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 HISTORY "Sugar became a part of life in the area when S. M. Swinson, captain of a small freight boat, made a meandering journey along the United States coast from New York to Velasco. Along the journey, commodities were picked up at various points and dispensed of as the journey proceeded. One of the stops was Cuba, and as it happened, it was during the height of sugar cane season. A small load of sugar cane stalks was taken on board and later delivered to Samuel M. Williams. The next time Swinson came to the area, he saw sugar cane growing "as high as a man on a horse" and immediately returned to Cuba to purchase more stalks. Soon after, a mill was built to squeeze the juice from the stalks."(City of Sugar Land, 2008). In 1907, Sugar Land began growing at a rapid rate when the sugar refining process was expanded. The process of incorporation of the town began in the fall of 1959. The first mayor was elected on December 15, 1959 and the first City Council meeting was held on January 19, 1960. The Mexican government granted Sugar Land to Samuel M. Williams through Stephen F. Austin. Williams originally called this land “Oakland Plantation” because of the wide variety of oak trees on the land. Samuel M. Williams planted sugar cane stalks that he got from S.M. Swinson. This crop flourished such that a mill was built to squeeze the juice from the stalks. In 1853, the “Oakland Plantation” was purchased from the S.M. Williams family by Benjamin Franklin Terry and William Jefferson Kyle, who had made quite a fortune prospecting gold in California. Kyle and Terry built the railroad from Stafford to Richmond and were instrumental in getting it to run through Sugar Land. 
City Hall | Beautiful Town Center |
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Insurance >The Purpose of Title Insurance
When you finance a home through a lender, you will be required to purchase title insurance to cover the amount of your mortgage loan. At the closing you will be given the option to buy additional coverage to protect your investment.
Before the closing, the title company will order a title report to make sure the sellers actually own the home and that no one else has a legal interest in the property. This process will identify any potential title problems or liens. Title insurance covers you against any future claims that did not appear on the title report. It is a one-time charge that you pay at the closing of the transaction, and it covers your future equity up to a stated maximum amount as your property increases in value. It's a small price to pay to protect such a major investment.
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What island was sold to Peter Minuit by the Indians for goods valued at 60 guilders ($24)?
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Peter Minuit arrived with a group of Dutch settlers in 1626 and purchased what is now known as Manhattan. |
See More Real Estate Trivia > |
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