HOW WE BEAT THE HEAT IN HOUSTON

WHEN THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY GET TOO INTENSE, YOU MIGHT JUST NEED TO TURN ON A FAN AND ENJOY THE BREEZE.

Houston summers have always been hot. But there hasn’t always been air conditioning. In an attempt to combat the heat in those pre-A/C days, residents used to hide under shady trees, jump in public fountains or head to the beach in Galveston.

Houston, founded in June 1837, suffered without air conditioning until roughly the 1920s, two decades after Willis Carrier invented a system of blowers and coolantfilled coils to cool off a Brooklyn printing plant.

According to the Texas Historical Association, the city’s first refrigerated air-cooled room was the Rice Hotel cafeteria in 1922. It must have done wonders for business.

Before this, a block of ice and a fan was the best bet to stay cool as Houston baked during the summer months. Ice was a very big part of the Bayou City experience early on. There is a good reason why Houston has had so many ice houses, they literally began as places to buy ice. The beer came minutes later.

According to the Houston Chronicle’s Lisa Gray in 2012, the Second National Bank was the first air-conditioned building in Houston in 1923. That building is currently the 328-room JW Marriott Houston Downtown.

Three years later in 1926, the Majestic Theatre got A/C. By the end of the 1920s A/C was the norm for most downtown businesses. “Manufactured weather” was still a luxury for the working class. There were only about 400 homes with A/C in Houston in 1940, with a population of 385,000.

It wasn’t until the 1950s that most homes would have air units installed, according to locals. Around 130,000 homes were cooler than cool by then.

According to KHOU-TV, Houston’s first shopping mall with A/C was the Sharpstown Center, now known as PlazAmericas, in 1961. The Astrodome was the first athletic stadium with A/C in 1965 and three years later AstroWorld was an A/C-laden wonderland.

It was a necessity by the 1960s for middle-class Houstonians, hence our one-time nickname as “the air-conditioning capital of the world.” There are worse nicknames to have.

So this summer, if you find yourself lazing around inside a park fountain, hiding around a shady tree, or ducking inside an icy movie theater, thank Willis Carrier for his grand invention over a century ago.

Houston Chronicle file

Rosenberg Library In the early 20th century, Houstonians found the attractions of the beaches and hotels, such as the Galvez on Galveston Island, to be a tempting escape from the summer heat.

Houston Chronicle file The Gus Wortham Fountain on Allen Parkway provides a cooling mist for a Houstonian and his two dogs.

Houston Chronicle file A cool drink from a water fountain is the perfect solution for when the temperatures start to climb.

Houston Chronicle file When your job doesn’t allow time to go inside and enjoy some A/C, it might be time to reach for a cold cup of water … to pour on your face.