History of Houston
Welcome to Houston, the largest city in Texas! We Houstonians are proud of our city and part of that comes from its rich history that continues through modern times. We are now the fourth largest city in the United States with nearly six million people. The Houston downtown skyline is often how people think of us but actually Houston is comprised not just of the city but also of several outlying communities as well. Some include: Katy, The Woodlands, Baytown, Sugar Land and Pasadena though there are several area cities that are part of Houston.
Houston began as a small city with agriculture as its main industry. Throughout the years it transformed into a city thriving on commerce and transportation. When the oil boom hit, Houston was front and center and reaped all the advantages. In modern times, Houston has emerged as a city prominent in its energy, technology, health care, science and finance industries. This multi industrial city is world renowned now for its innovation and achievements. From humble beginnings through its meteoric rise as one of the leading cities in the world, it is no wonder Houstonians are proud to call this great city home.
How it All Began
In 1836 the Allen brothers purchased nearly seven thousand acres of land on Buffalo Bayou. They had a dream of forming a city and this was the place to do it. They named the city Houston after the famous General Sam Houston who fought in and led the Battle of San Jacinto. Sam Houston would later become president of Texas, a few months prior to the official incorporation of Houston as a city on June 5, 1837.
Houston was successful immediately as a commercial entity to be reckoned with. It quickly became the primary hub for railroads across Texas and established itself as a trade center for the region. In the 1900’s Houston expanded its ship channel and oil was discovered, prompting the addition of petroleum manufacturing as a significant industry.
Oil and Energy
In the 1950’s Houston saw progress in the energy industry with the advancement of that much needed commodity, air conditioning. This prompted many the country’s oil and energy corporations to move to Houston. This resulted in the population exploding and setting Houston up as one of the premier authorities in the country for energy and oil. Houston prospered greatly after the oil boom in the 1970’s but took a severe hit when the oil prices dropped in the 1980’s.
Houston, We Have a Problem
In addition to the drop in oil prices, causing a hit to the Houston economy, the aerospace industry took a dive as well around the same time when the space shuttle Challenger exploded after take off. The two largest industries in Houston, aerospace and oil were in trouble. The blow to the economy was severe and Houston was officially in a recession. However, we are Houston and we simply doubled our efforts to diversify our economy with additional industries.
A Leader in Health, Science, Technology
Today, Houston no longer has a singular industry the economy relies on. What is has, however, is a diversified industry comprising some of the most technologically advanced areas within health, science and technology. Oil and natural gas, aeronautics, biomedical research, finance, business and technology: These are among the prime industries now supporting the Houston workforce. Added to that list are the educators, health care workers, professionals, laborers and government workers to name a few.
The diversification of industry has made Houston one of the best cities for growth in the country. We have a low unemployment rate, well below that of the average for the country. Forbes Magazine ranked Houston one of the “Best Places for Business and Careers” and “Best City for College Graduates”. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance also rated Houston the “Best City of 2008”. Our strong economy and diversification of industry is yet another reason Houstonians love their city!
Culture, Arts and Entertainment
Speaking of diversification, you can not think Houston without envisioning the diversity of culture. Over twenty percent of our residents were born outside the United States and we have thriving populations of many ethnicities including Hispanic, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese and Vietnamese. Our city has two Chinatowns and one Little India. We also have a flourishing gay, lesbian and transgendered population with Houston being the twelfth most populous city for the GLBT community.
The rich culture we have lends to some amazing arts and entertainment opportunities. Houston boasts having permanent professional companies in all of the performing arts discipline, something not many other cities can claim. We have ballet, opera, theater and an orchestra for everyone to enjoy year round. In addition to the professional troupes, though, we also have a vast artist community with local artists and folk groups.
Our Museum District has several different types of exhibits from fine arts to modern arts and natural science. With over five permanent museums displaying various exhibits throughout the season, you can always get your fill of culture and education. It is not likely your favorite band pass by Houston for a concert either. You can not go a day in Houston without there being something interesting to do in the form of arts and entertainment.
Sports
Like many other large cities, Houston certainly has its share of sports fans. With the Astros, Rockets and the Texans leading the charge, our city has its fair share of sporting teams and venues. In fact we have almost every professional sport covered in the form of a home town team. We have professional and amateur, men’s and women’s sports teams so if you are in the mood to see a good game, you will likely have the chance somewhere!
Houston started off as a small city with big dreams. We certainly filled that expectation! Now one of the leading cities in the United States, Houston’s history of a driven population has advanced us to where we are today. We have seen our fair share of adversity and struggles but we always pull through and come out stronger in the end. It is no wonder why we Houstonians feel so strongly about there being no better place in the world to live. Come see for yourself.
