Houston is the largest city in Texas and comes in a distant fourth in the largest cities in these United States. It is a melting pot of many cultures and boasts of many attractions for individuals of various ranges and interests. This Texas metropolis has a population of approximately 2 million.
How Houston Came Into Being
This famous city was founded by two brothers, John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen, on the 28th August, 1836. They named it after the first president of Texas, General Sam Houston whose victory in the battle of Texas the previous year lead to the ultimate American victory against Mexico. The Allen brothers had purchased a 6.642 acres along the Buffalo Bayou and which the town of Houston was founded. In 1837, then president of Texas, Sam Houston incorporate this town and it became a city and the capital of Texas. James S. Holman was its first mayor.
Although it was a swamp, the new Texas Congress migrated to this area. They made the most out of this area although the population stood at a paltry 12 people. As time rolled on, the population increased.
Just as with the dangers of newly established cities that experience a spurt of population growth, the city of Houston was mired in a state of lawlessness and disease, quite notably an outbreak of yellow fever. These challenges proved too challenging and the capital of Texas was migrated to Austin in 1839.
As Texas joined the Union in 1846, there was a growing influx of German immigrants. These individuals were very educated and it did not take long before they injected new life into the business sector. In 1850, Houston carried out its first census and a total of 2,397 people was recorded_ quite a tremendous growth from 12 in over 13 years.
When 1853 rolled in, the railroad came into play and it was used to transport various commodities with cotton and hides being the main commodities.
The Houston transportation and commercial sector received a major boost in 1870 where a port was established. This port was expanded further in 1872 where a ship canal was introduced. Thereafter, there was an electric power plant that supplied electricity to the various industries in the area.
Spindletop provided a pleasant surprise to the city of Houston that would prove to be a great boost to its economy. There was an oil discovery there and it made Houston the major petroleum supplier in Texas. All these developments and many more thereafter in the economy positioned Houston as the main economy hub of the grand state of Texas.
NASA made a bold step to move its space center to Houston in 1962 where groundbreaking space exploits have put the name of Houston, TX into the annals of history. In recent times, numerous attractions have come up into this marvelous city that ensure that a visit to Houston is not just a visit, but it is an excursion and immersion into elegant, fun and historical experience for you and your loved ones.
Locations We Service