HOUSTON,
a city and the capital of Harris
co., Texas, the second city in the state in
population and importance, situated at the head
of tide water on Buffalo bayou, 45 m. above its
mouth in Galveston bay, 46 N. W. of
Galveston, and 150 m. E. S. E. of Austin ; pop. in
1860, 4,845 ; in 1870, 9,382, of whom 3,691
were colored; in 1874, estimated by the local
authorities at 20,000. It is built on the left
bank of the bayou, which is spanned by several
bridges, the principal ones being of iron, and
embraces an area of 9 sq. m. The city hall
and market house of brick, just finished at a
cost of $400,000, is 272 ft. long by 146 ft. wide,
and has two towers, 14 by 21 ft. and 114 ft.
high. It contains a hall, 70 by 110 ft., fitted
up for public entertainments and capable of
seating 1,300 persons. The masonic temple is
a handsome structure costing $200,000. The
principal hotel, the largest in the state, has
accommodations for 500 guests. The city is
lighted with gas, and is easily drained. The
construction of street railroads and grading of
streets are in progress. Houston is the centre
of the railroad system of the state, and attracts
the trade of the surrounding country, which
is rich in grazing and agricultural products.
There are six diverging lines: the Houston and
Texas Central; the Houston and Great Northern
and International; Houston Tap and
Brazoria; Galveston, Houston, and Henderson;
New Orleans and Texas; and Buffalo Bayou,
Brazos, and Colorado. The bayou opposite
the city has a depth of 5 ft., but owing to bars
in Galveston bay vessels drawing more than 4
ft. cannot reach this point. Improvements are
in progress by the United States government
and an incorporated company, which will render
Houston accessible by vessels drawing 9 ft.
The navigation of the bayou is mainly
controlled by the Houston direct navigation
company, which has a capital of $300,000, and
owns 6 steamers, 4 tugs, and 24 barges. The
whole number of vessels regularly engaged in
the trade of the bayou in 1872 was 71, viz.:
steamers, 10; tugs, 6; barges, 30; schooners,
mostly employed in the lumber trade with the
Sabine, Louisiana, and Florida coasts, 25. An
extensive lumber trade is also carried on by
flatboats with the bayous emptying into Buffalo
bayou and San Jacinto river. The principal
business, however, is manufacturing, in which
Houston surpasses all other places in the state.
The chief establishments, besides the extensive
machine shops of the railroads, are 2 cotton
factories, 4 iron and brass founderies, 3 car factories,
4 planing mills and wood works, 5
manufactories of furniture, 2 of soap, 1 of cement
pipe, 1 of bone dust, 5 sheet-iron and tin works,
5 carriage and wagon works, 1 beef-packing
and ice-manufacturing establishment, and 7
brick yards. There are three nurseries, two
fire and marine insurance companies, a cotton
press company, two national banks with a
capital of $200,000, and a state bank with $500,000
capital. The valuation of property in 1873
was $7,669,625. The state fair is held here
annually. The city contains 14 public schools,
which in 1872 had 26 teachers and 1,228
pupils, two public libraries with about 3,000
volumes, three daily and six weekly newspapers,
two monthly periodicals, and 12 churches.?Houston
was settled in 1836, and in 1837 was
temporarily the seat of government.
Market and Opera House, Houston.