Benjamin Beason, one of Stephen F. Austin's original 300 colonists, settled by a widely used Colorado River crossing near here in 1822. He and his wife Elizabeth built a large home that also served as an inn and established a gristmill, sawmill, gin, and ferry operation there. His residence, business operations, and a scattering of nearby homesteads formed a settlement known as Beason's Crossing. In the early spring of 1836, Beason found his home, family, and commercial buildings between Sam Houston's army, camped on the east bank of the Colorado River opposite the crossing, and a Mexican army led by General Juaquin Ramirez y Sesma approaching from the west. Houston had chosen the site because of its strategic location at the edge of the most populous part of Texas, and with 1500 troops in position, he is said to have declared, "on the Colorado I make my stand." Houston nevertheless removed his army to the Brazos River on March 26th, and a detachment of his army burned Beason's Crossing to the ground only hours before Sesma's army arrived.