Crabb, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Crabb, Texas
|
|
|---|---|
Crabb road sign on FM 762 looking west with disused grain elevator on left and businesses on the right
|
|
 Crabb, Texas
Location in Texas
Crabb, Texas
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Fort Bend |
| Elevation | 85 ft (26 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
77469
|
| Area code(s) | 281 |
Crabb is a small community in Fort Bend County, Texas, that is not officially a city. It's known as an unincorporated community, meaning it doesn't have its own city government. In the year 2000, about 125 people lived in Crabb. It is located near the big city of Houston.
Contents
The Story of Crabb
Early Days and Naming
The land where Crabb is located was first owned by early settlers named Abner and Joseph Kuykendall. They were part of the "Old Three Hundred", which were the first families allowed to settle in Texas under Stephen F. Austin. After Joseph Kuykendall passed away, his wife, Eliza Jane, married John C. Crabb.
In 1879, a railroad called the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built tracks through the area. Eliza Jane Crabb owned the land where the tracks were laid. Because of this, the community became known as Crabb, or sometimes "Crabb Switch" because of the railroad switch.
Growth and Shrinkage
Crabb had its own post office starting in 1894. By 1896, the community was growing, with about 400 people living there. It had a cotton gin (a machine that separates cotton fibers), two doctors, two fruit orchards, and a Methodist church. However, the post office closed in 1900.
Over the years, the number of people living in Crabb went down. By 1933, only 100 people lived there. A few years later, in 1936, Crabb had two churches, one business, and a few homes. The population continued to shrink to 50 people by 1953, and then to 40 people from the 1960s to the 1980s. But in the late 1980s, the population grew again to 125 people, and it stayed around that number until 2000.
The Kid Mayor of Crabb
Crabb became famous in 1983 because of an 11-year-old boy named Brian Zimmerman. He won an unofficial election to become the mayor of the town! At the time, Crabb had fewer than 200 residents. Brian wanted to make Crabb an official city, which is called "incorporating" a town.
However, Texas law says that a minor (someone under 18) cannot be a mayor. This meant Brian's mayorship was at risk. His interesting story was even made into a movie called Lone Star Kid. Even though his plan to make Crabb an official city didn't work out, he was re-elected as mayor after the vote.
Where is Crabb?
Crabb is located on Farm to Market Road 762. This road is near a bend in the Brazos River. It is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) southeast of Richmond in Fort Bend County.
Learning in Crabb
Past Schools
Crabb had its own school for all children in 1896. The next year, a separate school for Black children was opened.
Today's Schools
Today, children living in Crabb attend schools that are part of the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District.
The schools that Crabb is currently zoned to include:
- Williams Elementary School (for students living north of FM 762)
- Polly Ryon Middle School
- Antoinette Reading Junior High
- George Ranch High School
In the past, Crabb was zoned to:
- Navarro Middle School
- B.F. Terry High School
Images for kids
-
Looking south to FM 762 on Payne Lane
-
Horse in a field near Payne Lane
-
View east at Brazos Village subdivision
-
View northwest at FM 762 and Crabb River Rd
-
Photo of 1913 flood at Crabb Switch
