History of Houston

From its beginnings as a cotton-shipping port, Houston, the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest in the United States, is presently billed as the Energy Capital of the World. Voted as the third most livable city in the US, the city sprawls across the Gulf Coast plain of East Texas. Houston is huge, both in population and land area; with a current population of 1.9 million in the city and 4.4 million in the metropolitan area and, covering an area of 1,600-square kilometres, the term urban sprawl is tailor-made for it.

Early settlement

Houston as we know it today was first established as a settlement called Harrisburg by John Harris in 1826. At that time, the area was still under Mexican rule, but Texans were growing increasingly discontent. Ten years later, war between Texas and Mexico was in full swing, with Harrisburg destroyed by the Mexicans as they chased the Texas army across the area. A week later, General Sam Houston led the Texas troops to victory and independence at the Battle of San Jacinto.

Battle of San Jacinto

Later that same year in 1836, Augustus and John Allen, two brothers and land speculators from New York, purchased land near the burned-out remains of Harrisburg to start a new settlement. They named the new city after Sam Houston, in honour of his victory and his new status as the first president of the Republic of Texas. The brothers also convinced the first Congress of the Republic of Texas to move to Houston - a move that turned out to be short-lived, as the government relocated to Austin two years later.

Oil boom

With its economy based primarily on the shipping of cotton, the town began to grow slowly. After the widening and deepening of Buffalo Bayou in 1869 and the periodic addition of railway systems, Houston began to grow into southeast Texas transportation centre. However, full-blown expansion and prosperity came about by the discovery of oil in 1901. The construction of refineries and other petroleum-related industries began during WWI; these were expanded during WWII.

An expanding city

Houston has been a dynamic centre of business, particularly in oil, since it was discovered. It is the leader in space technology, home to NASA and the Johnson Space Center, the base for Mission Control, and where astronauts are trained. It was established in 1961 as NASAs primary site for the design, development and testing of spacecraft for human flight.

The completion in 1914 of the Houston Ship Channel, an 80km inland waterway, established Houstons importance in the shipping world, and developed into an important business district for the city. With the Port of Houston serving as the second largest port in the US in total tonnage, the city has a thriving import and export trade. Houston's manufacturing firms are valued at over US$54 billion, and one out of every three jobs in the area is in some way tied to international business.

Modern Houston

In recent years, downtown Houston has undergone a dramatic transformation into a dynamic area of the city, both as an entertainment district and as a residential district, with many buildings being converted into loft apartments and selling at premiums. Petroleum might be what launched the city on the path to growth and success from tiny cow-town to the fourth largest city in the US, but it is the diverse population and quality of life that make it a city worth living in and visiting. Its industrial diversity has resulted in a cultural blend that is equally impressive.