Fort Bend was a log cabin or blockhouse built in a large bend of the Brazos River in what is now Richmond to protect against Indian raids. It was erected in 1822 by an agent of Stephen F. Austin's first colony, the Old 300, which included William W. Little and Joseph Polley, and the structure was described as a little log shanty. Austin reportedly selected the site, and a settlement soon grew up around the post. Because the site provided one of the more favorable fords of the Brazos River, it became important during the Texas Revolution. In April 1836, Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna transported a portion of his army across the Brazos at the Fort Bend crossing. Because Fort Bend had been a regional center for colonial activity, its name was given to the county when it was established in 1837. River erosion eradicated the fort's original site.
