Sugar Land, Texas

Sugar Land, as part of the original Mexican land grants to Stephen F. Austin, developed into a plantation growing cotton, corn, and sugarcane in the early to mid 1800's. Following the civil war, Colonel E. H. Cunningham bought the plantation and developed the land around his new sugar refining plant in the late 1800's. In 1908 the refinery assumed the new name of the Imperial Sugar Company and, in conjunction with its change in partnership, intensive plans were undertaken to build the company-owned town of Sugar Land. The town continued to grow under the backdrop of the sugar company until formation of master planned communities began in the late 1980's. Today, with nearly 120,000 residents in the city proper and home to a plethora of master-planned communities, Sugar Land has developed into a thriving populace and has became a "safe haven" from its larger mother city of Houston, TX.