Pasadena, Texas
Template:About Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Pasadena (Template:IPAc-en) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Harris County. It is part of the Template:Nowrap metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 151,950,<ref>Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Template:Webarchive</ref> making it the 23rd most populous city in Texas and 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.<ref name="Annexbitter">Lee, Renée C. "Annexed Kingwood split on effects." Houston Chronicle. Sunday October 8, 2006. A21. Retrieved on July 6, 2011. "Some of the area communities that incorporated as cities and escaped annexation by Houston:" Print version exclusively has the information cited; the information is not included in the online edition.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
History
Early history
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 the Rivas-Iriarte expedition and José Antonio de Evia charted the bay and gave it its name.<ref>Template:Handbook of Texas Texas State Historical Association.
Template:Handbook of Texas Texas State Historical Association.</ref> 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.<ref>*Template:Cite book
Template:Cite book</ref> Lafitte was forced to leave in 1821 by the U.S. Navy.<ref>Template:Handbook of Texas Texas State Historical Association.</ref>
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. 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.<ref>Template:Handbook of Texas Texas State Historical Association.</ref><ref name="HOT: GBTLC">Template:Handbook of Texas Texas State Historical Association.</ref><ref>Barker (1969), pp. 277–278.</ref> Following a coup in the Mexican government by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Texas revolted against Mexican rule in 1835.<ref>Template:Handbook of Texas Texas State Historical Association.</ref> After several battles and skirmishes the final battle of the Texas Revolution took place near modern Pasadena on April 21, 1836. While 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".<ref>Washington County, Texas shares the claim to that title, since that is where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed. Brazoria County, Texas claims to be "Where Texas Began", as its city of Velasco, Texas was where the Treaties of Velasco were signed, and where Stephen F. Austin originally settled.Template:Cite web</ref>
Ranching and settlement
Sam Allen started a ranch in 1843 with Template:Convert. This became the Allen Ranch which occupied what is now western Pasadena all the way to Harrisburg, Texas. By 1888, the ranch contained Template:Convert in Harris County, Template:Convert 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 a Template:Convert 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 the tracks on Sims Bayou ran all the way to Galveston Bay. It contained Template:Convert 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 was involved in both construction and promotion of railroads and knew their impact on the value of property. The land was sold in Template:Convert lots. He had also established the nearby towns of Deepwater and Genoa, later to be incorporated into Pasadena and Houston.
20th century
The 1900 hurricane that destroyed Galveston heavily damaged Pasadena, as well. The city received a population boost from some Galveston refugees who relocated to the mainland following the catastrophe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Pasadena: Our City">Template:Cite web</ref> Donations by the newly created Red Cross, including millions of strawberry plants to Gulf Coast farmers, helped revive the community.<ref name="HOT: Pasadena">Template:Handbook of Texas Texas State Historical Association</ref> 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.<ref name="Armand Bayou Watershed History">Template:Cite web</ref> As the community recovered major tracts of the Allen Ranch were liquidated opening up new development.<ref name="HOT: Allen Ranch">Template:Handbook of Texas Texas State Historical Association.</ref> Rice farmers from Japan settled in the community further diversifying its agriculture. Champion Coated Paper Company of Ohio opened a paper mill in 1937.<ref name="HOT: Pasadena"/><ref name="blog.chron.com">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="Henson 1993, p. 46.">Henson (1993), p. 46.</ref> By 1917–1920 refinery operations had appeared in Pasadena and continued to expand thereafter for example the Pasadena Refining System...<ref name="HOT: Pasadena"/> The world wars gradually brought further industrial development, with Pasadena's growth rate surpassing even neighboring Houston.<ref name="Pasadena: Our City"/>
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.<ref name="Annexbitter"/>
By 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.<ref name="HOT: Clear Lake City">Template:Handbook of Texas Texas State Historical Association</ref> These developments helped to diversify the town's economy significantly.<ref name="HOT: Pasadena"/> Eventually, the city gained the unofficial moniker Stinkadena by locals due to the pollution from its large industrial base.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Former Pasadena City Council member and State Representative Ray Barnhart described the city at the time as "a lovely community but politically corrupt."<ref name=statement>Statement of Ray Barnhart, January 7, 2010.</ref> Barnhart recalled that a half dozen Pasadena officials were indicted in the late 1950s and early 1960s for public corruption.<ref name=statement/>
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.<ref name="pulitzer.org">Template:Cite web</ref>
21st century
In the 21st century, Pasadena emerged as a mostly working-class suburb of Houston.
Tornadoes
2015 tornado
On October 31, 2015, an EF2 tornado struck a warehouse within Pasadena city limits.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Half of the warehouse was completely leveled with its roof significantly damaged. The tornado moved northeast into La Porte city limits and damaged approximately 30 homes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2023 tornado
Template:Main On January 24, 2023, an EF3 tornado struck northwestern Pasadena.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Multiple neighborhoods and apartment complexes were severely damaged by the tornado. No major casualties occurred with this tornado. The tornado would go on to affect Deer Park, and Baytown, Texas.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.81%) is water. The city is bordered by the Houston Ship Channel (Buffalo Bayou / San Jacinto River) to the north. The southeasternmost part of the city fronts Galveston Bay.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.
Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods in Pasadena include:
Template:Columns-list
Demographics
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | % 2000 | % 2010 | Template:Partial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 66,923 | 48,734 | 37,341 | 47.24% | 32.70% | 24.57% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,068 | 2,965 | 4,992 | 1.46% | 1.99% | 3.29% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 409 | 312 | 260 | 0.29% | 0.21% | 0.17% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 2,531 | 3,074 | 3,346 | 1.79% | 2.06% | 2.20% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 31 | 68 | 59 | 0.02% | 0.05% | 0.04% |
| Other Race alone (NH) | 99 | 168 | 466 | 0.07% | 0.11% | 0.31% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1,265 | 1,030 | 2,449 | 0.89% | 0.69% | 1.61% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 68,348 | 92,692 | 103,037 | 48.24% | 62.19% | 67.81% |
| Total | 141,674 | 149,043 | 151,950 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
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.<ref name="GR2" /> There were 54,712 housing units.<ref name="census2010" />
According to 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.<ref name="census2010">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
Economy
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 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pasadena Refining System, a partnership of Petrobras and Astra Holding USA, is headquartered in Pasadena.<ref>"Contact Us." Pasadena Refining System. Retrieved on August 9, 2010.</ref>
Additionally, Harris County operates the Kyle Chapman/Pasadena Courthouse Annex.<ref>"Courthouse Annexes Template:Webarchive." Harris County Precinct 2. Retrieved on May 23, 2010.</ref> Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) operates the Strawberry Health Center,<ref>"Strawberry Health Center Template:Webarchive." Harris County Hospital District. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.</ref> and the Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center – Pasadena.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, Houston.<ref>Template:Cite web - See ZIP code 77506. See this map for relevant ZIP codes.</ref> The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Houston V District Parole Office in Pasadena.<ref>"Parole Division Region III Template:Webarchive." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.</ref>
There are four post offices in the city limits.<ref>"Post Office Location – PASADENA." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.</ref><ref>"Post Office Location – JOHN FOSTER." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.</ref><ref>"Post Office Location – BOB HARRIS." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.</ref><ref>"Post Office Location – DEBERT L. ATKINSON." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.</ref> In July 2011 the USPS announced that one, John Foster Post Office, may close.<ref>Weisman, Laura. "Nine Houston post offices marked for closure (with poll) Template:Webarchive." Houston Chronicle. July 26, 2011. Retrieved on July 26, 2011.</ref>
Top employers
According to the city's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,<ref>City of Pasadena, Texas Comprehensive Annual Financial Report - for Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2017.</ref> the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pasadena Independent School District | 8,330 |
| 2 | SGS Petroleum Service Corp. | 2,500 |
| 3 | The Boeing Company | 2,000 |
| 4 | Mundy Company | 1,921 |
| 5 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 1,548 |
| 6 | Shell Chemical | 1,500 |
| 7 | San Jacinto College | 1,367 |
| 7 | Bayshore Medical Center | 1,210 |
| 9 | Lyondell Chemical Co. | 1,150 |
| 10 | City of Pasadena | 1,056 |
Government
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.<ref name="pasadena">Template:Cite web</ref>
Public safety
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 is the largest of all volunteer municipal fire departments in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Culture
The city has several museums, including the Pasadena Historical Museum,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Bay Area Museum<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Armand Bayou Nature Center. Pasadena also has a community theater,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> an annual rodeo,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Pasadena Philharmonic. The city's newspaper is the Pasadena Citizen.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Champion paper mill closed in 2005.<ref name="blog.chron.com"/> Several country music songs have been recorded with "Pasa-get-down-dena" as the title including Kenefick on their album "Hard Road."
Gilley's and Urban Cowboy
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 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.<ref name=pasadenavotingcase>"City emerges as new voting rights battleground", Laredo Morning Times, January 4, 2015, p. 4A</ref>
Strawberry Festival
In 1900, Clara Barton of the American Red Cross purchased 1.5 million strawberry plants and sent them to Pasadena to help victims of 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 the city near where the old strawberry crops grew.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Attendance at the annual Strawberry Festival was 56,000 in 2008.
Pasadena Philharmonic Society and Orchestra
Pasadena Philharmonic Society and Orchestra<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 the fall of 1982. The Philharmonic has presented performances ever since.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
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.<ref>Template:Cite web - Pasadena is indicated on page 5.</ref>
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston operated the St. Pius V School in Pasadena from 1947,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> until its 2020 closure; the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the closure.<ref name=Webblow>Template:Cite news</ref>
Colleges and universities
Institutions of higher education include:
- University of Houston–Clear Lake (partially in the Pasadena city limits)<ref name=Pasadenamap2020USCensus>Template:Cite web - The university boundary is indicated on this map.</ref>
- San Jacinto College (Central Campus and System Headquarters) a community college system which under Texas law serves all of Pasadena ISD, La Porte ISD, and Deer Park ISD, as well as other school districts, and the portion of Clear Creek ISD in Harris County; this means in effect it serves all of the City of Pasadena.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Texas Chiropractic College
Public libraries
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.<ref>"Hours & Location Template:Webarchive." Pasadena Public Library. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.</ref><ref>"Fairmont Library Template:Webarchive." Pasadena Public Library. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.</ref>
Parks and recreation
The city<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> operates 15 tennis courts, several baseball fields, and a total of 43 parks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These include over Template:Convert of trails,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> four Youth Recreation Centers,<ref name="Pasadena Recreation Centers">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> the Verne Cox Multipurpose Recreation Center,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> three pools for Swimming or Aquatics,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> an Athletics department,Template:Clarify<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a Dog Park,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Party Rentals,<ref name="Pasadena Recreation Centers"/> a Golf Course,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> an Historical Museum,<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> and a Senior Citizen Center.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Harris County operates several community centers in Pasadena.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- East Harris County Activity Center<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Bay Area Community Center<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Clear Lake Water Front (Pasadena Section)
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Armand Bayou Nature Center (ABNC) is a Template:Convert 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.Template:Citation needed 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.Template:Citation needed Armand Bayou also is a breeding and nursery ground for many finfish and shellfish and a haven for rarely seen species such as bobcats and owls. Template:As of ABNC has been designated as one of five preserves under the Texas Coastal Preserve Program of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Infrastructure
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Transportation
Pasadena is served by three freeway systems. Interstate 45 is the closest interstate to the Pasadena city limits. The main freeway artery 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.<ref>"EZ TAG Stores." Harris County Toll Road Authority. Retrieved on May 16, 2010.</ref>
Public transportation
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 the morning and five trips during the afternoon rush hours.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>"Routes / Maps." Harris County Transit. Retrieved on January 15, 2010.</ref> The Pasadena Park and Ride lot is located on the north side of the mall.<ref>"Park & Ride Template:Webarchive." Harris County Transit. Retrieved on May 28, 2010.</ref>
County services
Harris County Youth Village, a juvenile detention facility, is located in far southern Pasadena,<ref>"New District Map" (Archive). City of Pasadena. Retrieved on November 8, 2015.</ref> but it has a Seabrook postal address.<ref>"Residential Facilities Template:Webarchive." Harris County Juvenile Probation Department. Retrieved on November 8, 2015. "Harris County Youth Village 210 J.W. Mills Drive, Seabrook"</ref> Template:Clear
Notable people
- Ray Barnhart, former member of the Texas House of Representatives from Pasadena, later director of the Federal Highway Administration<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Emily Chan, figure skater, 2016 junior national champion <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Dean Corll, serial killer, rapist, kidnapper and torturer, died in Pasadena<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Brandon Darby, political activist<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Donnie Elliott, former pitcher for the San Diego Padres<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Marlen Esparza, Olympic competitor 2012 and bronze medalist in women's boxing<ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite news</ref>
- Jacob Green, All-American football player for Texas A&M and the Seattle Seahawks, born in Pasadena<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Russell Harvard, actor, There Will Be Blood, Fargo, born in Pasadena<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- R. J. Helton, Christian music artist who placed fifth on the first season of American Idol
- Mike McKinney, former member of the Texas House of Representatives and 13th chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, from Pasadena<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Gilbert Pena, former member of Texas House of Representatives, from Pasadena<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Robert Talton, former member of Texas House of Representatives, born in Pasadena<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Duane Walker, former outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sister city
The city of Pasadena, community police outreach has devoted "friendship gardens" to the city of Hadano.
See also
Notes
References
External links
- City of Pasadena
- Pasadena Texas Community Information
- Pasadena Chamber of Commerce
- Template:Handbook of Texas
Template:Pasadena, Texas Template:Galveston Bay Area Template:Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown MSA Template:Harris County, Texas Template:US state navigation box