TIMELINE 1940 - 1950
1940
Houston ranked twenty-first in the nation with population of 384,514. It was a 31.5 percent increase over 1930, and the black population was now 86,302. Houston also had registered 170,000 motor vehicles
Ship arrivals fell to 2,809, but freight tonnage remained near the 1939 level with 27,385,589 tons
Five steamship lines discontinued service to Houston, as the war disrupted shipping
Building permits worth $24,253,888 were issued
The city possessed a $22,000,000 public school system with 2,250 teachers, 74,000 students, and 115 buildings. All facilities were segregated
February 20
A board of army engineers and Federal representatives announced approval of a $32,000,000 Harris County's flood control plan
March
The first diesel locomotive of the Houston Belt and Terminal Railroad is placed in service
April
The bus system replaces a 60-year tradition of street cars. An agreement was reached between the city and the Houston Electric Company for abandoning streetcar lines and inaugurating an all-bus transit system
June 9
The last electric streetcar to operate in Houston completed its final run
July 21
With all appropriation of $585,000 from the U.S. Housing Authority, local authorities began a second low-rent project in Houston, San Felipe Courts. It was inspired by a survey which revealed 25,680 families living in substandard housing
October 16
The nation's first peacetime draft called 77,177 Harris County men to registration offices
1941
The Houston Zoological Gardens are established
Ship arrivals continued to drop slowly with 2,051 registered, along with barge and ship freight totaling 25,623,078 tons
Cotton and oil remained the city's primary industries. There were twelve high-density cotton compresses, five miles producing over fifty cotton by-products, and warehouse facilities for three million cotton bales. Houston also was host to the headquarters or branch offices of 1,205 oil companies. Oil and related industries employed 40,000, with an annual payroll of $50,000,000
In Houston and immediate vicinity the federal government spent over $250,000,000 for defense preparations
Construction began on a $17,000,000 Sheffield Steel plant on the ship channel near Irish Bend Island
The Houston Shipbuilding Corporation (Todd Shipbuilding) constructed a $7,000,000 shipyard on Irish Bend Island, part of the expansion of this industry which came to Houston with the war
There were 147 trade union groups, with a combined membership of over 40,000, including railroad men
The Houston Zoo's most flamboyant zoo keeper, Hans Nagel dies in a zoo shooting incident that was labeled a "jurisdictional dispute"
January 2
C.A. (Neal) Picket took office as mayor
April 1
A 4,700-acre U.S. Army Ordinance Depot was opened on the ship channel opposite the San Jacinto Battlefield
May
Headquarters were opened for the Defense Contract Service, Office of Production Management. It was an agency to coordinate defense efforts with Gulf Coast industrial plants
National defense programs speed the production of Houston factories; among additions are the erecting of tutol plants in Baytown and Deer Park, a plant near Pasadena to manufacture synthetic rubber from petroleum gasses, a $7,020,000 shipyard, a $17,000,000 steel mill, and a U.S. Army Ordinance Depot and Ship Terminal costing several million dollars, near the San Jacinto Battlefield
The first locally constructed defense program vessel was launched by the Seabrook Yacht Corporation. It was an aircraft rescue vessel
June
Andrew Jackson Houston, aged son of Gen. Sam Houston, is sworn into the U.S. Senate as the oldest man ever to serve in that body
July 18
The first keels for Liberty Ships were laid by the Houston Shipbuilding Corporation. Within fifteen months, twenty-three ships would be launched
1942
Ship arrivals were now down to 877, a decrease of over 2,200 from the 1939 level. Tonnage had decreased from 28,174,710 in 1939 to 17,661,447 in 1942
The Houston Art Museum received sixty-five paintings by Frederick Remington, among other new acquisitions
February
Gene Autry, riding his horse Champion, opened the 10th annual Houston Fat Stock Show and Rodeo
March
Houston voters authorize the sale of land adjacent to Hermann Park to the M.D. Anderson Foundation. The 134-acre site near Hermann Hospital, would become the massive Texas Medical Center
March-July
Working on war contracts, the Houston Shipbuilding Corporation expanded its payroll from 6,000 to 20,000. During the war, the company turned out 208 cargo vessels and 14 tankers
May
Mrs. W. P. Hobby of Houston is named head of the U. S. Women's Army
August
The city-manager form of government was instituted with eight council members, a part-time mayor, and the first city manager, John North Edy
The Cruiser Houston engages in violent combat and is sunk off the Java Coast
September
Janet Gaynor, Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, and Robert Stack participate in "American Night" at the Coliseum
1943
Ship arrivals in Houston's Port reached a wartime low of 630, with tonnage of 15,047,871
January
Houston said goodbye to the commission form of government and ushered in the city manager form with the inauguration of Otis Massey and the eight city councilmen
April
Forty-five Houston companies held prime government war contracts which stimulated such industries as chemicals, natural gas, shipbuilding, and parts manufacturing
The M. D. Anderson Foundation successfully woos the Baylor College of Medicine to the city of Houston from Dallas
June
The original Weingartens Grocery at 1502 Main is destroyed in a spectacular fire which was fought by most of Houston's fie fighting equipment
September
45 people are killed and 30 injured in a fire at the Gulf Hotel at Preston and Louisiana in Houston's worst disaster
November
Wendel Wilkie speaks in Houston
1944
In terms of tonnage handled, the city's port had slipped from third to sixth during the war. Ship arrivals numbered 759, while tonnage stood at 16,956,538
The Tennessee Gas Transmission Company (Tenneco after 1966) was founded, symbolizing the city's growth as a natural gas center
July
The Houston Civic Theatre Players resent their first play "The First Mrs. Fraser"
August
City Hall is sponsoring a contest to find 16 to 20 girls, 16 years old and up, to be pin-up girls
September
Col. Maurice Hirsh is appointed chairman of the Price Adjustments Board of the War Department
December
The M.D. Anderson Foundation starts the construction of the Texas Medical Center on the triangular site bounded by Fannin, Bellaire and the Herman Hospital and park
December 19
Voters approved monies for purchasing the city-owned port facilities for the Navigation District, for constructing tunnels under the channel, and for port improvements
1945
The M. D. Anderson Foundation forms the Texas Medical Center Corporation to oversee the Medical Centers development
Houston's Port moved from sixth to fourth in national rankings as the post-war recovery commenced. Ship arrivals numbered 1,346, and combined barge and ship freight was 23,869,878 tons
Flood protection was being provided by army engineers, who were constructing two earth-filled dams west of the city
The war left the local chemical industry with installations worth $600,000,000 , and in a brief time another 300,000,000 would be invested
February
A house to house bond drive is held
March
Hugh Roy Cullen, the wealthy conservative oilman, donated $1,000,000 each to four hospitals, Hermann, Memorial, Methodist, and St. Luke's
March 2
Congress approved a project for widening the ship channel
June
13 gorgeous girls compete for the title of Miss Houston at the midnight " E " Bond Jamboree
July 1
City owned port facilities were transferred to the Navigation District for $1,500,000, permitting the latter body to spend the money for reconditioning which the city had refused to do
November
Arabia Temple Shrine Circus opens in Houston
1945
The M. D. Anderson Foundation forms the Texas Medical Center Corporation to oversee the Medical Centers development
Houston's Port moved from sixth to fourth in national rankings as the post-war recovery commenced. Ship arrivals numbered 1,346, and combined barge and ship freight was 23,869,878 tons
Flood protection was being provided by army engineers, who were constructing two earth-filled dams west of the city
The war left the local chemical industry with installations worth $600,000,000 , and in a brief time another 300,000,000 would be invested
February
A house to house bond drive is held
March
Hugh Roy Cullen, the wealthy conservative oilman, donated $1,000,000 each to four hospitals, Hermann, Memorial, Methodist, and St. Luke's
March 2
Congress approved a project for widening the ship channel
June
13 gorgeous girls compete for the title of Miss Houston at the midnight " E " Bond Jamboree
July 1
City owned port facilities were transferred to the Navigation District for $1,500,000, permitting the latter body to spend the money for reconditioning which the city had refused to do
November
Arabia Temple Shrine Circus opens in Houston
1946
Ship arrivals at Houston's port totaled 2,057, and tonnage handled rose to 31,837,453 tons, surpassing the 1939 level for the first time
Local businessmen formed the Central Houston Improvement Association, which, over a three-year period, obtained better police protection, shoppers' buses, and a $10,418,000 investment in remodeling, new construction, and public improvements in downtown Houston
Houston's homicide rate was 24.4 per 100,000
Rice Institute received a $1,000,000 library through the philanthropy of Ella A. Fondren
February
161 acres of ground are dedicated for the Texas Medical Center by E.W. Bertner
February 20
City employees struck after pay hike demands were rejected
April
The Independent Petroleum Association of America meets in Houston
May 22
The Civil Aeronautics Board designated Houston an international terminal and certified Braniff, Southern, and Pan-American for flights to Central and South America and the Caribbean
July
Houstonian Howard Hughes is seriously injured in the test flight of a plane he had built
November
Oscar Holcombe was once again elected mayor, this time on a strong-mayor platform
Eddie Dyer of Houston manages the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team to win the World Series
1947
The Foleys Department Store building opens and is one of the most popular stores in Houston
January
The 2nd public induction of city officials ever held in Houston takes place
April
Charles Matthew Winfree received the quickest life term ever assessed in a Houston court. It took the jury only 3 minutes to return a verdict of guilty
April 16
Shipboard explosions demolish Texas City, with 565 dead
The FBI recommended 2.23 patrolmen for every 1,000 people. Houston had 0.93 per 1,000 residents
The Roman Catholic Church opened the University of St. Thomas
Houston College for Negroes became Texas State University for Negroes, part of the state system
An investigator hired by Harris County revealed dangerous pollution levels in Buffalo Bayou, claiming that the water was 80 percent sewage
July
Oscar Holcombe took office as mayor, and the city manager form of municipal government was abandoned in favor of a strong mayor arrangement
July 31
Army engineers recommended that the ship channel be deepened to 36 feet along its entire length
September
The fund drive to permanently house the USS Texas gets underway in Houston
October 11
The City National Bank opened displaying the new contemporary architecture of postwar Houston
Alley Theatre of Houston gives its first performance under the direction of Nina Vance
November 2
Howard Hughes of Houston pilots Hercules flying boat, with largest wingspan ever constructed
1948
Houston Port became number two in the nation in tonnage handled, ranking behind New York with 38,904,464 tons. For the first time, the value of channel freight surpassed $1 billion
Houston was rated as the fastest growing city per capita in the nation. Building permits issued by the city totaled $100,160,322, and those for Harris County shot up to $266,802,075
February
Voters rejected zoning for the city by a two to one margin, maintaining Houston's status as the only un-zoned city in the U.S
The 30th Annual Crippled Children's Ball is held in the Coliseum by the Arabia Temple Shrine
June
Over 2,000,000 worth of horses compete in the Pin Oaks Charity Horse Show
November
Three inches of rain in three hours breaks a five month drought in Houston
November 2
Houston's Harris County was the only one in Texas carried by J. Strom Thurmond, the "Dixiecrat" candidate for President
December
Houston doubled its size (began at 76 square miles) by annexing six suburbs and part of another
December 11
Houston's first television broadcast emanated from station KLEE-TV to about 2,000 receiving sets
Houston has doubled its size to 73 square miles through annexation of neighboring areas and is also ranking as the fastest growing city in the United States
Ima Hogg elected first woman president of the Philosophical Society of Texas
1949
A bitter strain of conservatism surfaced in the city's Independent School system over the question of federal aid for lunches. The School Board's chairman, Ewing Werlein, warned federal aid would lead to federal control, and in the fall a special drive collected private funds for lunches
January
Deer Park holds their first election of city officials
March
Houston leads the nation in post-war industrial expansion with 83 plants costing $110,700,000
March 17
On St. Patrick's Day, amidst one of the wildest celebrations in the city's history, Oilman Glen McCarthy opened his "63 Shades-of-Green" Shamrock Hotel, a $21,000,000 luxury accommodation. The melee was complete with 50,000 celebrants, 175 movie stars flown in, and a broadcast of the Dorothy Lamour radio program from the hotel
October 24
The city's conservative school board banned Frank Magruder's text, American Government, because it alluded to socialist tendencies in American society. The text had been used for sixteen years and had the support of 90 percent of the faculty
There are 268 oil fields operating within a 100-mile radius of Houston
August
The Houston Little Theater begins its 25th year
1950
Ship arrivals numbered 3,721, with a combined barge and ship freight of 40,825,048 tons
The city's population was 596,163, a jump of 55.5 percent over 1940. Houston's black population was 150,452, 19 percent of the total
The city included 1,174 manufacturing establishments producing goods annually valued at $781,600,000. Chief among the products were foods, chemicals, petroleum, iron and metal goods, and heavy machinery
Bank deposits since 1940 increased 282 percent
Automobile registrations in Harris County stood at 322,000, an increase of 89.4 percent over 1940
In a vote to test public sentiment, organizations such as the Council for Free Enterprise helped defeat public housing
January 24
Five blacks filed suit to gain access to the Municipal Golf Course
February
George R. Brown, Vice President of Brown & Root, Inc., is named chairman of the board of Trustees at Rice Institute
May 27
The Pasadena Tunnel was opened under the ship channel. This, and another tunnel opened three years later, alleviated traffic congestion and eliminated the need for ferry service on the channel
July
Staff Sgt. Nyle S. Mickley, Jr. of Houston is credited with shooting down the first North Korean plane of the Korean War
October
Ground is broken for the 18 story Prudential Insurance Company building to be located near the Medical Center
December 25
Ground was broken for a hospital for cancer research
Rice Institute completes the 70,000 seat Rice Stadium
William Goyan of Houston publishes House of Breath
Houston Westbury baseball team wins world Little League title
