Brazoria began in 1828 as a port and trading center in Stephen F. Austin’s colony. Partially burned in 1836 during the Texas Revolution, it rebuilt and served as county seat until 1897. In 1912, residents moved to “New Town” near the St. Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico Railway to escape floods and seek a better life, leaving the original settlement as “Old Town.” That same year, the first traffic bridge across the Brazos River in this historic region created a vital link between eastern and western Brazoria County, but the wood-decked bridge fell into the river in the 1930s because of the elements and lack of maintenance. Built in 1939 during the Great Depression with local labor, county bond money, and Public Works Administration funds, the Brazoria Bridge continued this historic transportation route. Before soil embankments were built, it was nicknamed “The Bridge That Goes to Nowhere.” The 1124-foot concrete and steel bridge has three Parker Through Truss spans, is supported by concrete-filled caisson and concrete piling, and includes approaches made of 14 concrete-supported I-beams with steel guard rails. It is an important example of its style and a significant part of Brazoria County history.