The Houston area used to be a major commercial fig growing area. There was about 17,000 acres of fig orchards extending from the San Leon area, north between Friendswood and Baytown, up to points northward. There were 17 fig processing plants in the area. They used lye to remove the skin from the figs , and it is claimed the run off from the two canneries in Friendswood was responsible for turning Clear Creek not so "clear" anymore.
The orchards were started by two Quakers (friends) who bought the deed to the land from a banker named League. I once heard the orchards were filled with Magnolia figs, but I don't remember the source.