After forty years of teaching and thirteen years at the helm of Houston History, our editor-in-chief Joe Pratt has retired. This is the last letter from the editor he will write, but we are hopeful he will get bored with his gorgeous view of the mountains and write articles for us from time to time, sharing his wealth […]
Tag Archives | Houston History
Home in the Pines: Creating The Woodlands
Since opening in 1974 The Woodlands has grown dramatically as a distant suburb where people can live and work without commuting daily to downtown Houston. It has partially fulfilled its aspiration to be an environmentally friendly place to live for people from all economic strata of life, with housing for the rich, the middle class, […]
First Providence Then Prosperity
Past the easternmost boundaries of Houston lies the ancient Neches River, where various settlements formed along the banks long before our region’s towns, highways, and industries emerged. This “ideal place for a town” became Tevis Bluff…
A Quest into the World of Rennies
By Taylor Mankin The Texas Renaissance Festival has been a popular form of entertainment for Houstonians since the early 1970s, with thousands making the trek each fall into a world that is part history and part fantasy. Upon entering the fairgrounds, tourists and visitors encounter performers, merchants, and artisans donning medieval-style garb and speaking in […]
Asian Americans in Houston
The Heritage Society and Houston History have teamed up to present the magazine’s fall issue along with a complementary exhibit in the museum gallery featuring images, documents, artifacts, and personal items related to the articles. The exhibit is on display now at The Heritage Society, 1100 Bagby in downtown Houston. The magazine will be available […]
Asian Americans: Expanding Our Horizons
The year 2015 marks a half century since the United States passed the Immigration and Nationality Act, a comprehensive immigration reform that abolished the racial quota system established in 1924 that was based on national origins. The new law admitted people based on criteria such as family reunification, skills needed in the U.S. workplace, and […]
An American Chinese in Houston
E. K. T. Chen spent half his life a Texan and died a patriot in Washington, DC, on October 16, 1957, while preventing Chinese internment during the Korean War. This is the story of the extraordinary things accomplished by this ordinary son of Chinese immigrants that benefited all Americans, and my efforts to continue his […]
The Legacy of Leland
Leland dedicated his political career to caring for his fellow man at home and abroad, demonstrating the importance of helping those in need. In the process, he left a legacy of humanitarianism that remains a model for us today.
Houston Brings Home a Shuttle for Everyone to Share
Space Center Houston plans to open the exhibit in the summer of 2015 that will feature the mock-up shuttle Independence sitting atop the Boeing 747, in the “ferry position.” Visitors here will have a far more tangible, hands-on educational experience than those who visit sites housing the formerly active shuttles. They can explore the insides […]