The George Ranch Blog
19 Apr2020
By ALLISON HARRELL, Texian Time Machine & Outreach Coordinator The Spaniards brought cattle with them to the New World (or America) in 1541. With the introduction of cattle to the ecosystem, they also introduced the occupation of ranching. Here in Fort Bend County, the Georges, Moores and Dews, to name a few, were all part...
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13 Apr2020
The first steam locomotive was built in 1801 by Richard Trevithick in England. Here in Texas, the first railroad was built starting in 1850 when the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway was incorporated. The railroad made it to Stafford in in 1853, and arrived here in Richmond in 1855. Nearby, the Galveston, Colorado,...
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09 Apr2020
By ALLISON PARROTT Site Lead, 1930s George Ranch Home As everyone searches for ways to stay entertained at home, we thought it would be a great time to dive into favorite home-based games of the past. Paper Dolls The first manufactured paper was called “Little Fanny” and was produced in London in 1810 by...
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08 Apr2020
This is a continuation of a blog series on the families who lived and worked alongside the Jones, Ryon, Davis and George families here at the George Ranch. Click here for part one. Click here for part two. Robert H. Jones: The Indomitable Uncle Bob In 1836, Robert “Bob” was born to Virginian enslaved...
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08 Apr2020
Poultry Profile: 1860s Ryon Prairie Home Name: Chicken Nugget Age: 5 Breed: Blue Andalusian Eggs: Sometimes I work for my food and produce an average of 3 white eggs a week. But sometimes I am lazy and won’t lay anything. Likes: I like to roam far and wide and I can fly really high...
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02 Apr2020
This is a continuation of a blog series on the families who lived and worked alongside the Jones, Ryon, Davis and George families here at the George Ranch. Click here for part one. The Edwards Family Cain Edwards — Cain, like his mother Celia, was born into slavery at the Jones River Place in...
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31 Mar2020
By ALLISON PARROTT Site Lead, 1930s George Ranch Home In 1940, England began rationing food to assist their soldiers with supplies. The following year, the British government requested that the American government also conserve food to help the Allies overseas; other non-food items were also rationed soon afterward, including nylon, tires, gasoline, silk and...
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27 Mar2020
By MEGAN CROMEENS Site Lead, 1860s Ryon Prairie Home With the uncertain health situation happening across the world right now, one of the history questions we’ve been asked a lot is: What was used before the invention of toilet paper? It may surprise you to find out that toilet paper as we know it hasn’t...
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26 Mar2020
In Fort Bend County, on land that later became known as the George Ranch, the Jones and Ryon families were slave owners. Henry Jones, the Ranch’s founder, had acquired 47 slaves through purchase, trade and birth by his death in 1861. Likewise, Polly Ryon and her husband William owned 16 slaves by the end...
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23 Mar2020
By Allison Parrott Site Lead, 1930s George Ranch Home During World War I, many farmers went off to war, leaving their crops to die in the fields. As the war waged on, a food crisis ensued and people throughout Europe began to starve. To help with the food shortage, American Charles Lathrop Pack created...
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