History of the Galveston Bay Area
Encyclopedia
For a period of over 7000 years, humans have inhabited the Galveston Bay Area in what is now the United States
. Through their history the communities in the region have been influenced by the once competing sister cities of Houston and Galveston
, but still have their own distinct history. Though never truly a single, unified community, the histories of the Bay Area
communities have had many common threads.
Prior to European settlement the area around Galveston Bay was settled by the Karankawa
and Atakapan tribes, who lived throughout the Gulf coast region. Spanish and French explorers traveled the area for many years gradually establishing trade with the local natives. In the early 19th century the pirate Jean Lafitte
created a small, short-lived empire around the bay ruled from his base on Galveston Island before his being ousted by the United States Navy
.
Following Mexico's independence from Spain
, the new nation established long-term settlements, including Anahuac
and San Jacinto, around the bay. Early rebellions
by the settlers against Mexican rule
occurred in the region and it was later the site of the victory of the Texas army
over the Mexican army during the Texas Revolution
. Following Texas' independence from Mexico and its annexation by the United States, economic growth was centered initially on agriculture
and cattle ranching. Commerce grew between Galveston, Harrisburg and Houston in the later 19th century, and created additional economic opportunities as railroads were built through the Bay Area to connect these and other commercial centers.
In the early 20th century the region gave birth to some of the state's earliest oil fields and refineries as the Texas Oil Boom
took hold. Refining and manufacturing grew rapidly in the area, particularly around Baytown
, Pasadena
, and Texas City. The opening of the Port of Texas City
, and later Barbours Cut
and Bayport
, gradually established the region as an important shipping center. As wealth increased in southeast Texas, resorts and other tourist draws developed in the Bay Area. During the 1960s the area became home of the Johnson Space Center, headquarters for the nation's manned space program, which helped diversify the regional economy and began the development of an aerospace industry, and later other high-tech industries.
The present geography of the Gulf Coast
was formed during an ice age
approximately 30,000 years ago when dramatic lowering of the sea level occurred. As the ice later melted, if formed a flow through the Trinity
and San Jacinto rivers and carved wide valley
s in the soft sediment
s, resulting in the creation of the modern system of bays and lakes approximately 4500 years ago.
Humans first entered
the region as early as 10,000 years ago following migrations into the Americas
from Asia
during the ice age. Research has indicated that the first settlements around Galveston Bay may have been constructed around 5500 BCE. The first ceramics appeared around 100 CE, and arrow points around 650 CE. When Europeans first entered the region there were still significant numbers of Native Americans
living there. Along the southern coast around the Colorado River
and Matagorda Bay
and up toward Galveston Bay lived the Capoque tribe, a branch of the Karankawa
people. The northeast was inhabited by the Akokisa
, or Han, tribe as part of the Atakapan people's homelands. The Karankawa were migratory hunter-gatherers. Their diet included deer
, bison
, peccary
, and bear
s, in addition to fish, oyster
s, nuts, and berries as they were available. They used portable huts for shelter. Dugout canoes were used to travel the many internal waterways and the coast, an advantage that initially gave them tactical superiority over the Europeans. The Akokisa in the area were similarly hunter-gatherers, and utilized canoes for transport. They became well-known among the Europeans for their hide-tanning abilities, especially for bear hide. During the 18th century the Akokisa population in the area was estimated at about 3500.
Though earlier surveys of the coastline had been made, the first known Europe
ans to land in the vicinity were under the command of Spanish
explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
when he and his crew were shipwrecked in 1528, though it is unclear precisely where they landed. Though subsequent explorers described cannibalism among the local tribes, Cabeza de Vaca made no mention of the practice. He and the other survivors left the area as soon as they were able traveling to safety into Mexico.
The Rivas-Iriarte expedition, one of several Spanish
maritime expeditions charting the Gulf Coast
, performed a detailed scientific exploration of the Galveston Bay in 1687, probably the first such exploration. A 1785 expedition by José Antonio de Evia charting the Gulf Coast gave the bay and the island the name Galveztown, or Galvezton, for the Spanish Viceroy Bernardo de Gálvez
.
During the early 18th Century, French traders first began trade with the Akokisa and the nearby Bidai tribes for furs. In 1754 several traders including Joseph Blancpain established a trading post on the Trinity River a just north of the bay, near modern Wallisville
. Spanish authorities quickly seized the post and transformed it into the San Augustín de Ahumada fort. They named the site El Orcoquisac
and established a Catholic mission. The Spanish were not successful in maintaining trade with the natives and the post was abandoned within a few years. Encroachment by Spanish as well as U.S. settlers continued such that by the end of the century native populations had declined dramatically due to disease and territorial pressures from the Europeans.
In 1816 Galveston Island was claimed by the pirate Louis-Michel Aury
as a base of operations to support Mexico's rebellion against Spain. Aury was succeeded as leader by Jean Lafitte, the famed Louisiana pirate and American hero of the War of 1812
. Lafitte, at the time serving as a privateer
for the Spanish Empire, transformed Galveston Island and the bay into a pirate kingdom he called Campeche. He established bases for smuggling and ship repair on the Trinity River near the bay and at Eagle Point (modern San Leon
). His gang also created a hide-out on the shores of Clear Lake
. As late as 1965, treasure
from this era was discovered at Kemah
. In response to the piracy, the United States Navy ousted Lafitte from the island in 1821 and the colony was abandoned. Some settlers in the region remained such as Anson Taylor who had supplied produce and game from the Clear Lake area for Campeche.
, Texas, particularly southeastern Texas, had become an increasing point of contention between Spain and the United States. Various failed attempts, such as the Long Expedition
, were made by groups from the U.S. to take control of parts of Texas, resulting in some temporary settlements near the bay including Perry's Point near modern Anahuac. Spanish authorities began efforts to colonize Texas to help protect its claim to the territory. Hoping to spur settlement, the Spanish government granted land
to pioneers from the United States, including Moses Austin
.
Soon afterward, though, Mexico declared its independence from Spain and moved to establish its own control over Texas. Because of fears of the indigenous tribes, officials found it difficult to find settlers in Mexico willing to move into the territory's coastal areas, and therefore continued to allow settlers from the United States into the area with the promise of allegiance to Mexico. Austin's son, Stephen F. Austin
, established a colony which extended from east central Texas to Galveston Bay and the Gulf Coast. Some of Austin's original Old 300 settlers, including John Dickson, William Scott, and John Iiams, established homesteads and commercial enterprises around the bay. The Port of Galveston
and a permanent settlement were established on the island in 1825 to spur trade. Communities including Lynchburg
, San Jacinto, and Campbell's Bayou (founded by one of Lafitte's former officers) were gradually established around the bay. In addition to the Anglo-American and Mexican settlers in the area, a Cajun
settlement was established along Armand Bayou
. The Mexican Colonization Law of 1824, however, forbade the creation of settlements near the coast with the intention of protecting the native tribes in the area. The law was not enforced and settlers continued to encroach upon tribal lands. Native tribes remained in the area years afterward but were gradually driven out as European settlers moved into the region. The Akokisa were driven inland where they merged with the Bidai. The Karankwa were driven southward where they eventually established their current homelands in northeastern Mexico.
The Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company was formed in New York
in 1830 to promote additional settlement around Galveston Bay and other parts of southeast Texas. The company gradually brought in many colonists from the United States and Europe, although conflict with Mexican officials over colonization laws initially made these efforts difficult. In 1830, Mexican authorities created a customs and garrison post near the bay commanded by Juan Davis Bradburn
. The post, which later became the modern city of Anahuac, was the first major outpost on the mainland shores and temporarily replaced Galveston as a port of entry. New Washington (modern Morgan's Point) and Austinia (within modern Texas City) were also founded by settlers from the company. Conflicts between Bradburn and the settlers in the region over land rights, slavery
laws, and customs duties led to the Anahuac Disturbances
, a prelude to the larger Texas rebellion
. As a result, Mexican authorities were driven out of eastern Texas and the settlers began to discuss independence.
Following a coup in the Mexican government, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
became president and revoked many freedoms previously enjoyed by the Texans further deteriorating the government's relations with the region's settlers. Texas declared its independence
and revolted in 1835. Following a number of battles with the Mexican army
, the Texas army
, under the leadership of General Sam Houston
, finally defeated Santa Anna in the Battle of San Jacinto
, near modern Pasadena.
The new Republic of Texas grew rapidly. The shores of the bay were initially home to farms and ranches. Longhorn cattle
, which had roamed wild throughout Texas, became free resources for producing hides and beef shipped throughout North America. The famed Allen Ranch
was established near Harrisburg in what is now southeast Houston and Pasadena, in addition to the Bay Lake Ranch and other ranches established around the bay. The range land of these ranches came to encompass most of the terrain around the bay south of the San Jacinto River. Cedar Bayou (part of modern Baytown), Shoal Point (part of modern Texas City), and other small communities began to develop during this period. Eagle Point (part of modern San Leon) became an important shipping and trading post for slaves.
Inland from the bay, the towns of Harrisburg and Houston were both founded on the Buffalo Bayou
by entrepreneurs from New York and competed as commercial centers, but neither was as significant as Galveston. Throughout the 19th century these three cities developed increasing influence on the Bay Area communities, particularly as railroads were built through the region.
Multiple hurricanes struck the region during this time and after. Though none during the 19th century were catastrophic, they nevertheless caused substantial damage and caused some loss of life.
Texas succeeded in its bid to join the United States in 1845, one of the key causes of the subsequent Mexican-American War. Texas' annexation brought more people to Texas. Ranching interests expanded around the bay, along with the growth of the farming
and lumber enterprises in the region. The construction of the Galveston, Houston and Henderson (GH&H) Railroad, begun in 1857, further spurred more growth in the region.
During the American Civil War
, in which Texas seceded
from the United States, the area served a limited role in the conflict though no major battles were fought on the mainland shoreline. New fortifications, like Fort Chambers near Anahuac, were constructed to ward off a mainland invasion by Union forces and to protect supply routes to and from Galveston. The GH&H Railroad was used in the recapture of Galveston by Confederate
forces in 1863. Makeshift hospitals, such as the Nolan home in Dickinson, were established in the bayside communities.
In the aftermath of the war the Texan economy declined for a period. Nevertheless, ranching interests became major economic drivers spawning many other economic enterprises like hide processing plants and shipping companies. Some former slaves were able to take advantage of ranching's economic influence as some successful African American
communities were established, including the "Settlement" in what is now League City
. The success of the various enterprises in the area and the growth of Galveston as one of the prime commercial centers in the South
and Southwest
helped promote the construction of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, and the La Porte, Houston and Northern Railroad over the course of the 19th century. These railroads built lines near the southwest shore of the bay and led to the creation of La Porte, Clear Creek (modern League City), Webster
, Edward's Point/North Galveston (modern San Leon), and others (eventually including Texas City).
Texas State Historical Association
Texas State Historical Association. Toward the end of the century, as ranching's profitability declined, many communities turned increasingly to agriculture. The farming community of Pasadena was established during this time. By the end of the 19th century, the land south of Buffalo Bayou
came to be known as the "Texas Fruit Belt" for the oranges, pears, grapes, and other fruits and vegetables grown in the area. The Sylvan Beach park was created at La Porte as a beachfront summer getaway from Houston. With amenities including bathhouses, boating piers, and a Victorial hotel with a dance pavilion, Sylvan Beach quickly became the most popular tourist destination in the Houston area.Antrobus (2005), p. 51–52.
In 1900 a massive hurricane
devastated the city of Galveston and heavily damaged communities around the bay. According to some estimates the death toll on the coast outside of Galveston may have been over one thousand. Bridges between Galveston and the mainland were destroyed. Communities along the shoreline declined for some time as economic growth moved inland and Houston became the dominant economic center in Southeast Texas. The region received a population boost from some Galveston refugees who relocated to the mainland following the catastrophe.
The sparsely populated communities around the bay transformed during the 20th century. Following the devastating 1900 hurricane, donations by the newly created Red Cross, including millions of strawberry
plants to Gulf Coast
farmers, helped revive area communities. This and the subsequent establishment of a major strawberry farm in the area by Texaco
founder Joseph S. Cullinan
made Pasadena an important fruit producer for many years afterward. The newly established community of Texas City opened its port and railroad junctions shipping cotton and grain. In fact, because the port had opened just before the 1900 hurricane, it was able to handle Galveston's diverted shipping traffic until the island's damaged port was repaired. Following another hurricane in 1915
, the Texas City Dike
was built to protect the Texas City ship channel from sediment movement in future storms, thus helping to build confidence in the safety of the port. One of the most immediate effects of the dike, however, was to increase the salt levels in West Bay, between Galveston and the southwest coastline.
Major tracts of the Allen Ranch were liquidated opening up new development around Pasadena and other bayside communities. Commercial fishing
for oyster
s and shrimp
grew as a significant area industry. The lumber industry also continued to grow. A sugar
refinery opened in Texas city, a paper mill in Pasadena, and other factories in the early 20th century.
Following the petroleum discovery at Spindletop
(roughly 40 miles (64.4 km) from Galveston Bay) in 1901 Texas entered an era of economic development known as the Texas Oil Boom
. Petroleum exploration at Galveston Bay began shortly afterward with the discovery of the Goose Creek Oil Field
in 1903. The first well at Goose Creek was built in 1907 with significant production beginning in 1908 (in 1924 it was the state's third largest field). In 1915 the first offshore oil drilling site in the state was opened at Goose Creek. Gradually other oil fields were discovered around the bay as well, including the Anahuac oil field in 1935. The first refinery by the bay was built in 1908 at Texas City, followed by refineries in Baytown and Pasadena. The main refinery in Baytown, built by Humble Oil
(now ExxonMobil
), became the largest in the state.
The wealth brought on by the boom transformed the region. The population increased rapidly due to significant immigration from within the United States, from Mexico
, and overseas. Mexicans, fleeing the Mexican Revolution
in 1910, added significantly to the population of what is now Baytown; Sicilian
immigrants added greatly to the community of Dickinson
; and Japan
ese rice farmers settled in Webster, Pasadena, and League City (in fact the rice industry on the U.S. Gulf Coast was born in Webster; see Seito Saibara
). Major manufacturing centers developed throughout the Bay Area with Houston acting as the corporate and financial center for the boom. Wealthy Houstonians created waterfront retreats in Morgan's Point
and a boardwalk amusement park
at Sylvan Beach, La Porte (together known at the time as the Texas "Gold Coast"), as well as summer homes at Seabrook
and other communities. The onset of Prohibition made Galveston Bay an important entry point for smuggling illegal liquor, which supplied most of Texas and much of the Midwest. Boats arrived at locations ranging from Galveston to Seabrook. The Maceo crime syndicate, which operated in Galveston
at that time, created casino districts in Kemah and Dickinson and other areas of Galveston County. Houstonians often humorously referred to the county line as the "Maceo-Dickinson line
" (a pun referring to the Mason-Dixon line
). Much of the area around Clear Lake was developed as recreational properties for the wealthy, including a large ranch estate owned by Houston businessman James West
. Though the Great Depression
closed many businesses in the area petroleum-related growth helped offset the effects.
During the World War
s, factories around the bay were pressed into service mass producing a variety of products including aviation fuel
, synthetic rubber
, and ship
s. The first tin
smelter outside of Europe was opened in Texas City becoming one of the world's main suppliers. The population in the Bay Area grew faster than even Houston as processing plants and factories were built and expanded. Ellington Air Force Base
was built to the southeast of Houston (adjacent to modern Clear Lake City) and became a major air field and flight training center during the wars.
Industrialization and urbanization during the earlier 20th century led to the pollution of the bay. By the 1970s the bay was described by some sources as "the most polluted body of water in the U.S." The ship channel and Clear Lake were rated by some sources as having even worse water quality. Drilling for oil and underground water, as well as large wakes from increasing shipping in the bay, led to land subsidence and erosion along the shoreline, especially in the Baytown-Pasadena area. Today approximately 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of the historic San Jacinto battleground
are submerged, most of Sylvan Beach is gone, and the once prominent Brownwood neighborhood of Baytown has had to be abandoned.
In 1947, an explosion on a ship
at the Port of Texas City
caused fires and destruction throughout the city's industrial complex and other ships creating one of nation's worst industrial accidents. The tragedy caused more than five hundred deaths, more than four thousand injuries, and more than $50 million in damage ($ million in today's dollars). Though the city's growth and prosperity were interrupted, the city and the business leaders were able to rebuild.
The war effort had brought about significant diversification in the area's industrial base. This diversity facilitated the area's transition to a peacetime economy though the petroleum industry again became a major focus. In 1952 the Gulf Freeway, then part of U.S. Route 75
, was completed providing a fast automobile link between Houston and Galveston. The new freeway, considered an engineering marvel at the time, greatly encouraged new development in the western region of the bay.
Hurricane Carla
, Texas' largest storm on record, struck the coast in 1961 causing substantial flooding and damage in Texas City and other communities. Loss of life was minimal thanks to evacuation efforts. Expansion of the flood control dike and construction on the Texas City seawall occurred a result. The project was completed in 1985.
NASA
's Johnson Space Center (JSC) was established in the area in 1963. That and the explosive growth of neighboring Houston in the mid-20th century, especially the 1970s and 80s, caused the remainder of the communities on the southwestern shore to urbanize
. The Clear Lake City community was created by the Friendswood Development Company
, a venture of Humble Oil and Dell E. Webb Corporation
, to support residential growth near the new NASA facitily. The communities around Clear Lake rapidly reoriented toward aerospace related industries, and the region's economy diversified further. Urban development spread solidly between Houston and the Bay Area communities. Houston formally annexed most of Clear Lake City in 1977 with Pasadena annexing most of the rest. Most of the other communities around the bay, however, had already incorporated, or incorporated soon afterward, and thus were independent of the metropolis.
The economic boom of the 1970s and early 1980s that took place in Texas (because of the escalation in oil prices
) benefited the Bay Area communities significantly. Industrial operations were expanded including the opening of the U.S. Steel plant in Baytown in 1970, and the Barbours Cut shipping terminal
at Morgan's Point in 1977. The Port of Texas City became the third leading port in Texas by tonnage and ninth in the nation. The Barbours Cut terminal, operated by the Port of Houston
, became the seventh leading port in the nation. Not all of this development was without controversy, however. In building Barbours Cut, the Port of Houston used its power of eminent domain
to evict residents from nearly one third of the homes in Morgan's Point. Still, when the Texas economy declined in the later 1980s
, the economic diversity of the area and substantial annual federal investments related to JSC helped the region fare better than most of Greater Houston.
Conservation efforts in the mid to late 20th century by area industries and municipalities helped to dramatically improve water quality in the bay. The Nature Conservancy and Houston's Outdoor Nature Club (ONC) helped encourage nature preservation efforts including creating the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
, the Armand Bayou Nature Center
, and the Texas City Prairie Preserve
. Tourism in the area grew, especially around Clear Lake, led in large part by the Space Center
. Some former resort communities of the early 20th century like Kemah and Seabrook re-emerged. The lake itself today holds one of the largest concentrations of marinas in the world.
During the later 20th century and afterward, many of the communities and businesses in the area began cooperative efforts, including the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, and the Bay Area Houston Transportation Partnership, to create a distinct economic and civic identity for the region and to plan regional development. Though most of the communities in the region have been incorporated into municipalities, a few unincorporated communities remain under the extra-territorial jurisdiction of neighboring towns. These include San Leon, Bacliff
, Smith Point
. The communities of San Leon and Bacliff, despite their seaside location, their proximity to the relatively prosperous Clear Lake Area, and the development of summer resort communities there in the early 20th century, have suffered economic decline since the mid-20th century and are among the least affluent parts of the Bay Area today.
In 2008 Hurricane Ike
struck the coast causing substantial damage both environmentally and economically. the ecology of the region is still in recovery with damage caused by both natural pollution (sea salt
) and man-made pollution (chemicals washed into the freshwater and the bay) still showing dramatic effects on both the marine and land-dwelling wildlife. Commercial fishing and oyster farming are expected to take decades to fully recover. Most major industry was able to return to normal operations but some tourist areas have taken longer to recover.
Discussions of a proposal to build an Ike Dike
that would protect the Bay Area, particularly the nationally critical Houston Ship Channel
, were begun in 2009. the project is still in the conceptual stage.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Through their history the communities in the region have been influenced by the once competing sister cities of Houston and Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, but still have their own distinct history. Though never truly a single, unified community, the histories of the Bay Area
Galveston Bay Area
The Galveston Bay Area is a region that surrounds the Galveston Bay estuary of Southeast Texas in the United States within the metropolitan area. Residents of Houston and surrounding areas typically call it simply the "Bay Area"...
communities have had many common threads.
Prior to European settlement the area around Galveston Bay was settled by the Karankawa
Karankawa
Karankawa were a group of Native American peoples, now extinct as a tribal group, who played a pivotal part in early Texas history....
and Atakapan tribes, who lived throughout the Gulf coast region. Spanish and French explorers traveled the area for many years gradually establishing trade with the local natives. In the early 19th century the pirate Jean Lafitte
Jean Lafitte
Jean Lafitte was a pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his elder brother, Pierre, spelled their last name Laffite, but English-language documents of the time used "Lafitte", and this is the commonly seen spelling in the United States, including for places...
created a small, short-lived empire around the bay ruled from his base on Galveston Island before his being ousted by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
Following Mexico's independence from Spain
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
, the new nation established long-term settlements, including Anahuac
Anahuac, Texas
Anahuac is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population of the city was 2,210 at the 2000 census. Anahuac is the seat of Chambers County and is situated in East Texas.- History :...
and San Jacinto, around the bay. Early rebellions
Anahuac Disturbances
The Anahuac Disturbances were uprisings of settlers in and around Anahuac, Texas in 1832 and 1835 which helped to precipitate the Texas Revolution. This eventually led to the territory's secession from Mexico and the founding of the Republic of Texas...
by the settlers against Mexican rule
Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas is the name given by Texas history scholars to the period between 1821 and 1836, when Texas was an integral part of Mexico. The period began with Mexico's victory over Spain in its war of independence in 1821. For the first several years of its existence, Mexican Texas operated very...
occurred in the region and it was later the site of the victory of the Texas army
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
over the Mexican army during the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
. Following Texas' independence from Mexico and its annexation by the United States, economic growth was centered initially on agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and cattle ranching. Commerce grew between Galveston, Harrisburg and Houston in the later 19th century, and created additional economic opportunities as railroads were built through the Bay Area to connect these and other commercial centers.
In the early 20th century the region gave birth to some of the state's earliest oil fields and refineries as the Texas Oil Boom
Texas Oil Boom
The Texas Oil Boom, sometimes called the Gusher Age, was a period of dramatic change and economic growth in U.S. state of Texas during the early 20th century that began with the discovery of a large petroleum reserve near Beaumont, Texas...
took hold. Refining and manufacturing grew rapidly in the area, particularly around Baytown
Baytown, Texas
Baytown is a city within Harris County and partially in Chambers County in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. state of Texas. Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, it lies along both State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. As of 2010, Baytown had an population of 71,802...
, Pasadena
Pasadena, Texas
Pasadena is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Harris County, 17th-largest in Texas, and 162nd largest in the United States. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston....
, and Texas City. The opening of the Port of Texas City
Port of Texas City
The Port of Texas City is a major deepwater port in Texas City, Texas at Galveston Bay, United States. Its location on the bay, which is used by the Port of Houston and the Port of Galveston, puts Texas City in the heart of one of the world's most important shipping hubs...
, and later Barbours Cut
Barbours Cut Terminal
The Barbours Cut Container Terminal, or simply the Barbours Cut Terminal, is a major deep water port in the Greater Houston area in the U.S. state of Texas. Part of the larger Port of Houston complex, Barbours Cut is the largest of the terminals and the first port in Texas to handle standardized...
and Bayport
Bayport Terminal
The Bayport Container Terminal, or simply the Bayport Terminal, is a major deep water port in the Greater Houston area in Texas . This relatively new terminal, part of the Port of Houston, is designed to handle standardized cargo containers and offload the nearby Barbours Cut Terminal, which has no...
, gradually established the region as an important shipping center. As wealth increased in southeast Texas, resorts and other tourist draws developed in the Bay Area. During the 1960s the area became home of the Johnson Space Center, headquarters for the nation's manned space program, which helped diversify the regional economy and began the development of an aerospace industry, and later other high-tech industries.
Early history
Gulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
was formed during an ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
approximately 30,000 years ago when dramatic lowering of the sea level occurred. As the ice later melted, if formed a flow through the Trinity
Trinity River (Texas)
The Trinity River is a long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It rises in extreme north Texas, a few miles south of the Red River. The headwaters are separated by the high bluffs on the south side of the Red River....
and San Jacinto rivers and carved wide valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
s in the soft sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
s, resulting in the creation of the modern system of bays and lakes approximately 4500 years ago.
Humans first entered
Models of migration to the New World
There have been several models for the human settlement of the Americas proposed by various academic communities. The question of how, when and why humans first entered the Americas is of intense interest to archaeologists and anthropologists, and has been a subject of heated debate for centuries...
the region as early as 10,000 years ago following migrations into the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
from Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
during the ice age. Research has indicated that the first settlements around Galveston Bay may have been constructed around 5500 BCE. The first ceramics appeared around 100 CE, and arrow points around 650 CE. When Europeans first entered the region there were still significant numbers of Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
living there. Along the southern coast around the Colorado River
Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is a river that runs through the U.S. state of Texas; it should not be confused with the much longer Colorado River which flows from Colorado into the Gulf of California....
and Matagorda Bay
Matagorda Bay
Matagorda Bay is a large estuary bay on the Texas coast, lying in Calhoun and Matagorda counties and located approximately northeast of Corpus Christi, southeast of San Antonio, southwest of Houston, and southeast of Austin. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Matagorda Peninsula and...
and up toward Galveston Bay lived the Capoque tribe, a branch of the Karankawa
Karankawa
Karankawa were a group of Native American peoples, now extinct as a tribal group, who played a pivotal part in early Texas history....
people. The northeast was inhabited by the Akokisa
Akokisa
The Akokisa were the indigenous tribe that lived on Galveston Bay and the lower Trinity and San Jacinto rivers in Texas, primarily in the present-day Greater Houston area...
, or Han, tribe as part of the Atakapan people's homelands. The Karankawa were migratory hunter-gatherers. Their diet included deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
, peccary
Peccary
A peccary is a medium-sized mammal of the family Tayassuidae, or New World Pigs. Peccaries are members of the artiodactyl suborder Suina, as are the pig family and possibly the hippopotamus family...
, and bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s, in addition to fish, oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s, nuts, and berries as they were available. They used portable huts for shelter. Dugout canoes were used to travel the many internal waterways and the coast, an advantage that initially gave them tactical superiority over the Europeans. The Akokisa in the area were similarly hunter-gatherers, and utilized canoes for transport. They became well-known among the Europeans for their hide-tanning abilities, especially for bear hide. During the 18th century the Akokisa population in the area was estimated at about 3500.
Though earlier surveys of the coastline had been made, the first known Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans to land in the vicinity were under the command of Spanish
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was a Spanish explorer of the New World, one of four survivors of the Narváez expedition...
when he and his crew were shipwrecked in 1528, though it is unclear precisely where they landed. Though subsequent explorers described cannibalism among the local tribes, Cabeza de Vaca made no mention of the practice. He and the other survivors left the area as soon as they were able traveling to safety into Mexico.
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
maritime expeditions charting the Gulf Coast
Gulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
, performed a detailed scientific exploration of the Galveston Bay in 1687, probably the first such exploration. A 1785 expedition by José Antonio de Evia charting the Gulf Coast gave the bay and the island the name Galveztown, or Galvezton, for the Spanish Viceroy Bernardo de Gálvez
Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez
Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Gálvez was a Spanish military leader and the general of Spanish forces in New Spain who served as governor of Louisiana and Cuba and as viceroy of New Spain.Gálvez aided the Thirteen Colonies in their quest for independence and led...
.
During the early 18th Century, French traders first began trade with the Akokisa and the nearby Bidai tribes for furs. In 1754 several traders including Joseph Blancpain established a trading post on the Trinity River a just north of the bay, near modern Wallisville
Wallisville, Texas
Wallisville is an unincorporated town in northern Chambers County, Texas, United States, just east of the Trinity River along Interstate 10 and north of Lake Anahuac.-History:...
. Spanish authorities quickly seized the post and transformed it into the San Augustín de Ahumada fort. They named the site El Orcoquisac
El Orcoquisac Archeological District
El Orcoquisac Archeological District is a registered U.S. historic site located near Galveston Bay in present-day Wallisville, Texas. The site preserves an important Spanish presidio and trading center as well as an important settlement for the Akokisa and Bidai tribes that once inhabited the...
and established a Catholic mission. The Spanish were not successful in maintaining trade with the natives and the post was abandoned within a few years. Encroachment by Spanish as well as U.S. settlers continued such that by the end of the century native populations had declined dramatically due to disease and territorial pressures from the Europeans.
In 1816 Galveston Island was claimed by the pirate Louis-Michel Aury
Louis-Michel Aury
Louis-Michel Aury was a French Corsair operating in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean during the early 19th century.Aury was born in Paris, France, in about 1788. He served in the French Navy, but from 1802 served in privateer ships...
as a base of operations to support Mexico's rebellion against Spain. Aury was succeeded as leader by Jean Lafitte, the famed Louisiana pirate and American hero of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. Lafitte, at the time serving as a privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
for the Spanish Empire, transformed Galveston Island and the bay into a pirate kingdom he called Campeche. He established bases for smuggling and ship repair on the Trinity River near the bay and at Eagle Point (modern San Leon
San Leon, Texas
San Leon is a census-designated place in Galveston County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,365 at the 2000 census.-History:...
). His gang also created a hide-out on the shores of Clear Lake
Clear Lake (Galveston Bay)
Clear Lake is a brackish lake located near Houston, Texas, USA in Harris County. The lake feeds Galveston Bay. It is bordered by Houston , Pasadena, League City, Clear Lake Shores, Taylor Lake Village, and El Lago, Texas...
. As late as 1965, treasure
Treasure
Treasure is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered...
from this era was discovered at Kemah
Kemah, Texas
Kemah is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city's population was 2,330 as of the 2000 census. Located in Galveston County, Kemah's main industry comes from shipping...
. In response to the piracy, the United States Navy ousted Lafitte from the island in 1821 and the colony was abandoned. Some settlers in the region remained such as Anson Taylor who had supplied produce and game from the Clear Lake area for Campeche.
Mexican dominion and the Republic of Texas
In the early 19th century following the Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
, Texas, particularly southeastern Texas, had become an increasing point of contention between Spain and the United States. Various failed attempts, such as the Long Expedition
Long expedition
The Long Expedition was an 1819 attempt to take control of Spanish Texas. It was led by James Long and successfully established a small independent government, known as the Republic of Texas . The expedition crumbled later in the year, as Spanish troops drove the invaders out...
, were made by groups from the U.S. to take control of parts of Texas, resulting in some temporary settlements near the bay including Perry's Point near modern Anahuac. Spanish authorities began efforts to colonize Texas to help protect its claim to the territory. Hoping to spur settlement, the Spanish government granted land
Land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service...
to pioneers from the United States, including Moses Austin
Moses Austin
Moses Austin played a large part in the development of the American lead industry and is the father of Stephen F. Austin, a leading American settler of Texas. He was the first to be allowed to gather Anglo Americans for settlement in Spanish Texas...
.
Soon afterward, though, Mexico declared its independence from Spain and moved to establish its own control over Texas. Because of fears of the indigenous tribes, officials found it difficult to find settlers in Mexico willing to move into the territory's coastal areas, and therefore continued to allow settlers from the United States into the area with the promise of allegiance to Mexico. Austin's son, Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
, established a colony which extended from east central Texas to Galveston Bay and the Gulf Coast. Some of Austin's original Old 300 settlers, including John Dickson, William Scott, and John Iiams, established homesteads and commercial enterprises around the bay. The Port of Galveston
Port of Galveston
The Port of Galveston is the port of the city of Galveston, Texas. It was established by a proclamation issued by the Congress of Mexico on October 17, 1825, while the land known today as Texas was still part of Mexico...
and a permanent settlement were established on the island in 1825 to spur trade. Communities including Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Texas
Lynchburg is an unincorporated area in east central Harris County, Texas, United States.The community is also known as Lynch's Ferry.-Education:Deer Park Independent School District operates schools in the area.Zoned schools include:...
, San Jacinto, and Campbell's Bayou (founded by one of Lafitte's former officers) were gradually established around the bay. In addition to the Anglo-American and Mexican settlers in the area, a Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
settlement was established along Armand Bayou
Armand Bayou
Armand Bayou, also known as Middle Bayou, is a river in U.S. State of Texas. It runs near Galveston Bay in Pasadena and the Clear Lake Area.The river is most well known for the Armand Bayou Nature Center, which it runs through...
. The Mexican Colonization Law of 1824, however, forbade the creation of settlements near the coast with the intention of protecting the native tribes in the area. The law was not enforced and settlers continued to encroach upon tribal lands. Native tribes remained in the area years afterward but were gradually driven out as European settlers moved into the region. The Akokisa were driven inland where they merged with the Bidai. The Karankwa were driven southward where they eventually established their current homelands in northeastern Mexico.
The Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company was formed in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1830 to promote additional settlement around Galveston Bay and other parts of southeast Texas. The company gradually brought in many colonists from the United States and Europe, although conflict with Mexican officials over colonization laws initially made these efforts difficult. In 1830, Mexican authorities created a customs and garrison post near the bay commanded by Juan Davis Bradburn
Juan Davis Bradburn
Juan Davis Bradburn , born John Davis Bradburn, was a brigadier general in the Mexican Army. His actions as commandant of the garrison at Anahuac in Mexican Texas in 1831 and 1832 led to the events known as the Anahuac Disturbances....
. The post, which later became the modern city of Anahuac, was the first major outpost on the mainland shores and temporarily replaced Galveston as a port of entry. New Washington (modern Morgan's Point) and Austinia (within modern Texas City) were also founded by settlers from the company. Conflicts between Bradburn and the settlers in the region over land rights, slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
laws, and customs duties led to the Anahuac Disturbances
Anahuac Disturbances
The Anahuac Disturbances were uprisings of settlers in and around Anahuac, Texas in 1832 and 1835 which helped to precipitate the Texas Revolution. This eventually led to the territory's secession from Mexico and the founding of the Republic of Texas...
, a prelude to the larger Texas rebellion
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
. As a result, Mexican authorities were driven out of eastern Texas and the settlers began to discuss independence.
Following a coup in the Mexican government, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
became president and revoked many freedoms previously enjoyed by the Texans further deteriorating the government's relations with the region's settlers. Texas declared its independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
and revolted in 1835. Following a number of battles with the Mexican army
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
, the Texas army
Texian Army
The Texian Army was a military organization consisting of volunteer and regular soldiers who fought against the Mexican army during the Texas Revolution. Approximately 3,700 men joined the army between October 2, 1835 during the Battle of Gonzales through the end of the war on April 21, 1836, at...
, under the leadership of General Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
, finally defeated Santa Anna in the Battle of San Jacinto
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
, near modern Pasadena.
The new Republic of Texas grew rapidly. The shores of the bay were initially home to farms and ranches. Longhorn cattle
Texas longhorn (cattle)
The Texas Longhorn is a breed of cattle known for its characteristic horns, which can extend to tip to tip for steers and exceptional cows, and tip to tip for bulls. Horns can have a slight upward turn at their tips or even triple twist. Texas Longhorns are known for their diverse coloring...
, which had roamed wild throughout Texas, became free resources for producing hides and beef shipped throughout North America. The famed Allen Ranch
Allen Ranch
The Allen Ranch, or Sam Allen Ranch, was one of the first and longest running ranches in the history of the state of Texas in the United States. The ranch was started a few years after the Texas Revolution in what is now southeast Houston and Pasadena. The ranch itself extended from Clear Lake to...
was established near Harrisburg in what is now southeast Houston and Pasadena, in addition to the Bay Lake Ranch and other ranches established around the bay. The range land of these ranches came to encompass most of the terrain around the bay south of the San Jacinto River. Cedar Bayou (part of modern Baytown), Shoal Point (part of modern Texas City), and other small communities began to develop during this period. Eagle Point (part of modern San Leon) became an important shipping and trading post for slaves.
Inland from the bay, the towns of Harrisburg and Houston were both founded on the Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou is a main waterway flowing through Houston, in Harris County, Texas, USA. It begins in Katy, Fort Bend County, Texas and flows approximately east to the Houston Ship Channel and then into Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico...
by entrepreneurs from New York and competed as commercial centers, but neither was as significant as Galveston. Throughout the 19th century these three cities developed increasing influence on the Bay Area communities, particularly as railroads were built through the region.
Multiple hurricanes struck the region during this time and after. Though none during the 19th century were catastrophic, they nevertheless caused substantial damage and caused some loss of life.
Annexation by the United States
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and lumber enterprises in the region. The construction of the Galveston, Houston and Henderson (GH&H) Railroad, begun in 1857, further spurred more growth in the region.
During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, in which Texas seceded
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
from the United States, the area served a limited role in the conflict though no major battles were fought on the mainland shoreline. New fortifications, like Fort Chambers near Anahuac, were constructed to ward off a mainland invasion by Union forces and to protect supply routes to and from Galveston. The GH&H Railroad was used in the recapture of Galveston by Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
forces in 1863. Makeshift hospitals, such as the Nolan home in Dickinson, were established in the bayside communities.
In the aftermath of the war the Texan economy declined for a period. Nevertheless, ranching interests became major economic drivers spawning many other economic enterprises like hide processing plants and shipping companies. Some former slaves were able to take advantage of ranching's economic influence as some successful African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
communities were established, including the "Settlement" in what is now League City
League City, Texas
League City is a city in Galveston County and Harris County in the U.S. state of Texas, within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 45,444; in the 2006 census estimate, the population was listed as 67,200. The 2010 Census places the population of League City...
. The success of the various enterprises in the area and the growth of Galveston as one of the prime commercial centers in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
and Southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
helped promote the construction of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, and the La Porte, Houston and Northern Railroad over the course of the 19th century. These railroads built lines near the southwest shore of the bay and led to the creation of La Porte, Clear Creek (modern League City), Webster
Webster, Texas
Webster is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 9,083 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Edward's Point/North Galveston (modern San Leon), and others (eventually including Texas City).
Texas State Historical Association
Texas State Historical Association. Toward the end of the century, as ranching's profitability declined, many communities turned increasingly to agriculture. The farming community of Pasadena was established during this time. By the end of the 19th century, the land south of Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou is a main waterway flowing through Houston, in Harris County, Texas, USA. It begins in Katy, Fort Bend County, Texas and flows approximately east to the Houston Ship Channel and then into Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico...
came to be known as the "Texas Fruit Belt" for the oranges, pears, grapes, and other fruits and vegetables grown in the area. The Sylvan Beach park was created at La Porte as a beachfront summer getaway from Houston. With amenities including bathhouses, boating piers, and a Victorial hotel with a dance pavilion, Sylvan Beach quickly became the most popular tourist destination in the Houston area.Antrobus (2005), p. 51–52.
In 1900 a massive hurricane
Galveston Hurricane of 1900
The Hurricane of 1900 made landfall on the city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas, on September 8, 1900.It had estimated winds of at landfall, making it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale...
devastated the city of Galveston and heavily damaged communities around the bay. According to some estimates the death toll on the coast outside of Galveston may have been over one thousand. Bridges between Galveston and the mainland were destroyed. Communities along the shoreline declined for some time as economic growth moved inland and Houston became the dominant economic center in Southeast Texas. The region received a population boost from some Galveston refugees who relocated to the mainland following the catastrophe.
The wars and the oil boom
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
plants to Gulf Coast
Gulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
farmers, helped revive area communities. This and the subsequent establishment of a major strawberry farm in the area by Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
founder Joseph S. Cullinan
Joseph S. Cullinan
Joseph Stephen Cullinan was a U.S. oil industrialist. Although he was a native of Pennsylvania, his lifetime business endeavors would help shape the early oil industry of Texas...
made Pasadena an important fruit producer for many years afterward. The newly established community of Texas City opened its port and railroad junctions shipping cotton and grain. In fact, because the port had opened just before the 1900 hurricane, it was able to handle Galveston's diverted shipping traffic until the island's damaged port was repaired. Following another hurricane in 1915
1915 Galveston Hurricane
The 1915 Galveston Hurricane was a deadly hurricane that struck Leeward Islands, Hispanola, Cuba and Texas, in mid August of the 1915 Atlantic hurricane season...
, the Texas City Dike
Texas City Dike
The Texas City Dike is a levee located in Texas City, TX that projects nearly south-east into the mouth of Galveston Bay. It is flanked by the north-eastern tip of Galveston Island and the south-western tip of the Bolivar Peninsula...
was built to protect the Texas City ship channel from sediment movement in future storms, thus helping to build confidence in the safety of the port. One of the most immediate effects of the dike, however, was to increase the salt levels in West Bay, between Galveston and the southwest coastline.
Major tracts of the Allen Ranch were liquidated opening up new development around Pasadena and other bayside communities. Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
for oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s and shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
grew as a significant area industry. The lumber industry also continued to grow. A sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
refinery opened in Texas city, a paper mill in Pasadena, and other factories in the early 20th century.
Following the petroleum discovery at Spindletop
Spindletop
Spindletop is a salt dome oil field located in the southern portion of Beaumont, Texas in the United States. The Spindletop dome was derived from the Louann Salt evaporite layer of the Jurassic geologic period. On January 10, 1901, a well at Spindletop struck oil . The new oil field soon produced...
(roughly 40 miles (64.4 km) from Galveston Bay) in 1901 Texas entered an era of economic development known as the Texas Oil Boom
Texas Oil Boom
The Texas Oil Boom, sometimes called the Gusher Age, was a period of dramatic change and economic growth in U.S. state of Texas during the early 20th century that began with the discovery of a large petroleum reserve near Beaumont, Texas...
. Petroleum exploration at Galveston Bay began shortly afterward with the discovery of the Goose Creek Oil Field
Goose Creek Oil Field
The Goose Creek Oil Field is a large oil field in Baytown, Texas, on Galveston Bay. Discovered in 1903, and reaching maximum production in 1918 after a series of spectacular gushers, it was one of the fields which contributed to the Texas Oil Boom of the early 20th century...
in 1903. The first well at Goose Creek was built in 1907 with significant production beginning in 1908 (in 1924 it was the state's third largest field). In 1915 the first offshore oil drilling site in the state was opened at Goose Creek. Gradually other oil fields were discovered around the bay as well, including the Anahuac oil field in 1935. The first refinery by the bay was built in 1908 at Texas City, followed by refineries in Baytown and Pasadena. The main refinery in Baytown, built by Humble Oil
Humble Oil
Humble Oil and Refining Co. was founded in 1911. The company would later consolidate with Standard Oil of New Jersey to become Exxon.-Early history:...
(now ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
), became the largest in the state.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and overseas. Mexicans, fleeing the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
in 1910, added significantly to the population of what is now Baytown; Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
immigrants added greatly to the community of Dickinson
Dickinson, Texas
Dickinson is a city in Galveston County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 17,093 at the 2000 census.-History:...
; and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese rice farmers settled in Webster, Pasadena, and League City (in fact the rice industry on the U.S. Gulf Coast was born in Webster; see Seito Saibara
Seito Saibara
was a Japanese parliament member, politician, administrator, colonist, and farmer. Apart from his missionary activities, he is credited with having first established the rice industry on the Gulf Coast of the United States.- Overview :...
). Major manufacturing centers developed throughout the Bay Area with Houston acting as the corporate and financial center for the boom. Wealthy Houstonians created waterfront retreats in Morgan's Point
Morgan's Point, Texas
Morgan's Point is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States located on the shores of the Galveston Bay at the inlet to the Houston Ship Channel, near La Porte and Pasadena. It earned fame in Texas' early history for being the home of the legendary Emily West , known as the Yellow Rose of Texas...
and a boardwalk amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
at Sylvan Beach, La Porte (together known at the time as the Texas "Gold Coast"), as well as summer homes at Seabrook
Seabrook, Texas
Seabrook is a city in Harris county, with some water surface area located within Chambers county in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 9,443 at the 2000 census....
and other communities. The onset of Prohibition made Galveston Bay an important entry point for smuggling illegal liquor, which supplied most of Texas and much of the Midwest. Boats arrived at locations ranging from Galveston to Seabrook. The Maceo crime syndicate, which operated in Galveston
Free State of Galveston
The Free State of Galveston was a whimsical name given to the island city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas during the early-to-mid-20th century. Today, the term is sometimes used to describe the culture and history of that era...
at that time, created casino districts in Kemah and Dickinson and other areas of Galveston County. Houstonians often humorously referred to the county line as the "Maceo-Dickinson line
Maceo-Dickinson line
The expression Maceo-Dickinson line was used in Texas in the early/mid 20th century referring to the Galveston County line. The expression was a pun which made reference to the Mason-Dixon line. From the 1920s to the 1940s the Maceo crime syndicate controlled Galveston, Texas and established a...
" (a pun referring to the Mason-Dixon line
Mason-Dixon line
The Mason–Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and...
). Much of the area around Clear Lake was developed as recreational properties for the wealthy, including a large ranch estate owned by Houston businessman James West
James Marion West Sr.
James Marion West Sr. was a wealthy Houston, Texas businessman who substantially influenced the city's development during the early 20th century....
. Though the Great Depression
Great Depression in the United States
The Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. The market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement...
closed many businesses in the area petroleum-related growth helped offset the effects.
During the World War
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
s, factories around the bay were pressed into service mass producing a variety of products including aviation fuel
Aviation fuel
Aviation fuel is a specialized type of petroleum-based fuel used to power aircraft. It is generally of a higher quality than fuels used in less critical applications, such as heating or road transport, and often contains additives to reduce the risk of icing or explosion due to high temperatures,...
, synthetic rubber
Synthetic rubber
Synthetic rubber is is any type of artificial elastomer, invariably a polymer. An elastomer is a material with the mechanical property that it can undergo much more elastic deformation under stress than most materials and still return to its previous size without permanent deformation...
, and ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s. The first tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
smelter outside of Europe was opened in Texas City becoming one of the world's main suppliers. The population in the Bay Area grew faster than even Houston as processing plants and factories were built and expanded. Ellington Air Force Base
Ellington Field
Ellington International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in the U.S. state of Texas within the city of Houston— southeast of Downtown. Established by the Army Air Service on 21 May 1917, Ellington Field was one of the initial World War I Army Air Service installations when...
was built to the southeast of Houston (adjacent to modern Clear Lake City) and became a major air field and flight training center during the wars.
Industrialization and urbanization during the earlier 20th century led to the pollution of the bay. By the 1970s the bay was described by some sources as "the most polluted body of water in the U.S." The ship channel and Clear Lake were rated by some sources as having even worse water quality. Drilling for oil and underground water, as well as large wakes from increasing shipping in the bay, led to land subsidence and erosion along the shoreline, especially in the Baytown-Pasadena area. Today approximately 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of the historic San Jacinto battleground
San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
The San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site includes the location of the Battle of San Jacinto, and the USS Texas. It is located off the Houston Ship Channel in LaPorte, Texas. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960....
are submerged, most of Sylvan Beach is gone, and the once prominent Brownwood neighborhood of Baytown has had to be abandoned.
In 1947, an explosion on a ship
Texas City Disaster
The Texas City Disaster was the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history. The incident took place on April 16, 1947, and began with a mid-morning fire on board the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp which was docked in the Port of Texas City...
at the Port of Texas City
Port of Texas City
The Port of Texas City is a major deepwater port in Texas City, Texas at Galveston Bay, United States. Its location on the bay, which is used by the Port of Houston and the Port of Galveston, puts Texas City in the heart of one of the world's most important shipping hubs...
caused fires and destruction throughout the city's industrial complex and other ships creating one of nation's worst industrial accidents. The tragedy caused more than five hundred deaths, more than four thousand injuries, and more than $50 million in damage ($ million in today's dollars). Though the city's growth and prosperity were interrupted, the city and the business leaders were able to rebuild.
Modern times
U.S. Route 75
U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Kittson County, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side of a closed border crossing. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 30 and Interstate 45 in Dallas,...
, was completed providing a fast automobile link between Houston and Galveston. The new freeway, considered an engineering marvel at the time, greatly encouraged new development in the western region of the bay.
Hurricane Carla
Hurricane Carla
Hurricane Carla was one of two Category 5 tropical cyclones during the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season. It struck the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, becoming one of the most powerful storms to ever strike the United States. Hurricane Carla was the second most intense storm to ever...
, Texas' largest storm on record, struck the coast in 1961 causing substantial flooding and damage in Texas City and other communities. Loss of life was minimal thanks to evacuation efforts. Expansion of the flood control dike and construction on the Texas City seawall occurred a result. The project was completed in 1985.
NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Johnson Space Center (JSC) was established in the area in 1963. That and the explosive growth of neighboring Houston in the mid-20th century, especially the 1970s and 80s, caused the remainder of the communities on the southwestern shore to urbanize
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
. The Clear Lake City community was created by the Friendswood Development Company
Friendswood Development Company
Friendswood Development Company is a major real estate developer in Greater Houston. It is headquartered at 550 Greens Parkway, a building in the Greenspoint area of Houston....
, a venture of Humble Oil and Dell E. Webb Corporation
Del Webb
Delbert Eugene Webb was an American construction magnate, real estate developer and sports-team owner, who is most significant for founding and developing the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona.-Early life:...
, to support residential growth near the new NASA facitily. The communities around Clear Lake rapidly reoriented toward aerospace related industries, and the region's economy diversified further. Urban development spread solidly between Houston and the Bay Area communities. Houston formally annexed most of Clear Lake City in 1977 with Pasadena annexing most of the rest. Most of the other communities around the bay, however, had already incorporated, or incorporated soon afterward, and thus were independent of the metropolis.
The economic boom of the 1970s and early 1980s that took place in Texas (because of the escalation in oil prices
1970s energy crisis
The 1970s energy crisis was a period in which the major industrial countries of the world, particularly the United States, faced substantial shortages, both perceived and real, of petroleum...
) benefited the Bay Area communities significantly. Industrial operations were expanded including the opening of the U.S. Steel plant in Baytown in 1970, and the Barbours Cut shipping terminal
Barbours Cut Terminal
The Barbours Cut Container Terminal, or simply the Barbours Cut Terminal, is a major deep water port in the Greater Houston area in the U.S. state of Texas. Part of the larger Port of Houston complex, Barbours Cut is the largest of the terminals and the first port in Texas to handle standardized...
at Morgan's Point in 1977. The Port of Texas City became the third leading port in Texas by tonnage and ninth in the nation. The Barbours Cut terminal, operated by the Port of Houston
Port of Houston
The Port of Houston is a port in Houston—the fourth-largest city in the United States. The Port is a 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities located a few hours' sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico...
, became the seventh leading port in the nation. Not all of this development was without controversy, however. In building Barbours Cut, the Port of Houston used its power of eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
to evict residents from nearly one third of the homes in Morgan's Point. Still, when the Texas economy declined in the later 1980s
1980s oil glut
The 1980s oil glut was a serious surplus of crude oil caused by falling demand following the 1970s Energy Crisis. The world price of oil, which had peaked in 1980 at over US$35 per barrel , fell in 1986 from $27 to below $10...
, the economic diversity of the area and substantial annual federal investments related to JSC helped the region fare better than most of Greater Houston.
Conservation efforts in the mid to late 20th century by area industries and municipalities helped to dramatically improve water quality in the bay. The Nature Conservancy and Houston's Outdoor Nature Club (ONC) helped encourage nature preservation efforts including creating the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife conservation area along the coast of Texas , west of the town of High Island, Texas. It borders East Bay, part of the Galveston Bay complex, behind Bolivar Peninsula at the Gulf of Mexico....
, the Armand Bayou Nature Center
Armand Bayou Nature Center
Armand Bayou Nature Center is an urban preserve located in Pasadena and southeast Houston between the Johnson Space Center and the Bayport Industrial District...
, and the Texas City Prairie Preserve
Texas City Prairie Preserve
The Texas City Prairie Preserve is a nature preserve located on the shores of Moses Lake and Galveston Bay in Texas City, Texas in the United States, near Houston. The preserve was created in 1995 by the Nature Conservancy thanks to a US$2.2 million donation of land by ExxonMobil...
. Tourism in the area grew, especially around Clear Lake, led in large part by the Space Center
Space Center Houston
Space Center Houston is the official visitors' center of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center—the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's center for human spaceflight activities—located in Houston...
. Some former resort communities of the early 20th century like Kemah and Seabrook re-emerged. The lake itself today holds one of the largest concentrations of marinas in the world.
During the later 20th century and afterward, many of the communities and businesses in the area began cooperative efforts, including the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, and the Bay Area Houston Transportation Partnership, to create a distinct economic and civic identity for the region and to plan regional development. Though most of the communities in the region have been incorporated into municipalities, a few unincorporated communities remain under the extra-territorial jurisdiction of neighboring towns. These include San Leon, Bacliff
Bacliff, Texas
Bacliff is a census-designated place in north central Galveston County, Texas, United States, northwest of Galveston. The population was 6,962 at the 2000 census. Bacliff, originally called Clifton-by-the-Sea, began as a seaside resort town...
, Smith Point
Smith Point, Texas
Smith Point is an unincorporated area in Chambers County, Texas, United States....
. The communities of San Leon and Bacliff, despite their seaside location, their proximity to the relatively prosperous Clear Lake Area, and the development of summer resort communities there in the early 20th century, have suffered economic decline since the mid-20th century and are among the least affluent parts of the Bay Area today.
In 2008 Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
struck the coast causing substantial damage both environmentally and economically. the ecology of the region is still in recovery with damage caused by both natural pollution (sea salt
Sea salt
Sea salt, salt obtained by the evaporation of seawater, is used in cooking and cosmetics. It is historically called bay salt or solar salt...
) and man-made pollution (chemicals washed into the freshwater and the bay) still showing dramatic effects on both the marine and land-dwelling wildlife. Commercial fishing and oyster farming are expected to take decades to fully recover. Most major industry was able to return to normal operations but some tourist areas have taken longer to recover.
Discussions of a proposal to build an Ike Dike
Ike Dike
The Ike Dike is a proposed coastal barrier that, when completed, would protect the Galveston Bay in Texas, United States. The project would be a dramatic enhancement of the existing Galveston Seawall, complete with floodgates, which would protect more of Galveston, the Bolivar Peninsula, the...
that would protect the Bay Area, particularly the nationally critical Houston Ship Channel
Houston Ship Channel
The Houston Ship Channel, located in Houston, Texas, is part of the Port of Houston—one of the United States's busiest seaports. The channel is the conduit for ocean-going vessels between the Houston-area shipyards and the Gulf of Mexico.-Overview:...
, were begun in 2009. the project is still in the conceptual stage.
See also
- Free State of GalvestonFree State of GalvestonThe Free State of Galveston was a whimsical name given to the island city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas during the early-to-mid-20th century. Today, the term is sometimes used to describe the culture and history of that era...
- History of Galveston, TexasHistory of Galveston, TexasThe history of Galveston, Texas, began when the first European settlements on the island were constructed around 1816. The Port of Galveston was established in 1825 by the Congress of Mexico following its successful revolution from Spain. The city served as the main port for the Texas Navy during...
- History of HoustonHistory of HoustonThis article documents the wide-ranging history of the city of Houston, the largest city in the state of Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States.-Houston's turbulent beginning:...