Houston History Magazine

Third Ward, Steeped in Tradition of Self-reliance and Achievement

The historic Third Ward was originally an area east of Main Street, south of Congress Street and extending to the city limits. For the residents of the Third Ward, their identity with the ward went beyond the original intent of the nomenclature as a political division.

Two Worlds a Mile Apart, A Brief History of the Fourth Ward

Clatter of light rail running down Main Street, cars roaring by, crowds gathering at the crosswalk champing to get on with the day—hectic life fills twenty-first century downtown Houston. But when a Houstonian takes a short stroll from the busy intersection of Congress and Main to nearby Sesquicentennial Park and wanders down the walk to […]

Freedman’s Town: A Lesson in the Failure of Historic Preservation

The struggle to preserve the history of Freedmen’s Town in Houston, Texas is entangled in the questionable systems of urban renewal and development, which inevitably work to displace many of the poor African American residents from the community.

Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder: Third Ward Art Treasure but a Memory

Harvey Johnson came to Houston from Port Arthur to study art at Texas Southern University under world-renowned artist, sculptor, and teacher, John Biggers, who founded the school’s art program in 1949.

Oil in Houston

Wildcats and sweet crude. Live in Houston long enough and you’ll learn that wildcats are exploration oil wells and the price of sweet crude – the high-quality, low-sulfur oil used for processing gasoline – is a closely watched economic indicator. But if you just got here or want a refresher on what the oil industry […]

Houston History Archives: Saving Stories of Region, Place and People

By Teresa Tomkins-Walsh Click here to read the full pdf of this article

Volume 8, Number 2

Oil in Houston Vol. 8, No. 2 (Spring 2011) Download PDF Letter from Editor 2 Faces of Texas Oil by Story Sloane III 8 We’re Sticking by Our Union: The Battle for Baytown, 1942-1943 by Michael Boston 15 Witness to the Day of Reckoning: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, March 24, 1989 A Conversation […]

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