Duke Community

In 1824, Old Three-Hundred settlers David Fitzgerald, Thomas Barnett and Moses Shipman received land grants in this area. Fitzgerald fought at Anahuac in 1832; Barnett signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. This location on the northeastern high bluff of Clear Lake, an ample supply of water for steam engines, led to the construction of railroads here by the mid-1800s. Duke was terminus of the Sugar Land Railway for loading sugarcane. The area developed as a major shipping point with a store, hotel, livestock pen, and sugar mills. It was named for Duke Hessey, the storekeeper. Duke had a post office from 1883 to 1922; the first Postmaster was J.R. Fenn. Today, Duke Cemetery is the only remnant of this once-thriving community. (2008)

Duke Community is a historical marker in Arcola, Fort Bend County, dedicated in 2008. It is one of 90 historical markers documented in Fort Bend County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 237 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.5119, -95.4705 near Arcola. The nearest cataloged historic site is The Fitzgerald and Fenn Families (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Daniel Perry, Arcola-Fresno, and Harris Family.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507015315. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.