Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IX.djvu/23

HOUSTON 15 ton, and 150 m. E. S. E. of Austin ; pop. in 1860, 4,845 ; in 1870, 9,382, of whom 3,691 were colored; in 1874, estimated by the local authorities at 20,000. It is built on the left bank of the bayou, which is spanned by several bridges, the principal ones being of iron, and embraces an area of 9 sq. m. The city hall and market house of brick, just finished at a cost of $400,000, is 272 ft. long by 146 ft. wide, and has two towers, 14 by 21 ft. and 114 ft. high. It contains a hall, 70 by 110 ft., fitted up for public entertainments and capable of seating 1,300 persons. The masonic temple is a handsome structure costing $200,000. The principal hotel, the largest in the state, has accommodations for 500 guests. The city is lighted with gas, and is easily drained. The construction of street railroads and grading of streets are in progress. Houston is the centre of the railroad system of the state, and attracts the trade of the surrounding country, which is ricli in grazing and agricultural products. There are six diverging lines: the Houston and Texas Central ; the Houston and Great North- ern and International ; Houston Trip and Bra- zoria; Galveston, Houston, and Henderson; New Orleans and Texas ; and Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado. The bayou opposite the city has a depth of 5 ft., but owing to bars in Galveston bay vessels drawing more than 4 ft. cannot reach this point. Improvements are in progress by the United States government and an incorporated company, which will ren- der Houston accessible by vessels drawing 9 ft. The navigation of the bayou is mainly con- trolled by the Houston direct navigation com- pany, which hac a capital of $300,000, and owns 6 steamers, 4 tugs, and 24 barges. The Market and Oper whole number of vessels regularly engaged in the trade of the bayou in 1872 was 71, viz.: steamers, 10 ; tugs, 6 ; barges, 30 ; schooners, mostly employed in the lumber trade with the Sabine, Louisiana, and Florida coasts, 25. An extensive lumber trade is also carried on by flatboats with the bayous emptying into Buffalo bayou and San Jacinto river. The principal business, however, is manufacturing, in which Houston surpasses all other places in the state. The chief establishments, besides the extensive machine shops of the railroads, are 2 cotton fac- tories, 4 iron and brass founderies, 3 car facto- ries, 4 planing mills and wood works, 5 manu- factories of furniture, 2 of soap, 1 of cement pipe, 1 of bone dust, 5 sheet-iron and tin works, 5 carriage and wagon works, 1 beef-packing and Ice-manufacturing establishment, and 7 brick yards. There are three nurseries, two 415 VOL. ix. 2 House, Houston. fire and marine insurance companies, a cotton press company, two national banks with a cap- ital of $200,000, and a state bank with $500,000 capital. The valuation of property in 1873 was $7,669,625. The state fair is held here an- nually. The city contains 14 public schools, which in 1872 had 26 teachers and 1,228 pu- pils, two public libraries with about 3,000 vol- umes, three daily and six weekly newspapers, two monthly periodicals, and 12 churches. Houston was settled in 1836, and in 1837 was temporarily the seat of government. noi'STON, Sam, an American soldier, born near Lexington, Va., March 2, 1793, died at Huntersville, Texas, July 25, 1863. His father served in the revolutionary war, and held the post of inspector of brigade till his death in 1807. His mother, after her husband's death, emigrated with her six sons and three daugh-