Houston Facts

by Christof Spieler

Founded in 1836 by the Allen brothers, who claimed that the bend in Buffalo Bayou where Downtown now stands was the head of navigation on the river.

Early history: first capital of Texas; major cotton center. Spindletop oil find in Beaumont (1901) brought first oil companies. Shipping Channel (1914) turned city into major port.

Population: 1.7 Million

(4th largest in U.S., and the second largest media market.)

Prominent industries: oil/petrochemicals, aerospace (NASA Johnson Space Center, early 1960s), medical treatment/research (Texas Medical Center, 1940s)

Transportation: Port of Houston, one of the nation's largest (Free harbor cruise/tours available; call 670-2416) Served by five of the seven major American railroads.

Claims to fame:

* First word spoken from the surface of the moon

* Largest U.S. city without zoning

* First domed stadium

(Astrodome, 1965)

* Tallest U.S. skyscraper outside a

downtown area

(Transco Tower, 1983)

* Birthplace of the strip mall (1923)

This item appeared in the Features section of the September 1, 1995 issue.

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