The Rise Of Houston As A Global City

Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest in the nation. It has long been regarded as the “Energy Capital of the World.” Trademarked boasts frequently refer to the “world’s busiest commercial seaport,” “world’s biggest medical complex,” and “world’s control center for space exploration.” Houston has been home to some of the most politically powerful people in the world, some of the most influential businesspeople, and some of the most dazzling social figures. In The Rise of Houston as Global City, Geoffrey Scott Connor follows the ascent of Houston from its founding by the Allen Brothers in 1836 as a fledging port to its growth into a global center of international trade. Such rapid expansion began in earnest when, in 1901, a hurricane devastated Galveston and the Spindletop oil gusher changed Houston’s fortune forever. The city absorbed much of Galveston’s international trade even as it developed into the world’s largest site for refineries and chemical plants....