On Tuesday, November 1, 2022, The Bryan Museum received a generous donation of documents, land deeds, photographs, diaries, and letters, some dating back to the 1830s, from the family of Laura Munson Cooper. The Munson family played a significant role in the growth and development of Brazoria County, “where Texas began.”

Henry William Munson (1793 –1833) was a Brazoria planter, stockman, and soldier. He arrived in Texas around 1813. On land purchased from Stephen F. Austin, he established a sugar and cotton plantation on Gulf Prairie, known as Oakland.

Laura Munson Cooper (1943-2021), who took up the mantle of family historian, spent many years researching Texas history and the family’s role in it, specifically the early years of Brazoria County. In addition to the Munson name, there are documents relating to the Underwood, Horn, Fairfield, and other families who pioneered this area of Texas.

Mrs. Cooper created a website and dedicated it to the memory of her Great Aunt Laura, who inspired her love of family history. It is a comprehensive compilation of the family’s genealogy : Munson, Underwood, Horn, Fairfield and Allied Families (brazoriaroots.com)

At this time this collection is being processed; it is not on display in the museum.