History of Houston, Texas, USA

1836 - August 30 - The city of Houston is founded by Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen

historyorb.com

1854 - Houston
Houston a city capital of Harris county, Texas, situated on Buffalo bayou, 45 miles by water from its entrance into Galveston bay, 82 miles N. W. from Galveston city, and 200 miles E. S. E. from Austin city. Lat. 29° 45' N., Lon. 95° 30' W. This flourishing town, the second of the state in commercial importance, is advantageously situated for trade, at the head of steamboat navigation. Several steamboats ply regularly between this place and Galveston. Houston is the principal shipping port for several adjacent counties, in which cotton, sugar, and maize arc produced, and towards which a copious tide of emigration is flowing. A large portion of the county is occupied by savannas or treeless plains, which produce excellent pasturage, and large numbers of cattle and horses are kept here with little labor. A railroad has been commenced which is to be extended westward to the Brazos river, and probably to Austin. Five or six newspapers arc published here. It contains 1 iron foundry, with a ... Read MORE...

1895 - Houston
Houston, a city of Texas, capital of Harris co., is on Buffalo Bayou, 49 miles by rail N.W. of Galveston, 164 miles E.S.E. of Austin, and 152 miles S. of Palestine. It is the S. terminus of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad and of the International & Great Northern Rail road, which connect here with the Galveston, Houston & Henderson Railroad, and is also the W. terminus of the Texas & New Orleans Railroad. Is is also on the Texas Western, Texas Transportation, and Houston, East & West Texas Railroads. It was in 1870 the third city of the state in population. Steamboats ply between this place and Galveston. Two daily and 3 weekly newspapers are published here, also a Baptist religious paper. Houston contains 11 churches (2 Baptist, 2 Catholic, 1 Episcopal, 1 Jewish, 4 Methodist, and 1 Presbyterian), the Houston Academy, a convent, a city hall, 2 national banks, 4 other banks, 4 foundries, manufactures of engines, machinery, carriages, &c., 1 or 2 cotton-factories, several... Read MORE...

February 15, 1895 - Houston TX received 22 inches of snow.

WeatherForYou.com
February 15, 1895

1896 - BOILER EXPLODES Disaster in a Texas Newspaper Office - Three Lives Lost
Houston, Tex., June 30 - Shortly after three o'clock Monday afternoon the boiler in the office of the Daily Age exploded, killing Engineer Henry Lyons, Miss Mattie Loeb, a stenographer in the office of W. G. Van Vleck, vice-president and general manager of the A. & T. system of the Southern Pacific railway; Edward R. Emory, telegraph operator in the same office, and seriously injuring Mr. Van Velck himself. The force of the explosion carried the entire boiler, which was of 18 horse power, fully 800 feet.

Mr. Van Velck was dictating to Miss. Loeb when the boiler crashed through the brick wall back into the rear of the building, taking everything in its way. Miss Loeb was carried nearly 20 feet from her chair and was found afterward buried under a mass of debris. She lived only about 20 minutes. Mr. Van Vleck was carried some distance also, but escaped with serious cuts on the head. In the next office, divided by a thin partition, were two telegraph operators, Edward R. Emory and... Read MORE...

1912 - HOUSTON, TEX., SWEPT BY DISASTROUS FIRE. DESTROYS MANUFACTURING AND RESIDENCE SECTION. STRONG GALE SWEEPS FIRE OVER CITY WIPING OUT FIFTEEN FACTORIES AND NEARLY THREE HUNDRED HOMES.
(By Associated Press.)
Houston, Tex., Feb. 21. - A fire which broke out here at an early hour today, swept by a 35 mile an hour wind, burned a mile across the city and and an area seven blocks wide. By 7 o'clock the fire is believed to be under control, although still burning. The loss is estimated at five to ten million dollars.

Among the mills, factories and plants totally destroyed or badly damaged are McFADDEN'S warehouse, Southern Compress and Warehouse Co., DEW Bros. Syrup Co., Houston Packing Co., HOUSTON & LIGGETT Lumber Co., REGERS Paint Co., HUDSON Pencil Factory,

E. D. HARRELL Lumber Co., Standard Compress Co., Co-operative Mfg. Co., Acme Mill, St. Patrick's Catholic Church and school, Industrial rice mill and Southern rice mill.

The burned area in the residence district covers at least twenty-five blocks. More than a score of persons were injured, none of whom are thought to be fatally hurt. The fire was gotten under control at Buffalo Bayou. Although the fire... Read MORE...

1912 - April 1 - A tornado with incredible velocity ripped into downtown Houston, TX, breaking the water table and giving the city its first natural waterspout.

WeatherForYou.com
April 1, 1912

1916
Houston, a city of Texas, the second city (in 1900) in population of the state, an important railroad centre, and capital of Harris co., is on Buffalo Bayou, 49 miles NW. of Galveston, on the Southern Pacific, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe and other railroads. It has the Houston Lyceum, a polytechnic institute, a cotton exchange, masonic exchange, government building, and manufactures of car- wheels, engines, machinery, carriages, agricultural implements, etc. ; it has also cotton-mills and. compresses, cotton seed oil works, foundries, and several machine-shops of the railroads. Large quantities of cotton, corn, sugar, and other products are shipped here. Pop. in 1890, 27,557 ; in 1900, 44,633.
Lippincotts New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns, Resorts, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, Seas, Lakes, Etc., in Every Portion of the Globe, Part 1 Angelo Heilprin Louis Heilprin - January 1, 1916 J.B. Lippincott - Publisher

1917 - August 23 - Race riot in Houston Texas (2 blacks & 11 whites killed)

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1935 - December 7 - Severe flooding hit parts of the Houston, TX, area. Eight persons were killed as one hundred city blocks were inundated.

The Weather Channel
December 7, 1935

1943 - September 7 – Gulf Hotel fire: A fire at the Gulf Hotel in Houston, Texas, kills 55.

wikipedia.org
September 7, 1943

1953 - May 25 - 1st non-commercial educational television station-Houston, Texas

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1965 - Texas has the first domed stadium in the country. The structure was built in Houston and opened in April 1965.

www.ereferencedesk.com/ resources/ state-facts/ texas.html

1983 - Hurricane Alicia
August 18, 1983
Hurricane Alicia makes landfall at Galveston Island, Texas, unleashing 23 small tornadoes. The storm kills 21 people, leaves Houston littered with tree limbs and broken glass, and causes $2 billion in damage.

Timeline: U.S. Storm Disasters
American Experience

www.pbs.org

Here's a mix of places to go and things to do in Houston:
Space Center Houston: Explore the wonders of space and science. It's an interactive and educational experience, great for all ages.

Museum District: Houston's Museum District is home to a variety of museums, including the Museum of Natural Science, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

Buffalo Bayou Park: A beautiful park offering walking and biking trails along the bayou, with stunning views of the city skyline.

Hermann Park: This park is not only a great spot for a picnic but also houses the Houston Zoo and the Miller Outdoor Theatre, which hosts free performances.

The Menil Collection: A unique art museum with a diverse collection, including pieces from ancient civilizations to modern contemporary art.

Discovery Green: A vibrant urban park in the heart of downtown Houston, often hosting events, concerts, and outdoor activities.

Houston Zoo: Home to over 6,000 animals, the Houston Zoo is a fantastic place for families and animal... Read MORE...