Houston, Texas began as a 6,642-acre land purchase by John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen along the rugged Buffalo Bayou in 1836. The City of Houston, incorporated on June 5, 1837, was named in honor of Sam Houston, the reigning President of the Republic of Texas. Houston’s railroad and port industry, along with the discovery of oil in 1901, put this promising city on the fast track to success.
Houston, TX recorded its population in the Census 2000 at nearly 2 million, the largest city in Texas. Houston serves as the heart of the immense Houston - Sugar Land - Baytown metropolitan area, which remains the largest cultural and economic region on the Texas Gulf Coast. This massive area, including 10 counties and a total population of 5.3 million residents, ranks as the seventh largest metropolis in the nation.
Houston's more than 601 square miles enjoys a humid subtropical climate affording balmy weather in the summertime and mild-to-moderate winters. The Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network ranked Houston, Texas among their top 11 U.S. global cities.
The Texas Medical Center came to Houston, TX in the mid-20th century, soon growing into one of the largest concentrations of healthcare and research facilities in the world. While aeronautics and petrochemicals play a major role in the economy, biomedical research continually pushes Houston to the medical forefront. Also known as “Space City,” Houston is the home of NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, the site where Mission Control operates.
The thriving economic community also benefits from its busy waterways. The Port of Houston is located in the Houston Ship Channel. The seat of Harris County, Houston boasts numerous Fortune 500 companies such as Reliant Energy, Halliburton and Marathon Oil. Houston also provides access to a diverse group of higher learning facilities, including Texas Southern University, Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and several campuses affiliated with the University of Houston.
Houston, Texas teems with activities and amenities, creating an enviable quality of life and a popular vacation destination. Other attractions and sites of interest include Houston Arboretum, Galveston Island, The Galleria, the Gulf Coast Beaches, Kemah Boardwalk and Sam Houston Historical Park.
If you have a personal injury claim in Texas, you’ll probably go to one of the trial courts: the Municipal or Justice of the Peace Court, the County Court, or the District Court. Which court you go to depends on the kind of case you have and the amount of damages at issue. A civil court will hear your claim. The Civil Courthouse serving Harris County is located at 201 Caroline, Houston, TX 77002. The Harris County Clerk's Main Office is located on the 4th floor of the Harris County Civil Courts Building. Once you’ve gone through a trial, you may have the right to appeal your personal injury case to the state’s Appeals Court or the Supreme Court. There are 14 Appeals Court locations, two of which are located in Houston, TX. The Texas Supreme Court is in Austin.
