Picture this: a land of genial sunshine. It is an eternal summer. That’s how Missouri City began its story. Two Houston real estate investors, R. M. Cash and L. E. Luckle, bought four square miles of land in 1890. They sought settlers and advertised in St. Louis. They painted a picture of paradise to attract Midwesterners.
A few years later, W. R. McElroy joined the effort. He bought eighty acres and named it Missouri City. He hoped to boost sales by connecting to the St. Louis advertising. The town was officially registered in Texas in 1894. Families from Arlington, Texas, were the first to settle here. A blacksmith shop was the first business.
Early Missouri City slowly took shape. Homes and a schoolhouse were built in the early 1900s. The general store housed the first post office. It opened in 1897. The first Catholic church was built in 1913. Sadly, a hurricane destroyed it in 1915. Another church was built. It still stood in 1990.
The Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway arrived in 1853. It ran through what is now northern Missouri City. A depot was built in 1902. The Sugar Land Railroad also served the area. Sugarcane was shipped to Sugar Land from nearby plantations. The railroads opened markets for farmers. They shipped cotton, corn, cattle, and sugarcane. Residents also commuted to work in other towns by train.
Oil was discovered in Blue Ridge in 1919. A salt mine opened soon after. Natural gas was found in 1925. Missouri City became the first town in the county to use natural gas in 1926.
Missouri City officially became a town on March 13, 1956. A mayor and five city councilmen were elected. A council-manager government was adopted in 1974.
Today, Missouri City boasts fourteen parks. There is a civic-center complex and a community center. It opened in 1986. For health care, there is the Fort Bend Community Hospital. The Kelsey-Seybold Medical Clinic also serves residents.
Missouri City has grown. Its population remained around 100 from 1904 to 1960. Then it exploded. It went from 4,500 in 1970 to 24,533 in 1982. In 1990, the population reached 36,176. By 2000, it was 52,913. Today, Missouri City continues to thrive. It balances its historical roots with modern growth. It is a vibrant community.