Houston City, Texas

Houston is the largest city in Texas, and the fourth largest in the United States. It serves as the seat of Harris County, and it is also the economic center of the sixth largest American metropolitan area, the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown area. Brothers John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen founded Houston on August 30, 1836 near the shores of Buffalo Bayou. Nearly a year later, on June 5, 1837,
the city was incorporates and named in honor of former General Sam Houston who was then the President of the Republic of Texas.

The General played an integral role during the Battle of San Jacinto which took place 25 miles from where Houston was established. The city’s population boomed because of the highly successful port
and railroad industry and because of the 1901 oil discovery. During the middle of the 20th century, the world’s largest complex of research and healthcare institution, called the Texas Medical Center, was established in Houston.

During the same period, NASA’s Johnson Space Center was also built. The Mission Control Center is located in this NASA building. Houston is considered a beta world city. Its economy has a massive industrial base in the sectors of energy, aeronautics, manufacturing, healthcare and transportation. Houston is also home to several Fortune 500 headquarters.