However, the land remained largely uninhabited until settlement in the 1830s. === Early settlement to the 20th century === The Allen brothers—Augustus Chapman and John Kirby—explored town sites on Buffalo Bayou and Galveston Bay.
Though primarily in Harris County, small portions of the city extend into Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, bordering other principal communities of Greater Houston such as Sugar Land and The Woodlands. The city of Houston was founded by land investors on August 30, 1836, at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou (a point now known as Allen's Landing) and incorporated as a city on June 5, 1837.
According to historian David McComb, "[T]he brothers, on August 26, 1836, bought from Elizabeth E.
Though primarily in Harris County, small portions of the city extend into Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, bordering other principal communities of Greater Houston such as Sugar Land and The Woodlands. The city of Houston was founded by land investors on August 30, 1836, at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou (a point now known as Allen's Landing) and incorporated as a city on June 5, 1837.
About a dozen persons resided in the town at the beginning of 1837, but that number grew to about 1,500 by the time the Texas Congress convened in Houston for the first time that May.
The Republic of Texas granted Houston incorporation on June 5, 1837, as James S.
In the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County (now Harris County). In 1839, the Republic of Texas relocated its capital to Austin.
Many of them near the city worked on sugar and cotton plantations, while most of those in the city limits had domestic and artisan jobs. In 1840, the community established a chamber of commerce, in part to promote shipping and navigation at the newly created port on Buffalo Bayou. By 1860, Houston had emerged as a commercial and railroad hub for the export of cotton.
Many of them near the city worked on sugar and cotton plantations, while most of those in the city limits had domestic and artisan jobs. In 1840, the community established a chamber of commerce, in part to promote shipping and navigation at the newly created port on Buffalo Bayou. By 1860, Houston had emerged as a commercial and railroad hub for the export of cotton.
By 1890, Houston was the railroad center of Texas. In 1900, after Galveston was struck by a devastating hurricane, efforts to make Houston into a viable deep-water port were accelerated.
By 1890, Houston was the railroad center of Texas. In 1900, after Galveston was struck by a devastating hurricane, efforts to make Houston into a viable deep-water port were accelerated.
In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt approved a $1 million improvement project for the Houston Ship Channel.
By 1910, the city's population had reached 78,800, almost doubling from a decade before.
African Americans formed a large part of the city's population, numbering 23,929 people, which was nearly one-third of Houston's residents. President Woodrow Wilson opened the deep-water Port of Houston in 1914, seven years after digging began.
By 1930, Houston had become Texas's most populous city and Harris County the most populous county.
The Brown Shipbuilding Company was founded in 1942 to build ships for the U.S.
Economic gains of blacks who entered defense industries continued in the postwar years. In 1945, the M.D.
In 1948, the city annexed several unincorporated areas, more than doubling its size.
In 1950, the availability of air conditioning provided impetus for many companies to relocate to Houston, where wages were lower than those in the North; this resulted in an economic boom and produced a key shift in the city's economy toward the energy sector. The increased production of the expanded shipbuilding industry during World War II spurred Houston's growth, as did the establishment in 1961 of NASA's "Manned Spacecraft Center" (renamed the Lyndon B.
In 1950, the availability of air conditioning provided impetus for many companies to relocate to Houston, where wages were lower than those in the North; this resulted in an economic boom and produced a key shift in the city's economy toward the energy sector. The increased production of the expanded shipbuilding industry during World War II spurred Houston's growth, as did the establishment in 1961 of NASA's "Manned Spacecraft Center" (renamed the Lyndon B.
The Astrodome, nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World", opened in 1965 as the world's first indoor domed sports stadium. During the late 1970s, Houston had a population boom as people from the Rust Belt states moved to Texas in large numbers.
The Astrodome, nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World", opened in 1965 as the world's first indoor domed sports stadium. During the late 1970s, Houston had a population boom as people from the Rust Belt states moved to Texas in large numbers.
Johnson Space Center in 1973).
With the increase in professional jobs, Houston has become a destination for many college-educated persons, most recently including African Americans in a reverse Great Migration from northern areas. In 1997, Houstonians elected Lee P.
Brown as the city's first African American mayor. === Early 21st century === In June 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to of rain on parts of Houston, causing what was then the worst flooding in the city's history.
The company lost no less than $70 billion. In August 2005, Houston became a shelter to more than 150,000 people from New Orleans, who evacuated from Hurricane Katrina.
In September 2008, Houston was hit by Hurricane Ike.
In Houston, a 2008 crane collapse at a refinery killed four people and injured six.
During the floods in 2015 and 2016, each of which dropped at least a foot of rain, parts of the city were covered in several inches of water.
During the floods in 2015 and 2016, each of which dropped at least a foot of rain, parts of the city were covered in several inches of water.
Even worse flooding happened in late August 2017, when Hurricane Harvey stalled over southeastern Texas, much like Tropical Storm Allison did sixteen years earlier, causing severe flooding in the Houston area, with some areas receiving over of rain.
Due to the industrial infrastructure in and around Houston, natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey have also led to numerous toxic spills and disasters, including the 2017 Arkema plant explosion. ==Geography== Houston is east of Austin, west of the Louisiana border, and south of Dallas.
On January 31, 2018, the Houston City Council agreed to forgive large water bills thousands of households faced in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, as Houston Public Works found 6,362 homeowners' water utility bills had at least doubled. Houston has also been the site of many industrial disasters and construction accidents.
state of Texas, fourth-most populous city in the United States, most populous city in the Southern United States, as well as the sixth-most populous in North America, with an estimated population of 2,320,268 in 2019.
In 2019, OSHA found Texas was the leading state in the nation for crane accidents.
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