Perry's Landing, located in on the Brazos River in Jones Creek, Brazoria County, Texas

Brazoria County, Texas

Brazoria County[p] is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, located on the Gulf Coast within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southern-most fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas. Brazoria County is among a...

, is named for James Franklin Perry

James Franklin Perry

James Franklin Perry was an early settler and prominent citizen of Texas. James married Emily Austin Perry, operated Peach Point Plantation, and was involved in Texas land distribution.-Life:...

. There is an Historical Marker for James Franklin Perry at the Gulf Prairie Cemetery

Gulf Prairie Cemetery

Gulf Prairie Cemetery is located in Jones Creek, Texas, off State Highway 36 and County Road 304 and was the original resting place of Stephen F. Austin. While Austin's remains were later moved to Austin, Texas, the ceremonies and details related to this transfer , are recorded in a book by Guy...

.

Postal service and name change

A Postmaster for Perry's Landing was established on December 7, 1871. Postal Service to Perry's Landing was discontinued April 20, 1893, but a new postmaster was named and service began again on March 6, 1894 under the name "Perry Landing." The postal office continued to operate until 1929.

Perry's Landing was the original name of Peach Point Plantation

Peach Point Plantation

Peach Point Plantation was the homestead and domicile of early Texas settlers Emily Austin Perry, James Franklin Perry, William Joel Bryan Stephen F. Austin, and Guy Morrison Bryan...

 Perry's Landing is located approximately 18 miles south of Angleton, Texas

Angleton, Texas

Angleton is a city in and the county seat of Brazoria County, Texas, United States, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Angleton lies at the intersection of State Highway 288, State Highway 35, and the Union Pacific Railroad. The population was 18,130 at the 2000 census...

.

Community development

By 1884, Perry's Landing had a church, a school

School

A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...

, and a general store

General store

A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...

. There were then thirty residents. Perry's Landing also had warehouses from which local industry could ship commodities such as sugar

Sugar

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...

, cotton

Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

, and molasses

Molasses

Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...

. By the start of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

in 1914, Perry's Landing had more than tripled in population, with over 100 residents. Industry grew there too, including a syrup manufacturer and three general stores.

Perry's Landing Steam Ferry Company

The Perry's Landing Steam Ferry Company assisted locals, visitors and transients to cross of the Brazos River. The ferry could accommodate at least four mules and a wagon filled with supplies. The company was filed with the State of Texas on April 2, 1888.

Present day

Though not a central business district with its own postmaster today, Perry's Landing remains relevant to Texas history, and is still located in the larger town of Jones Creek, Texas.

Further reading

• James A. Creighton, A Narrative History of Brazoria County (Angleton, Texas: Brazoria County Historical Commission, 1975).
• Sallie Glasscock, "Peach Point Plantation," Texas Parade, April 1951.