Port of Houston History
The Port of Houston is one of the largest seaports in the world.
How did a narrow, winding bayou located 50 miles inland achieve such greatness? This extraordinary story
begins in 1836 when two brothers from New York, Augustus and John Kirby Allen, decided to found a town
in the newly created Republic of Texas. They realized that a navigable waterway was crucial to their
potential trade center, which they hoped would become "the great interior commercial emporium of Texas."
With this vision before them, the Allens chose land at the confluence of Buffalo and White Oak bayous as
the site for their real estate venture. The San Jacinto campaign in the battle for independence had called
attention to Buffalo Bayou as a link between the Brazos River bottoms and the sea, creating an important
component for a successful center of commerce.
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Tall, Taller, Tallest: The Rise of the Houston Skyline 1900-2000
Today, the tall buildings of Houston soar above deep canyons along the
streets of downtown. From a distance, their dizzying heights and dramatic designs create a unique signature
for the fourth largest city in America. This remarkable skyline took shape over a span of 100 years, as
builders competed to raise tall structures in what has become the financial and government center of Houston.
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Gus and Lyndall Wortham: The Family Behind the Philanthropy
Gus Sessions Wortham (1891-1976), businessman, civic
leader, cattle rancher and philanthropist, served as chairman of the board and chief executive
officer of American General for almost five decades. He and his wife, Lyndall Finley Wortham
(1892-1980), are also remembered for establishing the Wortham Foundation for support of cultural
organizations and parks in Houston. In addition to the Wortham Theater Center, several other public
places in Houston are named for Wortham, including Gus Wortham Park, Gus Wortham Memorial Fountain,
Wortham Fountain at the Texas Medical Center, Wortham House (home of the University of Houston chancellor),
Wortham IMAX Theater at the Museum of Natural Science, Wortham World of Primates at the Houston Zoo, and
Wortham Tower in the American General Center.
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William Ward Watkin and early Houston architecture
William Ward Watkin was an influential architect, planner, educator and writer who left a distinctive mark on Houston in the first part of the 20th century. His legacy remains in a number of gracious public and private buildings that can be seen and enjoyed today. He was a devoted believer in the City Beautiful Movement, an effort begun in the 1890s to improve urban life through beautification of buildings, public planning, and landscaping.
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Felix Tijerina
When a restaurant customer asked Felix Tijerina for "tomato catsup," the young Mexican-American busboy didn't know what the words meant and could not read them on the side of the bottle. But he was determined to learn. His efforts that started with those two words ended up helping thousands of children all across Texas and formed a model for the national program known as Head Start.
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