A Thumb-Nail Histoiry of the City of Houston, Texas , from its founding in 1836 to the year 1912. By Dr. S. O. Young . (Houston: 1912. 8vo, Pp. 184.)
This book was written, the author says, “more for my own pleasure than for anything else.” He waives all claim to literary ability, but assures the reader that “every precaution has been taken to guard against error. Wherever possible, I have consulted original documents and newspapers.”
The subject matter is divided into twelve chapters, each devoted to some phase of the city's activities and tracing its history from the inception of that interest to the present. Chapter 1 (Pp. 7-43) gives an account of the founding of Houston and outlines its municipal history; Chapter 2 (44-62) tells of the building activities, private and public, at different periods, and of the organization of fire companies; Chapter 3 (63-84) does the same for railroad building, and gives some notes on the lawyers and doctors; Chapter 4 (85-93), newspapers; Chapter 5 (94-108), banks and trust companies; Chapter 6 (109-119), churches; Chapter 7 (120-130), military companies; Chapter 8 (131-138), manufacturing; Chapter 9 (139-150), literary clubs, public library and organized labor; Chapter 10 (151-169), cotton, lumber, oil, rice and insurance; Chapter 11 (170-175), telegraph lines, telephones, and electric lighting; Chapter 12 (176-184), William M. Rice and the Rice Institute.
The book is far from being a complete history of Houston. A large portion of the text is devoted to a description of the city and its business institutions in 1912. There is enough history, however, to indicate the leading rôle Houston has played in the business enterprise of the State, and the wonderful transformation within the last few years of the old Houston into a modern city.
The absence of any notice of the schools, street railway, hospitals and other charities is remarkable. On page 85 the statement is made that, prior to the establishment of the Telegraph in 1835, Texas had no publication worthy of being called a newspaper. Coming from one who has been connected with newspapers, this remark is all the more surprising. Further down the page it is stated that the Telegraph was begun at Columbia, while as a matter of fact it was begun at San Felipe. It is also stated that its first number appeared on October 10, 1835, “the very day that the Texans, under Fannin, stormed and took Goliad.” Fannin was not at Goliad on that date. On page 88 the statement is made that the tri-weekly Morning Star was begun “in the early fifties.” This is, perhaps, a misprint, for “in the early forties,” for the Morning Star was begun in April, 1839.
The illustrations include Sam Houston, after whom the city was named, the Allens, founders of the city, W. J. Hutchins, T. W. House, Sr., Charles Stewart, Paul Bremond, William R. Baker and others, prominent in the city's development.
The volume has neither table of contents nor index.
E. W. Winkler .
How to cite:
Winkler, E. W., "A Thumb-Nail Histoiry of the City of Houston, Texas", Volume 016, Number 2, Southwestern Historical Quarterly Online, Page 219 - 220. http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/publications/journals/shq/online/v016/n2/review_25.html
[Accessed Fri Mar 19 20:11:56 CDT 2010]
