A few years ago, I was asked to name the major events that shaped the Texas we know today. High on the list was the development of Allen’s Landing and the Port of Houston during the early days of the Republic and the subsequent efforts at the dawn of the twentieth century to develop a deep-water channel in the area just as the oil industry was emerging. Without this critical infrastructure, Texas could not have become a vital hub of global commerce. I am tempted to say “and the rest is history” – but, in reality, it is also the future.
The latest $1 billion expansion of the Houston Ship Channel is officially underway after a decade of planning. The project involves deepening and widening parts of the channel to improve capacity, efficiency, and safety. It’s known locally as Project 11 since it’s the eleventh major construction initiative in the waterway’s long history.
Cotton comprised much of the cargo in the early days, with Houston offering connections through the natural port at Galveston. By the early twentieth century, crude oil became dominant, and the area became the site for refineries and other processing facilities. As the economy evolved, Houston was the nation’s first port to offer container shipping.
