History of Houston

This 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.

On the heels of the Texas Revolution, two New York City real estate promoters, John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen were seeking a location where they could begin building "a great center of government and commerce." In August 1836, they purchased 6,642 acres (27 km²) of land (on a site adjacent to the ashes of Harrisburg) from T. F. L. Parrot, John Austin's widow for $9,428. The Allen brothers first landed in the area where the confluence of White Oak Bayou and Buffalo Bayou served as a natural turning basin, now known as Allen's Landing. The "city to be" was named after Sam Houston, the hero of San Jacinto, whom the Allen brothers admired and anticipated to be the first President of the Republic of Texas. Gail Borden, Jr., a publisher and surveyor, who would later found Borden, Inc., exercised foresight when he laid out wide streets for the town.

The Laura, the first ship ever to visit Houston, arrived in January 1837. On January 1, 1837, the town comprised twelve residents and one log cabin; four months later there were 1,500 people and 100 houses. The city was granted incorporation by the state legislature on June 5, 1837 and was made as the temporary capital of Texas. At this time, drunkenness, dueling, brawling, prostitution, and profanity began to become a problem in early Houston.

...
Wikipedia