ByCityLight.com - Home

Houston - City History and Historical Figures Houston - City Facts Houston - City Attractions Houston - City Lodging Houston - City Dining Houston - City Events Houston - City Links Texas Information
Colleges In Houston

City Maps/Weather



Features and Fun City Facts
Fun City Facts
The top of the Empire State Building in New York was buit to be a mooring place for dirigibles (Blimps).

The Space Needle, built in 1961 in Seattle, Washington is the first revolving restaurant.
Features and Fun City Facts


Browse For a City Search For a City Get Listed on ByCityLight.com Who we are and what we do. Contact Information Welcome to ByCityLight.com, Your Tour Guide To The Cities You Love

Houston, Texas Click for Houston, Texas Forecast

City History
Historic People


City History

Photos of Houston, Texas

Houston was founded on August 30, 1836 by brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou. The city was incorporated on June 5, 1837 and named after General Sam Houston, commander at the Battle of San Jacinto. The burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in Houston's population.

In the 20th century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center, the world's largest concentration of health care and research institutions, and NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Houston's economy has a broad industrial base in the energy, aeronautics, and technology industries. The Port of Houston ranks one of the first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled. The University of Houston, Texas is the third-largest public research university. Houston is a multicultural city, with a large and growing international community. The Museum District is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits. Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene.

Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States. As of July 1, 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the Houston population at 2,144,491. The city covers more than 600 square miles. Houston is the county seat of Harris County and part of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S., with a population of more than 5.5 million.

Historic Figures

Samuel Houston (1793–1863)



Samuel Houston (1793–1863)
Samuel Houston was a 19th century American statesman, politician, and soldier. Born in Virginia, Houston was a key figure in the history of Texas, including periods as President of the Republic of Texas, Senator for Texas after it joined the United States, and finally as governor. Although a slave-owner and opponent of abolitionism, he refused, due to his unionist convictions, to swear loyalty to the Confederacy when Texas seceded from the Union, bringing his governorship to an end. To avoid bloodshed, he refused an offer of an army to put down the rebellion, and instead retired to Huntsville, Texas, where he died before the end of the Civil War. He supported annexation by the United States rather than seeking long term independence and expansion for Texas. The city of Houston was named after him during this period. Houston's reputation survived his death: posthumous commemoration has included a memorial museum, a U.S. Army base, an historical park, a university, and the largest statue of an American figure.

March 28, 2024

browse cities | search | get listed | spotlight | about us | contact us | policies | partners

Copyright ©2024 www.ByCityLight.com - Page Design by Erik Schubach and Tristan Chambers