The Galveston Bay Area is an area that surrounds the Galveston Bay estuary of Southeast Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Residents of Houston and surrounding areas typically call it simply the "Bay Area." Normally the term refers to the mainland communities around the bay and excludes Galveston as well as most of Houston.
Originally part of the pirate kingdom of Jean Lafitte, this area played a role in the early history of Texas having been the site of some early rebellions against Mexican rule and the site of the victory of the Texas army over the Mexican army during the Texas Revolution. Ranching interests became early economic drivers around the bay. As the nearby cities of Galveston and Houston developed as commercial centers, the Bay Area communities became part of a principal commercial corridor between the cities.
Despite being seen by some as a sleepy region of the Houston metro area, the area in fact has become a world leader in both manned space exploration and the petrochemical industry.
The landscape around the bay features a mix of swamps, beaches, industrial facilities, tourist attractions, and historic sites. The area's developing population is ethnically diverse with a growing international community. The communities host cultural events ranging from ballet and musical theater to fairs and rodeos. The bay itself supports a commercial fishing industry and features one of the highest concentrations of marinas in the nation. On land the area holds numerous historic sites such as the San Jacinto Monument, and many parks such as the Armand Bayou Nature Center.
Boundaries
The shores of Galveston Bay are home to many different municipalities and communities. The region is part of the larger Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown Metropolitan Area. Though the term Bay Area in its broadest sense refers to all communities near the shoreline, some sources, such as the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP), use more limited definitions, often referring more specifically to the clusters of communities nearest to Houston.
Municipalities
The following communities lie on the shores of Galveston Bay (excluding those along the Gulf of Mexico):
The BAHEP and the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (CLACC) include the following additional communities in their membership:
Some additional communities such as La Marque, adjacent to Texas City, are treated as bayside communities by some sources.
Subdivisions
The Bay Area can be sub-divided based on the histories and economic connections of the different communities.
- The Pasadena–Baytown area, which straddles the Houston Ship Channel, has since the mid 1900s been defined by the heavy industry along its shores. The two towns have distinct histories with Baytown having become tied to the oil industry earlier and Pasadena having a longer history tied to ranching and agriculture before petrochemicals came to dominate. But in modern times their fortunes have been closely tied by their cores of heavy industry.
- The Clear Lake Area includes numerous communities and municipalities surrounding Clear Lake between Pasadena, Houston, and the bay. This area largely owes its recent growth and prosperity directly and indirectly to the Johnson Space Center and has been traditionally characterized by a large white collar workforce and its prolific middle- and upper-middle-class neighborhoods. The area is sometimes seen as the heart of the Bay Area in spite of the relative youth of its history.
- The Texas City area includes Texas City and La Marque and surrounding communities. Until recently this area and Galveston together were treated by the federal government as a metro area distinct from Houston. The area's prosperity revolves to a great degree around the Port of Texas City and the heavy industry around it.
- The bayside area of Chambers County encompasses the shoreline on the northeast side of the bay including Anahuac. Some of the area remains semi-rural and oriented to agriculture and commercial fishing but petroleum and chemical processing are significant industries as well. Urban development is more limited giving the area a more small-town and rural atmosphere. This area's history is somewhat distinct from the other areas around the bay as it is not part of the once crucial commercial corridor between Galveston and Houston.
History
Main article: History of the Galveston Bay AreaSpain, Mexico, and the Republic of Texas
Further information: Pre-Columbian Mexico, Spanish Empire, French Empire, Mexican Texas, and Republic of TexasPrior to European settlement the area around Galveston Bay was settled by the Karankawa and Atakapan tribes, who lived throughout the Gulf coast region. Spanish explorers such as the Rivas-Iriarte expedition and José Antonio de Evia charter the bay and gave it its name. The significant settlement was established in 1816 by the pirate Louis-Michel Aury who was soon succeeded by the pirate Jean Lafitte. Lafitte transformed Galveston and the bay into a pirate kingdom (notably his gang is known to have made a hide-out on the shores of Clear Lake). In 1821, however, the United States Navy ousted the pirate and the colony was largely abandoned.
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 the nearby United States. To spur trade the Port of Galveston was established in 1825 and a permanent settlement created on the island. A few small settlements such as Lynchburg and San Jacinto were gradually established around the bay and in 1830 Mexican authorities created a customs and garrison post at Anahuac commanded by Juan Davis Bradburn. Conflicts between Bradburn and the settlers in the region led to the Anahuac Disturbances, a prelude to the larger Texas rebellion that was to come. Following a coup in the Mexican government many freedoms previously enjoyed by the Texans were revoked causing Texas to revolt and declare its independence in 1835. Following a number of battles the Texas army, under the leadership of General Sam Houston, finally defeated the Mexican Army in the Battle of San Jacinto, near modern Pasadena.
The new Republic of Texas grew rapidly. The shores of the bay were initially mostly home to farms and ranches such as the famed Allen Ranch. New communities such as Goose Creek (modern Baytown) were established.
U.S. annexation
Further information: Texas Annexation, Civil War, and Reconstruction era of the United StatesTexas succeeded in its bid to join the United States in 1845 which helped launch the Mexican-American War. Texas' annexation brought more people to Texas and ranching interests around the bay began to grow. Throughout the 19th century Galveston remained Texas' dominant metropolis and the communities around the bay were strongly tied economically and culturally to the city though, as Houston began to develop, so did the Bay Area's ties to it. The construction of the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad further spurred growth in the area.
During the American Civil War, during which Texas seceded from the United States, the area served a limited role in the conflict as new fortifications like Fort Chambers, near Anahuac, were constructed to ward off a mainland invasion by Union forces and to protect supply routes to and from Galveston. The Bay Area sat in the middle of the conflict as the most important battles in Texas occurred at Galveston with the conflict moving through the area on to Harrisburg and Houston after Galveston's fall.
In the aftermath of the war the Texas economy declined for a period. Nevertheless ranching interests became major economic drivers in the area spawning many other economic enterprises such as hide processing plants and shipping concerns. The success of these enterprises and the growth of Galveston as one of the prime commercial centers in the South and Southwest helped promote the construction of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway; and the La Porte, Houston and Northern Railroad through the area over the course of the 19th century. These railroads running along the southwest shore of the bay would spawn new communities such as Clear Creek (League City), Webster, and later Texas City. Some of these new communities would develop initially as stop-over points for travelers on the rail lines. Toward the end of the century, as ranching's profitability declined, many communities turned increasingly to agriculture. The farming community of Pasaden
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