![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/TA1.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo: University of Houston Libraries<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nThe City of Houston was founded by a pair of brothers named Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen. They bought 6,642 acres near the Buffalo Bayou at $1.40 per acre in 1836 and the rest, as they say, is history.<\/span><\/p>\n In 1836, Gail Borden (who also incidentally originated condensed milk) and Thomas H. Borden began mapping out the city of Houston. Texas Avenue was the main east-west street, measuring 100 feet wide, while the rest of the town\u2019s streets generally measured 80 feet.<\/span><\/p>\n Located at 909 Texas Avenue, the Rice Hotel, pictured above, was formerly known as the Capitol Hotel. It was renamed when William Marsh Rice, a businessman who left his fortune to Rice University, bought the hotel and built a three-story addition in 1886.<\/span><\/p>\n By the 1920s, Houston\u2019s cultural scene was thriving. In a 1913 <\/span>bulletin<\/span><\/a>, philanthropist Ima Hogg urged Houstonians to head to the Majestic Theatre, which can be spotted in this photo. \u201c<\/span>Let us all go to that concert and so pack the Majestic Theatre that there can be no doubt in the promoters’ minds that Houston wants such an orchestra,\u201d she wrote.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo: University of Houston Libraries<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The central fire station at Texas Avenue and San Jacinto Street opened on February 8th, 1904. The new station was built to replace a previous building, which had been destroyed in a fire.<\/span><\/p>\n According to an <\/span>article<\/span><\/a> in the Houston Chronicle from July 2013, there\u2019s been some confusion over the name of Texas Avenue — or is it Texas Street? While Houston residents and historians know it as Texas Avenue, the City refers to it as Texas Street. <\/span><\/p>\n The 1920s were a big decade for Houston: the Museum of Fine Arts of Houston opened in 1924, Houston Junior College (the University of Houston) was established in 1927 and the National Democratic Convention was held in the city in 1928.<\/span><\/p>\n Built in 1884, the Binz Building at 413-419 Main Street can be seen in this photo. Standing six stories tall, the building was dubbed the first skyscraper in the city.<\/span><\/p>\n The Rice Hotel initially began as a capitol building, a meeting place for the Republic of Texas. Later, Mr. M Norwood leased the building and re-named it the Capitol Hotel. Today, the building has been converted into lofts, and rumor has it that its residents can still hear partygoers dancing on the roof from time to time.<\/span><\/p>\n In the <\/span>1890s<\/span><\/a>, electric streetcars began operating in Houston, which made transportation much simpler for the city\u2019s residents. The streetcars were removed in the 1940s, but this photo offers a glimpse into what the city was like with a different way of getting around.<\/span><\/p>\n In 1905, there were just 80 automobiles in the entire city. Later, in 1947, construction began on Houston\u2019s first freeway, the Gulf Freeway, and today, the city\u2019s metro area comprises 575.5 miles of freeways and expressways.<\/span><\/p>\n During the 1920s and 1930s, more and more Houstonians were buying cars to get around. The city\u2019s speed limit was set at 15 miles per hour in 1907 and traffic signals were installed in 1921.<\/span><\/p>\n This photo of a World War I Homecoming Parade in 1918 is marked \u201cHouston Welcomes 132nd F.A. 4\/6.\u201d The city was a major center for distribution of supplies during and after the war, serving as the picture of southern hospitality at its best!<\/span><\/p>\n Note: All dates are approximations and have been taken from Wikimedia Commons\u00a0and the University of Houston Libraries.\u00a0BuzzBuzzHome apologizes for any errors. Please notify us of inaccuracies below in the comments section.<\/em><\/p>\n Watch the major thoroughfare evolve throughout history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":141343,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11108],"tags":[11105,11131,11171],"coauthors":[10332],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n500 Block of Main Street at Texas Avenue, ca. 1884<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: University of Houston Libraries<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nRice Hotel, ca. 1910<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: University of Houston Libraries<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nLooking east from Milam, ca. 1918<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nCentral Fire Station at Texas Avenue and San Jacinto Street, ca. 1921<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n1000 Block of Texas Avenue at Fannin Street, ca. 1885<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: University of Houston Libraries<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n900 Block of Texas Avenue between Milam and Travis, ca. 1920<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: University of Houston Libraries<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nTexas Avenue from Fannin Street, ca. 1900<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: University of Houston Libraries<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nCapitol Hotel at Texas Avenue and Main Street, ca. 1885<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: University of Houston Libraries<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nTexas Avenue, ca. 1904<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: University of Houston Libraries<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n600 Block of Main Street at Texas Avenue, ca. 1911<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: University of Houston Libraries<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n1000 Block of Texas Avenue between Fannin and San Jacinto Street, ca. 1920<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: University of Houston Libraries<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nWorld War I Homecoming Parade, Main Street from Texas Avenue, ca. 1918<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: University of Houston Libraries<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n