The Dynamic Growth of Metropolitan Houston

Real Estate marketing was a dynamic business in Southeast Texas in the early 1900’s. The Lucas Gusher had come in at the Spindletop Field starting the oil rush and agricultural markets were booming as well.

Houston was the new shining star of commerce after the loss of Galveston to a hurricane 15 years earlier. The new Houston Ship Channel is shown – it had been finished the year before this map was published after Mayor Rice had presented the “Houston Plan” in Washington and Jesse Jones had arranged for the sale of $1,250,000 worth of bonds to pay the city’s share of the dredging costs.

This map shows virtually all the individual owners of each tract of land in ten counties, from Beaumont on the east to the Brazos River west of Katy and north past Conroe. To the southwest, Sugar Land, Richmond, Rosenberg and all of Ft. Bend, Wharton and Matagorda counties are shown. The owners names include a who’s who of early Houston and Texas history including Stephen F. Austin.

Photographic vignettes in the top corners show a lively street scene in front of the downtown Houston office of the “Largest Land Dealers in Texas” and their well dressed office staff ready for business inside.