South Houston

South Houston is adjacent to Pasadena two miles southeast of the intersection of Interstate Highway 45 and State Highway 3, in southeastern Harris County. It is a part of the Houston Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town was named Dumont when it was founded in 1907 by C. S. Woods of the Western Land Company. By 1910 a post office had been established, and by 1913 the town was incorporated as South Houston. The first elected mayor was Walter Tharp. During the town's early years local growers shipped the produce of truck farms, including strawberries, figs, and various vegetables, on the tracks of the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad. The industries that emerged, however, were destroyed by the hurricane of 1915. The development of the Houston Ship Channel helped the development of heavy industries further inland. These industries manufactured railroad equipment, masonry, candy, toys, and an early airplane.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.