Houston

Houston

(Severin)

Biographies Alf. L. Scott and T. J. Westerberg

This city, situated in Harris County in southeast Texas, about fifty miles from the Gulf of Mexico, is one of Texas’ outstanding cities. Pioneers had already come to this area by 1822 but nothing of any further importance took place until after the Texas Revolution. The question was where the new republic’s governing seat should be located, and Houston was chosen to be the capital of Texas. A land area of 1,428 acres was bought in August, 1836, from Mrs. John Austin, for the sum of $5,000. That is hardly more than what is now paid for a square foot on Main Street in Houston.

A description of Houston in May, 1936, by nature scientist, Audubon, gives an insight into early conditions and was worded as follows: “We saw around us a vast prairie, without even one tree, soil was poor and houses were only half finished, most still without a roof; several tents and a flag pole made up the capital city. We advanced toward the president’s palace, but had to wade in water more than ankle deep. The palace consisted of a little log hut with two rooms and a porch. Here lived General Sam Houston, first president of the Republic of Texas.” Improvements came slowly at that time, and the Capitol building was scarcely finished, when Congress met in the Fall of 1837. It had rained very much and every rainfall prevented the holding of sessions because of the defective buildings. Rain, water, defective houses and poor health made conditions nearly unbearable. Therefore the people in September of 1839 loaded the government archives onto a wagon and moved to Austin, where the president with his cabinet soon followed. On that historic site in Houston now stands the fine Rice Hotel which was built for the cost of three million dollars. In 1910 Houston was a city with 78,800 inhabitants, but now, in 1918, it can make claim to 150,000. Business in Houston has made giant progress. It is not only one of the state’s biggest railroad centers, with a rail- road network of seventeen railroads, but it has also, with governmental help builta canal between Houston and the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of about fifty miles at the cost of $5,000,000. This canal is big and deep enough for the biggest ocean steamer to pass through. Houston now stands in direct connection with the world market and competes with Galveston with regard to transportation.

As to manufacturing proceeds, Houston comes next to the biggest city in Texas. In the year 1909, Houston had 229 factories and establishments with a capital of $16,000,000 and with $23,000,000 value of products yearly and also a working force of six thousand men.

With the outbreak of the war in Europe, a big shipyard was built here at a cost of $3,000,000 and several thousand men were occupied with ship building. Houston was especially suitable for this industry, since just east of Houston, in the big forest was found material for ship’s wood and no less than four hundred sawmills. There is a large military training camp-here too. In July, 1917, work began on the training camp. Camp Logan, four miles west of Houston. Four thousand men were hired to construct the buildings at a cost of $2,000,000. Many other improvements have been carried out during this time.

Around the city are located the big oil fields at Humble and Goose Creek with Houston as the headquarters which is another important source of income.

About sixteen miles east of the city is Ellington flying school with four thousand pupils living there.

The city is well supplied with churches and schools. In the forty-four public schools 575 teachers are employed. Among the schools of higher learning is the distinguished Rice Institute, named for William M. Rice, who gave this institution a property with the value noted at $8,000,000 but it is now valued at $11,000,000.

Twenty miles east of Houston the historical San Jacinto Battleground is located, known from the battle of 1836, when General Sam Houston defeated the Mexican General Santa Anna. He won a decisive victory and thereby secured freedom for Texas from the Mexican oppression. This place is now a beautiful park with many beautiful statues and memorials. People come to this park by boat from Houston.

More than any other city in Texas, Houston is associated with the first Swedish immigration to Texas. The first Swedish people came here and still living here is one of the immigrants from 1841, Mr. Gustaf A. Forsgard. Only some of the Swedish people settled here. The religious activities have been conducted during the last years by a regular Swedish Methodist pastor, 0. E.Linstrum, who also spends much of his time at the soldier training camp. No Swedish church has yet been built in Houston.

Extracted from: Swedes In Texas In Words and Pictures,

English Translation, 1838 - 1918