, second vice president; and J.A. 

Davis, secretary-treasurer. The organization’s 

first board of directors included A.M. Anderson, 

Red Benedict, R.H. Britton, Marvin Graham, 

O.K. Hitchcock, Jake Mason, W.R. Rogers, E.N. 

Windler and R.S. (Bob) Phillips. The chamber’s 

first officers prepared bylaws, organized a membership 

drive, and secured a charter. 

A few months after the Chamber’s formation, 

forty-nine firms and individuals had joined the 

new Chamber. Listed in the Brazoria County 

News on April 9, 1964, these members included: 

Alamo Lumber Company, R.E. Fowler, W.J. 

Schneider, Maxey’s Furniture, Mattie Lee Jordan, 

Brazoria County News, A.T. Bruce Building 

Contractor, Western Auto Associate Store, J.A. 

Davis, M.R. Heickman, Jack’s Automotive 

Supply, Steele’s Garage, W.B. Friday, Long’s 

Theaters, Sweeny Drug Store, J.W. Roberts, F.F. 

Smith, Newton Brand Jr., E.J. Rosser, R.S. 

Phillips, Edwin N. Windler, J.M. Graham, J.W. 

Mason, Benedict’s Super Market, Lack’s 

Associate Store, R.W. Lortz, Crosson Builders 

Supply, Finley’s Phillips 66 Service, Leach 

Cleaners, Huston Hardware Company, 

Chambliss Kirksey Inc., JVA Kirksey, Murphy’s 

Jewelry, Citizen’s State Bank, Sweeny Lumber, 

Dr. Hester Clinic, Sweeny-Old Ocean Telephone 

Company, Bay City Materials, Glen White, Wells 

Flower Wonderland, V.L. Skrabanek, Louis A. 

Woodard Jr., Frost Insurance Agency, Denman 

Amoco Service, Jones-Grimes Co., Lockwood’s 

Super Market, Muriel’s Dress Shop, Your Gift 

Shop, and Dixie Grill. 

A photo published in June of 1964 showed 

Sweeny Chamber of Commerce’s new officers. 

They included: H.M. Culpepper, president; 

R.W. Lortz, first vice president; Weldon Bailey, 

second vice president; E.J. Rosser, secretarytreasurer; 

and Jake Mason, director. Directors 

were Dr. R.H. Britton, Rod Benedict, Barkley 

Smith, E.N. Windler, C.B. Jones, Newton 

Brand, J.M. Graham, D.M. Pettigrew, Ray 

Nash, Cecil Allen, and Royce Murphy. 

In 2007, Sweeny Chamber relocated 

to the original City Hall office on Third 

Street. Membership climbed to 140 members. 

The organization marked fifty years of service 

in 2015. 

SWEENY 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

The Sweeny Chamber of Commerce is 

located at 111 West 3rd Street, Sweeny, 

Texas 77480. 

The Alvin-Manvel Area Chamber of 

Commerce is a partnership of businesses and 

professional people working together for the 

betterment of the community. 

The Chamber is supported through 

membership fees. Members are referred to 

as “investors,” because they are truly investing 

in their business and community. One of 

the many purposes of the Alvin-Manvel 

Area Chamber of Commerce is to promote 

the community to help stimulate the 

economy. Many of the Chamber's activities 

and events have become area traditions, and 

we continue to search for additional 

opportunities to promote our members, 

business and the community. 

For more information about the Chamber, 

please visit www.alvinmanvelchamber.org 

ALVIN-MANVEL 

AREA CHAMBER 

OF COMMERCE 

The Alvin-Manvel Area Chamber of 

Commerce is located at 105 Willis Street, 

Alvin, Texas 77511. 


121

PEARLAND 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

The Pearland Chamber of Commerce, a 

volunteer intensive organization driven by the 

entrepreneurial spirit, is proud to encompass 

a group of visionaries leading the way for 

others to follow on the road to our city’s 

progress and promotion of commerce in the 

Gulf Coast region. 

For over fifty years, this commerce driven 

organization has been the voice of business, 

with a mission to build business, leaders and 

community by championing a pro-business 

agenda. Formed in 1963 by a group of 

business professionals concerned about the 

progress of Pearland, this organization was 

charged with creating job opportunities 

through stimulation of industrial and commercial 

growth. Dynamic leaders continue 

to lead the way in improving economic development 

and quality of life for our members 

and citizens. 

The history of Pearland began more than 

100 years earlier in 1861 with a grant of land 

applied for by the Houston, Tap and Brazoria 

Railroad Company. Born with the railroad, 

much of Pearland’s early years centered on the 

Santa Fe Railroad Depot. 

The first real growth of Pearland was 

caused by a land boom in 1892. Captain 

Withold von Zychlinski, a Polish nobleman 

set aside 520 acres along both sides of the 

railroad as a town site. To promote the town 

to prospective settlers, many fruit trees were 

planted. On May 17, 1894, Zychlinski filed a 

plat of the town and the name given to 

the town site was “Pear-land.” Southern 

Homestead Company helped develop the 

area by directing a large advertising campaign 

to attract buyers from the snowbound 

Midwestern states to come to Texas and grow 

pears. After the destruction caused by the 

great hurricane of 1900, when most of the 

pear trees were destroyed, the area was promoted 

once again–this time as a garden where 

oranges could be grown on a commercial 

scale. It was not until 1912 that the city had 

another boom, this time for the growing of 

figs on a commercial scale. 

Growth continued as shell roads were built 

to Houston, Friendswood, and Alvin. Those 

roads made it easier for people to get to jobs 

in other communities and were followed by 

the city’s modern, paved roads and are now 

some of the busiest highways in the area. 

In 2016, the Census Bureau recognized 

Pearland as the seventh fastest-growing city in 

the U.S. With a population over 100,000, the 

sleepy little town is thriving. 

The Pearland Chamber of Commerce, 

armed with passion, vision, members, board 

of directors, volunteers, and staff, combine 

power and energy to build upon the history 

that began in 1861. Whatever the needs 

of our members and the city at large, the 

Pearland Chamber of Commerce will continue 

to be the vehicle for building success 

and prosperity. 


122

Since its origins in 1973, as a small regional 

publishing company based in San Antonio, 

Texas, Lammert Inc. has been in the business 

of helping its customers tell their stories in the 

most compelling and powerful ways possible. 

Working with a wide variety of clients—from 

corporations to civic organizations to 

individuals and families, Lammert Inc. emerged 

as a force in the publishing industry. 

The company initially produced specialty 

publications, such as an office building directory 

for the North San Antonio Chamber of 

Commerce, and a pictorial roster for the San 

Antonio Bar Association. Over the last four 

decades, Lammert published hundreds of directories, 

maps, and magazines for chambers of 

commerce and civic groups across the country. 

In the mid-1990s, Lammert created a new 

division, Historical Publishing Network (HPN), 

and focused on producing hardcover coffee 

table-style history and cityscape books. The first 

of these was Fire and Gold: The San Francisco 

Story. In the ensuing years, Lammert perfected 

the sponsored-book model of publishing. 

Conceived around the idea of an ultra-high 

quality hardcover chronicle of a city or county’s 

past, these exceptional books were also designed 

to raise funds for a sponsoring organization— 

typically a chamber of commerce or a historical 

preservation group. They utilized a unique 

advertising mechanism, known as company 

profiles—business and institutional histories, 

which were purchased by organizations wishing 

to tell their individual stories, and placed in special 

sections of the books. 

As of 2018, Lammert had published more 

than 140 titles using the sponsored-book 

model, while raising hundreds of thousands 

of dollars for its many sponsoring groups. 

Having carved out its position in the market 

for turnkey design, production, and marketing 

of photography-rich coffee table books through 

HPN, in 2018 Lammert Inc. signaled a new 

focus with the launch of its new division, HPN 

Custom Media & Publishing (HPN-CMP). 

HPN-CMP remains a one-stop source for 

custom media, including turnkey book design, 

writing, editing, and production, as well as 

offering an enhanced range of customized 

services, including print, digital, and photo and 

video media solutions, as well as related website 

design and events management services. 

Employees, customers, partners, and shareholders 

all value a credible story which unites 

the organization’s past to its present and to its 

future, enhancing its community standing and 

brand reputation, or celebrates a significant 

anniversary, milestone, or similar event. 

The unique mix of talents and expertise 

brought to bear in a HPN project culminates in 

a remarkable creation—a breathtaking, photorich, 

coffee table book. 

The book may be complemented by a 

dedicated website, digital “flip-book,” and/or by 

related events to commemorate a historical 

milestone, introduce or promote a product or 

brand, or to present an organization’s annual 

report with more impressive visuals. As a gift to 

associates, partners, current and prospective 

employees, clients, and civic officials, the book 

serves as a powerful marketing tool. 

For more information, or to inquire about 

producing your own publication, please visit 

www.hpncustommedia.com. 

LAMMERT INC. 

DBA 

HPNBOOKS & 

HPN CUSTOM 

MEDIA & 

PUBLISHING 


123

THE ECONOMIC 

DEVELOPMENT 

ALLIANCE FOR 

BRAZORIA 

COUNTY 

Right: from left to right, Debbie Pennington, 

vice president; Gabe Williams, 

administrative assistant; and Gary Basinger, 

interim president and CEO. 

The Economic Development Alliance for 

Brazoria County (The Alliance) is a countywide, 

membership-based, economic development 

organization that was created as a 

resource and advocate for economic development 

in Brazoria County. The Alliance’s mission 

is to support and champion the interests 

of existing businesses, promote and diversify 

the economic base and attract high-wage jobs 

and capital investment in targeted industries. 

In addition to its mission, The Alliance has 

been actively assisting, and promoting, the 

need for more single-family housing, skilled 

labor, transportation improvements and the 

continued flow of water down the Brazos 

River so that county residents and industry 

have an adequate supply of water for now and 

into the future. 

The Alliance assists in the above areas by 

coordinating two industrial job fairs a year; creating, 

in 2015, the Lower Brazos River Coalition 

to serve as an advocate for the continued flow 

of water down the Brazos River; and hosting 

bi-monthly Roads and Bridges/Transportation 

Committee meetings to keep members 

updated on transportation issues. Another 

transportation event that The Alliance, in partnership 

with the Brazoria County Council of 

Chambers, has been coordinating since 2011, is 

the annual Brazoria County Transportation and 

Infrastructure Summit. 

The Alliance also presents a Business of the 

Quarter Award and Business of the Year Award; 

updates, prints and distributes the Brazoria 

County Industrial Service Companies 

Directory; prepares demographic 

reports; hosts quarterly membership 

luncheons; provides guidance on the 

Brazoria County tax abatement 

process; prepares economic impact 

analyses; and promotes Brazoria 

County at industry tradeshows. 

For more information about The 

Alliance, the Brazoria County economy 

or about becoming an Alliance 

member, please contact us at (979) 

848-0560 or visit our website at 

www.eda-bc.com. 


124

SPONSORS 

Alvin Animal Clinic ............................................................................................................................................................................94 

Alvin-Manvel Area Chamber of Commerce........................................................................................................................................121 

Architecture Etc*/Raymond L. Burroughs, AIA....................................................................................................................................90 

Ascend Performance Materials.............................................................................................................................................................81 

BASF...................................................................................................................................................................................................92 

Brazoria Chamber of Commerce........................................................................................................................................................114 

Brazoria County Government............................................................................................................................................................107 

Brazoria County, Constable Precinct 3...............................................................................................................................................120 

Brazoria Heritage Foundation............................................................................................................................................................100 

Brazosport Area Chamber of Commerce............................................................................................................................................113 

Brazosport College ..............................................................................................................................................................................74 

Candlewood Suites ® Lake Jackson .....................................................................................................................................................84 

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, LP ..........................................................................................................................................102 

City of West Columbia........................................................................................................................................................................78 

Commissioner Ryan Cade .................................................................................................................................................................104 

COMPOSURElife Portrait Design ......................................................................................................................................................115 

Dow Texas Operations ........................................................................................................................................................................96 

The Economic Development Alliance of Brazoria County ..................................................................................................................124 

The Eye Contact, Inc. .........................................................................................................................................................................98 

Fagioli, Inc........................................................................................................................................................................................117 

G.B. Industry Co., L.P. ........................................................................................................................................................................86 

Greater Angleton Chamber of Commerce..........................................................................................................................................111 

Gulf Coast Water Authority...............................................................................................................................................................106 

HomeTown Bank, N.A. .....................................................................................................................................................................103 

Jaco Roofing & Construction, Inc. ....................................................................................................................................................110 

Kimco Services, Inc...........................................................................................................................................................................116 

Lammert, Inc. dba HPNbooks and HPN Custom Media & Publishing ..............................................................................................123 

NALCO Champion .............................................................................................................................................................................82 

Pearland Chamber of Commerce.......................................................................................................................................................122 

Phillips 66 Sweeny Refinery ..............................................................................................................................................................112 

Port Freeport ....................................................................................................................................................................................109 

Rollac Shutters of Texas, Inc. ..............................................................................................................................................................88 

Sandy Point, Texas ............................................................................................................................................................................101 

SI Group, Inc....................................................................................................................................................................................108 

Robert H. Sipple ...............................................................................................................................................................................119 

Smile Avenue Family Dental..............................................................................................................................................................105 

Staybridge Suites ® Lake Jackson ........................................................................................................................................................85 

Sweeny Chamber of Commerce.........................................................................................................................................................121 

West Columbia Chamber of Commerce.............................................................................................................................................118 

SPONSORS 

125


126

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER 

AMY 

CLINTON 

I moved to Lake Jackson in 2012 from Moline, Illinois. Having lived in the midwest my whole life, 

Texas seemed like a different world to me. I had only visited this state a few times before, so I only had 

visions of Longhorns, boots and BBQ, but I soon adapted to the lifestyle….and the heat. I even 

purchased my first pair of Cowgirl boots on the streets of Austin! 

I started working in the photography industry right out of high school and fell in love with the craft. 

The anticipation of just the right moment to push the shutter, the subtle way to pose my client to 

convey emotion and create depth, the anticipation of the film to be developed….yes, I said film! 

Everything about this profession was drawing me in. I began working for a respected studio and 

eagerly learned all I could. In 2009, I opened my first portrait studio in Illinois until I met the love of 

my life, Cody, who was a native Texan. We have been working together ever since and share a passion 

for our artistry. Through the years, Cody and I have taught many others all over the globe about 

lighting and posing techniques. We love watching that spark come to the eyes of our students as they 

discover and expand their knowledge of this ever-changing field. 

In 2013, Cody and I opened up our portrait studio, COMPOSURElife portrait design and focused 

our efforts on creating beautiful portrait art for families. We spent the next two years working with the 

people of Brazoria County designing artwork that showcases the most important aspect of life….the 

love within your family. This set the stage for the next chapter in our lives together, the birth of our 

breathtaking daughter, Stella Marie. 

After taking some time off to stay at home with Stella, I decided it was time get back to the business 

of photography. Although Cody had grown up in Lake Jackson, I still had a lot of exploring to do. And 

what better way to learn about my community than to be commissioned to photograph all the things 

that make this county so special. The idea of The Spirit of Brazoria County seemed like a fun year-long 

project, but I underestimated the excitement it would bring to learn about the history and special 

heritage of this area. When Harvey hit, I found an even deeper appreciation for the people here. As I 

watched neighbors and friends lose so much, I also witnessed an outpouring of kindness and 

generosity. 

I am grateful to be a part of this book and thankful to share the spirit of this growing community. 

I hope you all enjoy this exciting piece of history as much as I do. 

- 

Amy 

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER 

127

ABOUT THE WRITER 

SUSAN AVERA HOLT 

I have lived in Brazoria County my entire life. I grew up in West Columbia, graduated from 

Columbia High in 1988, and from there, went to the big city of Waco. In 1991 I received a diploma 

for a bachelor of arts in journalism and then returned home. 

As a journalist, I have worked at The Facts and for BayStar Group, writing feature stories for Image 

Magazine for more than 20 years. 

For 12 years, I taught journalism and English, first at my alma mater Columbia High and then at 

Brazosport High in Freeport. 

Now, I freelance for BayStar Group, still writing for Image Magazine. The opportunity to write a 

book about Brazoria County seemed like a relatively easy task since I “knew” my subject so well. 

The more I researched, the more I learned. I had a hard time deciding what to leave out. Brazoria 

County is just astoundingly packed with history. We have so much here, and I really don’t think most 

Texans know about us. I hope this book is just one small way to tell the story of Brazoria County. 

When Harvey hit and I watched friends and neighbor’s homes flood, I also watched friends and 

neighbors, and even complete strangers, pitch in to help. First responders “complained” we brought 

them too much food! They told the media that Brazoria County folks were the nicest they had met. 

Growing up here, that’s a way of life. You think everyone grew up like you did. Apparently, Brazoria 

County is special. We do have a unique spirit here. 

The Spirit of Brazoria County is the thing I was most proud to write about for this book. I hope you 

learn about the county and its people —who really make this a most special place. 

- 

Susan 


128

ISBN: 978-1-944891-54-1 

LEADERSHIP SPONSORS

The Spirit of Brazoria County

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