National Park Service Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area Study U.S. Department of the Interior Intermountain Region Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area Study Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area Study Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area Study National Park Service Intermountain Region 12795 West Alameda Parkway Lakewood, CO 80228 Produced by the NPS Heritage Partnerships Program In accordance with Public Law 107-337 April 2010 Front cover images: Top center: Detail of “Surrender of Santa Anna,” by William Henry Huddle, 1836 (Courtesy Texas State Preservation Board). Bottom left: Allen’s Landing, Houston (NPS photo). Bottom right: A sunrise view of one of the many refineries in the Houston area (Photo © Jim Olive, Stockyard.com). National Park Service A view of the Buffalo Bayou in the downtown Houston area (photo credit: Jim Olive, Stockyard.com) Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area Study Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction.............................................................................................................................................1 •....Purpose...............................................................................................................................................1 •....Why.a.Buffalo.Bayou.National.Heritage.Area.............................................................................1 •....What.is.a.National.Heritage.Area?.................................................................................................2 •....Environmental.Compliance............................................................................................................3 Chapter 2: The Study...................................................................................................................................................5 •....Buffalo.Bayou.Partnership..............................................................................................................6 •....Texas.Parks.and.Wildlife.................................................................................................................7 •....Economic.Alliance.Houston.Port.Region....................................................................................7 •....Boundary.of.the.Study.Area............................................................................................................7 Chapter 3: Public Involvement...............................................................................................................................9 •....A.Community.Planning.Process: Responding.to.an.Expanding.Network.of.Stakeholder.Groups..............................................9 •....Participation.from.Local.Governments.and.Business...............................................................9 •....Public.Meeting.Process...................................................................................................................10 •. Buffalo.Bayou.National.Heritage.Area.Study.Newsletter.#1 . and.Additional.Invitations.for.Public.Comment..........................................................................10 •. Key.Stakeholder.Group.Consultation............................................................................................11 •. Buffalo.Bayou.National.Heritage.Area.Study.Newsletter.#2 . and.Key.Stakeholder.Review.of.Draft.Study.Report.................................................................12 Chapter 4: Historical Themes................................................................................................................................13 • The.Battle.of.San.Jacinto.and.Texas.Independence...................................................................14 •. Buffalo.Bayou:.Rise.of.Shipping.and.Commercial.Development.............................................17 •. The.Oil.Boom.Comes.to.Texas:.The.Spindletop.Strike.and.Beyond.......................................21 •. The.Construction.of.the.Houston.Ship.Channel.......................................................................22 •. Petroleum,.Petrochemicals,.and.Buffalo.Bayou.as."Energy.Capital.of.the.World"..............23 Chapter 5: The Landscape of the Buffalo Bayou, and its Natural, Cultural, Historical and Recreational Resources...................................................................................29 •. Historic.and.Cultural.Resources...................................................................................................29 •. The.Neighborhoods,.Communities,.and.Customs.of.the.Buffalo.Bayou...............................37 •. Natural.Resources............................................................................................................................42 •. Recreational.Resources...................................................................................................................46 •. Summary............................................................................................................................................49 Chapter 6: Potential Management Entity and Financial Feasibility..............................................51 •. Buffalo.Bayou.Partnership..............................................................................................................51 •....Economic.Alliance.Houston.Port.Region....................................................................................52 •....San.Jacinto.Battleground.State.Historic.Site................................................................................53 •....Mission.and.Goals............................................................................................................................54 •. Conceptual.Financial.Plan..............................................................................................................55 National Park Service Table of Contents (continued) Chapter 7: Application of National Heritage Area Criteria.................................................... 59 •. Criteria..............................................................................................................................................59 Chapter 8: Conclusion...............................................................................................................................................71 Appendix A: Study Team and List of Technical Reports..........................................................................73 •. National.Park.Service.Study.Team..............................................................................................73 •. Technical.Studies.and.Reports.prepared.for.the. Buffalo.Bayou.National.Heritage.Area.Study............................................................................73 Appendix B: Expansion of Study Area, Letters and Resolutions of Support............................... 75 Appendix C: Cultural Resource Research Methodology, Sources, Acknowledgements, and Selected Bibliography..............................................................101 •. Types.of.Cultural.Resources.Investigated.................................................................................101 •. Research.Design:.Themes.of.Texas.Independence.and.Houston.–.Energy.Capital..........101 •. Overview.of.Sources..................................................................................................................... 102 •. Consultations................................................................................................................................. 102 •. Inventories.of.Historic.Buildings.and.Structures.and.Other.Historic.Properties............103 •. Other.Principal.Sources.Consulted.including.Collections,. Maps,.and.Photographs...............................................................................................................105 •. Published.Materials.Consulted................................................................................................... 105 •. Online.Internet.Databases.Consulted.......................................................................................107 •. Site.Visits......................................................................................................................................... 108 •. Photography....................................................................................................................................109 Appendix D: Inventory of Cultural Resources in Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Study Area.....................................................................................................111 Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area Study Chapter 1: Introduction Purpose were.supplemented.when.federal. funding.was.provided.to.create. Study Criteria On.December.16,.2002,.Congress. the.Houston.Ship.Channel.in.1914... passed.the.Buffalo Bayou National Since.then,.the.Port.of.Houston.has. The Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area Study Act.(Public. become.the.busiest.port.in.the.United. Heritage Area Study Act Law.107-337),.which.authorized. States.in.terms.of.foreign.tonnage,. (Public Law 107-337) the.National.Park.Service.to.study. second.busiest.in.the.United.States. authorized a study to the.suitability.and.feasibility.of. in.terms.of.overall.tonnage,.and. tenth.busiest.in.the.world...In.total,.it. examine the suitability and establishing.the.Buffalo.Bayou. accounts.for.215.million.tons.of.cargo. feasibility of establishing National.Heritage.Area...Funding. per.year...Buffalo.Bayou’s.complex. a National Heritage Area became.available.in.2005,.at.which. time.the.National.Park.Service,. of.petrochemical.plants.employs.