"Keeweechic's Houston" a Houston Travel Page by keeweechic

Houston is on the coastal prairies of Southeast Texas - 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and is frequently known as "The Bayou City" or/and "The Space City". The city was named after Sam Houston, General of the Texas army who achieved independence from Mexico and later became the President of the Republic of Texas.

Houston was once a small riverboat landing which was established on the Buffalo Bayou in 1836, today it is the largest city in Texas and fourth largest in the Nation. Houston was one of the first US cities to build electric power plants and one of the first to buy motor cars for personal travel. It was also one of the first to discover oil. The state's first major highway also had its beginnings in Houston. Not that Houstonians are ones to brag, but they also broadcast the first commercial TV program and aired the nation's first public broadcast TV station. Of course they will tell you that the first word spoken from the moon was 'Houston'..... This is Texas.. bragging is allowed.

Today Houston is a major oil centre with its economy revolving around petrochemicals, oil refining and shipping. There are a number of fine galleries and museums as well as the Astrodome and the Nasa Space Center.