BOOKS

The Houstorian Calendar: Today in Houston History

September 4, 2000, was Houston’s hottest day on record, as well as Beyoncé’s nineteenth birthday. Sam Houston was elected president on September 5, 1836. The city was awarded a National League baseball franchise on October 17, 1960, and on November 1, 2017, the Astros won their first World Series. On December 13, 1882, the Capitol Hotel became Houston’s first public building to get electricity. Tragedy struck on April 16, 1947, when a ship carrying ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded alongside a Texas City dock. James Glassman captures every single day of the year in the prism of Houston history, from the Texas Revolution to the moon landing.

The Houstorian Dictionary: An Insider’s Index to Houston

Houston is an innovative city informed by a diverse and eclectic past that is ever-present in its customs, expressions and dreams, even though most Houstonians don't realize it. Represented by landmarks, dishes and events, the culture of America's fourth-largest city is celebrated in the literature, movies, songs and memorable quotations credited to its vibrant citizenry. The Houstorian Dictionary is a guide for natives and newcomers alike. Each entry leads into the next to create a tapestry of the Bayou City's past and present. Discover that story and visit the places where it all happened. Meet the innovators, heroes, hucksters and misfit tinkerers who share the unique Houston DNA.

ARTICLES

Celebrating Black History from Galveston to Houston

“This Emancipation Trail will become only the second in the history of the United States to commemorate the history of African Americans. It will provide enhanced knowledge about the historic announcement by Captain Granger that the slaves were free. I am excited that we were able to secure this legislation in a very short period of time which now establishes the first historic trail solely within the boundaries of the State of Texas…

Buffalo Bayou Blues (A Short History)

“It’s our sketchy birthplace and our signature waterway. In Bayou City, it’s our connection to nature, but also the mark of our original sin…

The Worst Kept Secret in Texas

“While certainly not the first whorehouse in Central Texas, the so-called Chicken Ranch was, for decades, the worst kept secret around. Just outside the city limits of La Grange, along a gravel road, was an unassuming 9-room boarding house where women would sell sex, while remaining out of public view…

Sustain Agility: the Oldest Home in River Oaks

“You might think that the oldest home in River Oaks would inspire architectural pilgrimages, hordes of souvenir-toting tourists posing for pictures in front of a jaw-dropping façade. Among the reasons it does not: The 1924 Colonial Revival–inspired house is, by River Oaks standards, a modest structure. It’s also still a home, and as such, has never been open for public viewing, aside from an open house held a few years ago…

To Thine Own Self Be Hou

“Most recently, it feels as if we’ve turned a corner, and it’s no longer commonplace to hear those tired, tepid, half-hearted, and sometimes defensive descriptions of Houston. By now, we all know how to defend our city confidently from the naysayers and copycats. We know who we are, and we don’t need to steal from any other city…

Requiem for My Luby’s

“So the Luby’s Cafeteria on Buffalo Speedway has finally bitten the dust. Thanks to the observant journalists over at swamplot.com, I knew this day was coming soon (somehow, a new HEB will be squeezed onto the site). In December 2007, the bulldozers and back-hoes dispatched the empty building that once housed MY Luby’s, and today, the parking lot and foundation were demolished…