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58-502: Native Americans inhabited the Armand Bayou area going back as far as 8,000 years. Archaeological remains suggest frequent native camping in the area. These include trash heaps, as well as better distinguished artifacts, such as arrowpoints and flints. The Akokisas are one group known to frequent the Armand Bayou area. Armand Bayou runs from its headwaters in Pasadena for about ten miles to

116-595: A Seabrook postal address. The city of Pasadena, community police outreach has devoted "friendship gardens" to the city of Hadano . For a complete listing, see list of cities and towns in Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land MSA La Porte, Texas La Porte ( / l ə ˈ p ɔːr t / lə PORT ) is a city in Harris County, Texas , United States, within the Bay Area of

174-497: A 19-mile (31 km) fence along the east side of the railway right of way to keep the cattle off the tracks. The fence ran from Harrisburg to League City and had four rails and a top rail wide enough to walk on. A gate was placed in the fence at the Harrisburg- Lynchburg Road with a large sign above instructing that it should be closed at all times. The area east of this railroad fence running from Buffalo Bayou to

232-647: A complete listing, see list of cities and towns in Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land MSA Pasadena, Texas Pasadena ( / ˌ p æ s ə ˈ d iː n ə / ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas , located in Harris County . It is part of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census , the city's population was 151,950, making it the 23rd most populous city in Texas and

290-493: A family was $ 60,034. Males had a median income of $ 46,118 versus $ 29,514 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 21,178. About 6.2% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over. The city is located adjacent to three major economic hubs of the Bay Area and Greater Houston : the Bayport Industrial District,

348-826: A total of 43 parks. These include over 14 miles (23 km) of trails, four Youth Recreation Centers, the Verne Cox Multipurpose Recreation Center , three pools for Swimming or Aquatics, an Athletics department, a Dog Park, Party Rentals, a Golf Course, an Historical Museum, and a Senior Citizen Center. Harris County operates several community centers in Pasadena. Local residents have access to tennis courts, soccer fields, jogging tracks, walking tracks, picnic tables, family gathering pavilions at Pasadena's 47 parks, 5 swimming pools, and 5 game room buildings, museum, recreation center, 15 tennis courts and 21 ball fields. Armand Bayou Nature Center (ABNC)

406-420: A tourist center. It was, however, damaged again by a major fire and another hurricane in 1915. The community rebuilt again. During the 1920s and 1930s Sylvan Beach Amusement Park became a nationally recognized destination, featuring beauty contests and regular performances by famous bands, in addition to a growing gallery of amenities. Some of the most well-known performers of the era, including Guy Lombardo ,

464-517: A tourist destination. A project to restore the beachfront at Sylvan Beach Park began in 2009 and finished in 2013, with sand brought in from other areas and dredging operations. Other plans, including building a large hotel on the shoreline, have been discussed as well. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 20.0 sq mi (51.8 km ), of which 1.4 sq mi (3.6 km ), or 6.91%,

522-417: Is a 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) preserve on the western shore of Galveston Bay in Pasadena. It is the only remnant of this region's original eco-systems: coastal tallgrass prairie, bottomland forest and bayou. A diversity of plant life has taken root here, including bottomland hardwoods. Hundreds of species of wildlife thrive in the narrow wooded streams and scattered lakes, ponds and marshes. Armand Bayou also

580-545: Is a breeding and nursery ground for many finfish and shellfish and a haven for rarely seen species such as bobcats and owls. As of 2010 ABNC has been designated as one of five preserves under the Texas Coastal Preserve Program of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department . Pasadena is served by three freeway systems. Interstate 45 is the closest interstate to the Pasadena city limits. The main freeway artery

638-525: Is closely linked to the nearby Houston Ship Channel and the Bayport shipping terminal and industrial district , as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in the bordering Clear Lake Area . The Pasadena Refining System , a partnership of Petrobras and Astra Holding USA, is headquartered in Pasadena. Additionally, Harris County operates

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696-456: Is covered by water. La Porte has many small, 1940s, frame houses. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification , La Porte has a humid subtropical climate , Cfa on climate maps. La Porte contains many communities. Lomax was once a separate jurisdiction, but was annexed by La Porte. As of

754-633: Is now western Pasadena all the way to Harrisburg, Texas . By 1888, the ranch contained 15,000 acres (61 km ) in Harris County, 10,000 acres (40 km ) in Brazoria County, Texas with grazing lands in Galveston and Fort Bend Counties. The Galveston, Houston & Henderson Railroad ran through the Allen ranch. There was a problem of cattle being regularly killed on the tracks and in 1875, Allen built

812-518: Is served by the 23,357-square-foot (2,169.9 m ) La Porte Branch Library of Harris County Public Library (HCPL), located at 600 South Broadway. The library first opened in 1929. The City of La Porte maintains the buildings and furnishings while HCPL staffs and operates the library. Old Sylvan Beach Depot Museum and Library, operated by archivist Ann Malone and docent Georgia Malone, the former's daughter, includes various archival materials related to La Porte. The former Southern Pacific Railroad depot

870-659: Is the Pasadena Freeway ( State Highway 225 ). The east side of the Sam Houston Tollway ( Beltway 8 ) runs through the eastern portion of the city. The Harris County Toll Road Authority sells EZ Tags in the city. Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) operates a park & ride service from the Plaza Paseo Mall . This joint venture between Harris County, the city of Pasadena and METRO extended select trips. METRO operates four trips during

928-772: Is the largest of all volunteer municipal fire departments in the United States. The city has several museums, including the Pasadena Historical Museum, the Bay Area Museum and Armand Bayou Nature Center. Pasadena also has a community theater, an annual rodeo, and the Pasadena Philharmonic. The city's newspaper is the Pasadena Citizen . The Champion paper mill closed in 2005. Several country music songs have been recorded with "Pasa-get-down-dena" as

986-507: Is the main building and the grounds also include the original La Porte Library building and a caboose. Harris County Transit provides public transportation in La Porte. La Porte Municipal Airport is located in the La Porte city limits. The closest major airports with commercial airline service are William P. Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston . La Porte

1044-585: Is zoned to the La Porte Independent School District , including La Porte High School . Primary and secondary schools include: Jennie Reid Elementary, Rizzuto Elementary, Lomax Elementary, La Porte Elementary, Bayshore Elementary, College Park Elementary, and Heritage Elementary. The secondary schools include Baker Sixth Grade Campus, La Porte Junior High, Lomax Junior High and La Porte High School. Residents of La Porte ISD (and therefore La Porte) are zoned to San Jacinto College . The city

1102-550: The Pasadena Refining System ... The world wars gradually brought further industrial development, with Pasadena's growth rate surpassing even neighboring Houston. Pasadena voted to incorporate in 1923, but residents decided to cancel the incorporation one year later. Pasadena incorporated in 1928. Because of the 1928 incorporation, Houston did not incorporate Pasadena's territory into its city limits, while Houston annexed surrounding areas that were unincorporated . By

1160-459: The 1900 Galveston hurricane get back on their feet. By the 1930s those crops had flourished so much that Pasadena was claiming the title of Strawberry Capital of the World . At its height, the city's strawberry growers shipped as many as 28 train carloads of strawberries each day. To honor that history, the city still holds an annual Pasadena Strawberry Festival. Strawberry Road stretches through much of

1218-561: The 2020 United States census , there were 35,124 people, 12,342 households, and 9,148 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2000, 31,880 people, 10,928 households, and 8,578 families were residing in the city. The population density was 1,683.3 people/sq mi (649.9/km ). The 11,720 housing units averaged 618.8/sq mi (238.9/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 81.39% White, 6.25% African American, 0.48% Native American, 1.13% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 8.52% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. About 20.45% of

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1276-581: The Dorsey Brothers , Phil Harris , and Benny Goodman , appeared at the park. In the 1930s the park was completely revamped, with additions of a large boardwalk, amusement rides, and many other attractions. The residential community remained small, supported exclusively by Sylvan Beach tourism and the nearby Bay Ridge community, an area of beachfront summer homes in neighboring Morgan's Point built by wealthy Houstonians. The beachfront began to physically shrink beginning around 1928 because of erosion from

1334-565: The Houston–Sugar ;Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census , the city population was 35,124. La Porte is the fourth-largest incorporated city in Harris County. When La Porte celebrated its centennial in 1992, it was the home of Barbours Cut Terminal , operated by the Port of Houston Authority since 1977. Fifteen years later, the Port of Houston's newest addition, Bayport Terminal ,

1392-735: The 2010 census, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 83.3% White , 2.7% African American , 1.5% American Indian and Alaska Native , 2.1% Asian , 11.6% from other races , and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 66.2% of the population. In 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup was 24.57% non-Hispanic white, 3.29% African American, 0.17% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 1.61% multiracial, and 67.81% Hispanic or Latino of any race. The city's key economic sectors include exploration for petroleum and gas, petroleum refining, petrochemical processing, solar panel manufacturing, maritime shipping, aerospace, and healthcare. The city's economy

1450-488: The 21st century, Pasadena emerged as a mostly working-class suburb of Houston. On October 31, 2015, an EF2 tornado struck a warehouse within Pasadena city limits. Half of the warehouse was completely leveled with its roof completely mangled up. The tornado moved northeast into La Porte city limits and damaged approximately 30 homes. On January 24, 2023, an EF3 tornado struck northwestern Pasadena. Multiple neighborhoods and apartment complexes were severely damaged by

1508-649: The Allen Ranch were liquidated opening up new development. Rice farmers from Japan settled in the community further diversifying its agriculture. Champion Coated Paper Company of Ohio opened a paper mill in 1937. Other businesses began to develop. In 1901 the Texas Oil Boom began with the gusher at Spindletop . The discovery of the oil field at Goose Creek led to increasing petroleum exploration around Galveston Bay. By 1917–1920 refinery operations had appeared in Pasadena and continued to expand thereafter for example

1566-598: The Battleground Industrial District, and the Barbours Cut shipping terminal. As with the majority of home-rule cities in Texas, La Porte has a charter for a council-manager form of government. The elected council members serve as a legislative body to make policy; they hire the city manager, who is the operating officer for the city. Since 2012, the city manager has been Corby Alexander, from Henderson, Texas . Elections for city council members are held at

1624-767: The Kyle Chapman/Pasadena Courthouse Annex. Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) operates the Strawberry Health Center, and the Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center – Pasadena. The nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center , Houston. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Houston V District Parole Office in Pasadena. There are four post offices in

1682-686: The Rivas-Iriarte expedition and José Antonio de Evia charted the bay and gave it its name. The pirate Jean Lafitte established a short-lived kingdom based in Galveston in the early 19th century with bases and hide-outs around the bay and around Clear Lake . Lafitte was forced to leave in 1821 by the U.S. Navy . Following its declaration of independence from Spain the new nation of Mexico moved to colonize its northern territory of Texas by offering land grants to settlers both from within Mexico and from

1740-711: The St. Pius V School in Pasadena from 1947, until its 2020 closure; the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the closure. Institutions of higher education include: Pasadena owns the Pasadena Public Library with the Main Library at 1201 Jeff Ginn Memorial Drive and the Fairmont Library, a branch, at 4330 Fairmont Parkway between Panama Street and Watters Road. The city operates 15 tennis courts, several baseball fields, and

1798-686: The building, including the mechanical bull used in Urban Cowboy . The shell of the building stood until 2006, when it was demolished by the Pasadena Independent School District, its current owner. Only the old sound recording studio remains. Gilley resided in Pasadena until his death May 7, 2022. The old address of Gilley's is a used-car lot. In 1900, Clara Barton of the American Red Cross purchased 1.5 million strawberry plants and sent them to Pasadena to help victims of

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1856-661: The city limits. In July 2011 the USPS announced that one, John Foster Post Office, may close. According to the city's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: The government of Pasadena operates under a mayor-council form of government with a mayor and eight council members who are responsible for enacting legislation, adopting budgets and setting policies. The city has its own police department, which employs approximately 282 Officers, with one Police Chief, three Assistant Chiefs and other supervisory positions. The Pasadena Volunteer Fire Department

1914-465: The city near where the old strawberry crops grew. Attendance at the annual Strawberry Festival was 56,000 in 2008. Pasadena Philharmonic Society and Orchestra is a combination of two groups. The Society is composed of members of the local community that support the fine arts and classical music. The Orchestra is composed of local music educators, musicians, college students and selected high school students. The Orchestra presented its first performance in

1972-433: The dominant industries in the Pasadena - Baytown area. The community of La Porte was founded in 1892 as a speculative real estate venture by an investment group. A 22-acre (0.089 km ) public space known as Sylvan Grove was reserved by the waterfront. The area around Sylvan Grove soon was developed with amenities including bathhouses, boating piers, and a Victorian hotel with a dance pavilion. La Porte quickly became

2030-505: The fall of 1982. The Philharmonic has presented performances ever since. Most of city of Pasadena is served by the Pasadena Independent School District . Some of the eastern part is served by Deer Park Independent School District , some of the southern part is served by Clear Creek Independent School District and La Porte Independent School District . The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston operated

2088-586: The later 20th century, erosion had completely eliminated the beach. As shipyards and industrial plants in World War II were developed in nearby communities such as Pasadena, Baytown, and Deer Park , the community's residents became more dependent on these businesses. The opening of the La Porte-Baytown tunnel in 1954 further spurred development. The later establishment of the Johnson Space Center in

2146-530: The main battlefield was located in the neighboring present-day city of La Porte , Santa Anna was captured in present-day Pasadena at Vince's Bayou . Because this was the last conflict that led to the Mexican surrender, Pasadena and neighboring Deer Park have adopted the nickname "Birthplace of Texas ". Sam Allen started a ranch in 1843 with 350 acres (1.4 km ). This became the Allen Ranch which occupied what

2204-407: The mainland following the catastrophe. Donations by the newly created Red Cross , including millions of strawberry plants to Gulf Coast farmers, helped revive the community. This and the subsequent establishment of a major strawberry farm in the area by Texaco founder Joseph S. Cullinan made Pasadena a major fruit producer for many years afterward. As the community recovered major tracts of

2262-449: The mid-20th century Pasadena's economy had become strongly tied to petroleum and other heavy industry. NASA 's Johnson Space Center (JSC) was established near Pasadena in 1963 with the residential community of Clear Lake City , partially under Pasadena's jurisdiction, established nearby. These developments helped to diversify the town's economy significantly. Eventually, the city gained the unofficial moniker Stinkadena by locals due to

2320-442: The morning and five trips during the afternoon rush hours. Harris County Transit operates a bus route that runs through most of the city, stopping at health centers, shopping centers, colleges, and other venues, with connections to neighboring cites. The Pasadena Park and Ride lot is located on the north side of the mall. Harris County Youth Village, a juvenile detention facility , is located in far southern Pasadena, but it has

2378-506: The most popular tourist destination in the Houston area. Sylvan Grove Park was acquired in 1896 by a company known as Adoue and Lobit and renamed Sylvan Beach. Cottage retreats were built around the waterfront. In 1900, the devastating Galveston Hurricane hit the shoreline, seriously damaging the community's attractions. As the Texas Oil Boom took hold beginning in 1901, and neighboring Houston became home to many wealthy businessmen, La Porte quickly rebuilt and re-established itself as

Armand Bayou - Misplaced Pages Continue

2436-690: The nature center were named for Armand Yramategui , former curator of the Burke Baker Planetarium and environmental leader during the 1960s. State Representative Dennis Paul , before he took office, was among those who worked with community leaders to clean up the bayou before the United States Environmental Protection Agency ordered a national solution to what Paul otherwise viewed as "a local problem." 29°37′0″N 95°6′0″W  /  29.61667°N 95.10000°W  / 29.61667; -95.10000 For

2494-614: The nearby Clear Lake Area , the Barbours Cut shipping terminal in neighboring Morgan's Point, and the Bayport Industrial District within La Porte's jurisdiction have gradually made the community successful as part of the Houston area 's industrial heartland. Much of the history of La Porte's glory years as a tourist haven has been preserved by the La Porte Bay Area Heritage Society. Plans have been discussed for many years to restore La Porte's status as

2552-564: The nearby United States. The colony established by Stephen F. Austin and the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company of New York rapidly began a wave of settlement around the bay. Following a coup in the Mexican government by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna , Texas revolted against Mexican rule in 1835. After several battles and skirmishes the final battle of the Texas Revolution took place near modern Pasadena on April 21, 1836. While

2610-443: The north. The southeasternmost part of the city fronts Galveston Bay . The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. Neighborhoods in Pasadena include: As of the 2020 United States census , there were 151,950 people, 48,174 households, and 36,201 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2010, there were 149,043 people. There were 54,712 housing units. According to

2668-581: The pollution from its large industrial base. Former Pasadena City Council member and State Representative Ray Barnhart described the city at the time as "a lovely community but politically corrupt." Barnhart recalled that a half dozen Pasadena officials were indicted in the late 1950s and early 1960s for public corruption . In 1965, Houston Post reporter Gene Goltz Received the Pulitzer Prize for his exposure of government corruption in Pasadena, Texas, which resulted in widespread reforms. In

2726-408: The population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 10,928 households, 43.2% had children under 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.5% were not families. About 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

2784-473: The same time as for the school board of the city's school district. The United States Postal Service operates the La Porte Post Office at 801 West Fairmont Parkway. Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) designated Strawberry Health Center in Pasadena for ZIP code 77571. The nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center . The area

2842-579: The second most populous in Harris County, after Houston . The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston , who named the area after Pasadena, California , because of the perceived lush vegetation. Prior to European settlement the area around Galveston Bay was settled by the Karankawa and Atakapan tribes, particularly the Akokisa , who lived throughout the Gulf coast region. Spanish explorers such as

2900-513: The southeast, to its mouth at Mud Lake, near Taylor Lake Village . The 59-square-mile Armand Bayou Watershed includes 89 miles of natural streams, which drain several settlements in southeast Harris County , including Deer Park , La Porte , Pasadena, and Taylor Lake Village. There are over 127,000 persons residing within this watershed. The bayou is best known for the Armand Bayou Nature Center , through which it runs. The bayou and

2958-407: The title including Kenefick on their album "Hard Road." John Travolta , Debra Winger and other actors came to the city to film the 1980 hit movie Urban Cowboy , which depicted life and young love in Pasadena. The film centered on the city's honky-tonk bar Gilley's , which was co-owned by country music star Mickey Gilley . In 1989, Gilley's suffered an arson fire that gutted the interior of

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3016-502: The tornado. No major casualties occurred with this tornado. The tornado would go on to affect Deer Park , and Baytown, Texas . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 44.5 square miles (115 km ), of which 44.2 square miles (114 km ) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km ) (0.81%) is water. The city is bordered by the Houston Ship Channel ( Buffalo Bayou / San Jacinto River ) to

3074-456: The tracks on Sims Bayou ran all the way to Galveston Bay . It contained 100,000 acres (400 km ) of grazing land for cattle. "Proposed" towns in or near present-day Pasadena were set up but short lived and either abandoned or never even got off the ground. In 1892 Colonel John H. Burnett of Galveston established an unnamed townsite on the Vince Survey just east of the Allen Ranch. Burnett

3132-545: The unincorporated area of La Porte, commemorates the battle. During the early 20th century, particularly the 1920s and 1930s, La Porte's Sylvan Beach became a nationally known tourist destination attracting some of the nation's most well-known entertainers. As a result of changing economics in the Houston area and beach erosion , the tourist business declined while industrial development in the area grew. During World War II and afterward, La Porte's economy rapidly shifted toward petroleum/petrochemicals and shipping, which developed as

3190-404: The wakes of shipping traffic, and land subsidence resulting from the extraction of groundwater in the area due to development. Gas rationing in World War II slowed tourism. A hurricane in 1943 destroyed most of the tourist attractions. Most of the damaged structures at Sylvan Beach were never rebuilt after this time, as the area was changing, and La Porte's tourist industry rapidly declined. By

3248-404: Was 2.90, and the average family size was 3.28. In the city, the age distribution was 29.7% under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 55,810, and for

3306-518: Was established just south of La Porte. The area around La Porte has served an increasingly important role in international trade since the 1970s. The area around modern La Porte gained fame early in Texas history as the location of the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, which ended the Texas Revolution , establishing the independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico . The San Jacinto Monument , in

3364-445: Was involved in both construction and promotion of railroads and knew their impact on the value of property. The land was sold in 10 acres (4.0 ha) lots. He had also established the nearby towns of Deepwater and Genoa , later to be incorporated into Pasadena and Houston. The 1900 hurricane that destroyed Galveston heavily damaged Pasadena, as well. The city received a population boost from some Galveston refugees who relocated to

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