Happy 173rd birthday to my hometown!It was on this day that New York entrepreneurs Augustus and John K. Allen founded the city on 6,653 acres of land near Buffalo Bayou.
They named it after Sam Houston, the hero of the Texas Revolution and the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto. It briefly became the capital of the Republic of Texas from its founding until it was moved to Austin in 1839.
It is the county seat of Harris County, the largest city in Texas with 2,208,140 residents and the fourth largest in the United States.
It has a fascinating history, and I'm proud to note that African-Americans have played a major role in driving it as well. Hopefully my hometown will be making some more history this November by electing its second woman mayor in Annise Parker.
Too bad I'm not there to celebrate it properly by heading to Frenchy's and scarfing up a Campus Special or grabbing some Shipley's Donuts.
