In 1821, the schooner Lively landed at the site with 38 men, the first of Stephen F. Austin's colonists. At the time, Texas was part of Mexico, but Austin had obtained permission to bring American settlers into the area, with the first colonists settling in what is now southern Brazoria County.

Velasco consisted of a single house until 1831 when Mexico set up a customs port there and dispatched troops to help the customs collector. More than 25,000