Bringing you the story of Houston for 115 years
Reconnect with the past through our stories and archival photos
Great global cities usually develop over hundreds, even thousands of years, with each century building upon the latter until a vibrant metropolis emerges. Think of ancient Rome, Paris and London, or, closer to home, Boston, Philadelphia and New York. Houston, well on its way to being the third-largest city in America, has had the audacity to blossom into a global city in less than 200 years, coming of age hundreds of years after the Pilgrims first built settlements in Virginia and Massachusetts.
From its earliest days in the 1800s, however, Houston’s founders boldly plotted a grand future for the flat swampy land they settled, envisioning a city that would emerge as the heart of Texas. Still, even Sam Hous- ton, the Allen brothers and Jesse Jones could not have imagined what has sprung from their efforts — a city that is home to a great shipping port, the world’s energy business, a renowned medical center, great universities, thriving arts and one of the most diverse populations in the country.
The Houston Chronicle is a part of that history, too, of course, bringing you the important stories of and about our city for the last 115 years. We’ve chronicled businesses that have grown into Fortune 100 companies, and businesses that have crashed overnight. We brought you the story of NASA’s birth, its bold space missions and its crippling tragedies. We’ve brought you stories and photos of some of our greatest sports heros — from Mary Lou Retton to George Foreman. We’ve followed the rise of powerful politicians, great artists, brilliant physicians and leaders from every walk of life.
To honor our anniversary in October, we are reconnecting with this past and sharing with you stories and photos that trace how Houston became what we are calling “the city that could” — evolving from a community built on speculation to the great cosmopolitan city it is today, full of challenges and promise.
Today’s special section, the start of our six-month retrospective, examines the early years of Houston before the Chronicle printed its first paper. Readers will find that the foundation for modern-day Houston was laid at the very beginning, with the subdividing of land, development, shipping and commerce playing major roles in Houston’s history, even before wildcatters struck oil at Spindletop in 1901, ushering in the great Texas oil boom.
The Houston skyline sketches the dusky sky, as seen near the Ship Channel.
Starting Monday, we’ll move forward, tracing our evolution over the last 115 years since the founding of the Houston Chronicle. Each day, we will bring you a different story examining Houston’s legends, science and medical achievements, famous sports moments, cultural icons, great innovators, and significant business developments or milestones. On our digital and social platforms, we will develop videos and photo galleries, oral histories, display historic front pages, and offer interactive quizzes. We hope you’ll come along with us for this journey through Houston’s history.