Foster, Fort Bend County, Texas Explained

Official Name:Foster, Texas
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Coordinates:29.6506°N -95.8322°W
Pushpin Map:Texas#USA
Pushpin Label:Foster
Pushpin Relief:yes
Pushpin Label Position:top
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Texas
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Fort Bend
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation M:33
Elevation Ft:109
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:77406
Area Code:281

Foster is an unincorporated community located in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States. It is located within the Greater Houston metropolitan area.

History

Foster is situated on land that John and Randolph Foster were granted in 1824. The Foster plantation produced sugarcane and rice before the American Civil War. When the Foster community obtained a post office in 1882, the settlement was officially established. Foster had 60 residents, a steam gristmill and cotton gin, a physician, and semiweekly mail delivery in 1884. Three gristmills and daily postal delivery were available in the town in 1892. A general store and a flour mill were erected by 1896. The community gained notoriety for producing pecans in 1914, but by 1925, just 40 people were living in the village; in 1931, there was only one business mentioned and no population estimate. In 1936, a blacktop road served Foster. Foster was still a community in 1990, despite the post office closing by the 1940s. In 2000, there were no accessible population estimates.

On November 21, 1992, an F2 tornado struck Foster.[1]

The community is home to the Old Foster Community Museum.[2]

Geography

Foster is located on Farm to Market Road 359, 10miles northwest of Richmond in northwestern Fort Bend County.

Education

In 1897, Foster had two segregated schools for White and Black students. They continued to operate in 1936 and closed in the 1940s.

Today, the community is served by the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District. Students who live in the community attend Bentley Elementary School, Briscoe Junior High School, and John and Randolph Foster High School.

Notes and References

  1. [Texas Event Report: F2 Tornado]]. National Centers for Environmental Information. 1992. January 27, 2023.
  2. Web site: fostercommunitymuseum . fostercommunitymuseum.webstarts.com . 3 September 2022.