| City of Pasadena | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Nickname(s): "Strawberry Capitol" | |
| Motto: "Enriched by our Heritage. Inspired by our Future." | |
| Location in Harris County in the state of Texas | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Harris |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Johnny Isbell |
| • City Council | Ornaldo Ybarra Jackie Welch Don Harrison Pat Van Houte Erv Brannon Phil Cayten Steve Cote Darrell Morrison |
| Area | |
| • City | 44.5 sq mi (115.3 km2) |
| • Land | 44.2 sq mi (114.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0.4 sq mi (0.9 km2) |
| Elevation | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • City | 149,043 |
| • Density | 3,208.2/sq mi (1,238.7/km2) |
| • Metro | 5,628,101 |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 77501-77506 |
| Area code(s) | Area code 713, 281, 832 |
| FIPS code | 48-56000[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1343631[2] |
| Website | ci.pasadena.tx.us |
Pasadena ( /ˌpæsəˈdiːnə/) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Harris County, 17th-largest in Texas, and 162nd largest in the United States. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston. Burnett, the founder, named the area after Pasadena, California because of the perceived lush vegetation.[3]
As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city's population was 149,043. [4] The Pasadena Volunteer Fire Department is the largest all volunteer municipal fire department in the United States.[5][6]
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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.[7] 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.[8] Lafitte was forced to leave in 1821 by the U.S. Navy.[9]
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.[10][11][12] Following a coup in the Mexican government by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Texas revolted against Mexican rule in 1835.[13] After several battles and skirmishes the final battle of the Texas Revolution took place near modern Pasadena on April 21, 1836. Santa Anna was captured 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".[14]
Sam Allen started a ranch in 1843 with 350 acres (1.4 km2). This became the Allen Ranch which occupied what is now western Pasadena all the way to Harrisburg, Texas. By 1888, the ranch contained 15,000 acres (61 km2) in Harris County, 10,000 acres (40 km2) in Brazoria County, Texas with grazing lands in Galveston and Fort Bend Counties.
The Galveston, Harrisburg & Houston Railroad ran through the Allen ranch. There was a problem of cattle being regularly killed on the tracks and in 1875, Allen built a 19-mile (31 km) 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 100,000 acres (400 km2) 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 10 acres (4.0 ha) lots. He had also established the nearby towns of Deepwater and Genoa, later to be incorporated into Pasadena and Houston.
The 1900 unnamed 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.[15][16] Donations by the newly created Red Cross, including millions of strawberry plants to Gulf Coast farmers, helped revive the community.[17] 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.[18] As the community recovered major tracts of the Allen Ranch were liquidated opening up new development.[19] Rice farmers from Japan settled in the community further diversifying its agriculture. A paper mill and other businesses began to develop.[17]
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.[20] By 1920 refinery operations had appeared in Pasadena and continued to expand thereafter.[17] The world wars gradually brought further industrial development, with Pasadena's growth rate surpassing even neighboring Houston.[16]
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.[3]
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.[21] These developments helped to diversify the town's economy significantly.[17]
In 1965, Houston Post reporter Gene Goltz Received the Pulitzer Prize[22] for his exposure of government corruption in Pasadena, Texas, which resulted in widespread reforms.[22]
The nearby Bayport Industrial District, one of the nation's largest chemical processing complexes, is vital to employment.[23] High-tech businesses in the area related to the JSC have developed as well, and the opening of the Bayport shipping terminal is rapidly adding to the city's economic base.[17]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.5 square miles (115 km2), of which 44.2 square miles (114 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) (0.81%) is water. The city is bordered by the Houston Ship Channel (Buffalo Bayou / San Jacinto River) to the north. The southeastern most part of the city fronts Galveston Bay.
Neighborhoods in Pasadena include:
Pasadena has hot and humid summers and mild winters typical of the Southern United States.
| Climate data for Houston | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 85 (29) |
87 (31) |
97 (36) |
94 (34) |
98 (37) |
101 (38) |
104 (40) |
106 (41) |
101 (38) |
96 (36) |
90 (32) |
84 (29) |
106 (41) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 63 (17) |
67 (19) |
74 (23) |
79 (26) |
86 (30) |
91 (33) |
94 (34) |
93 (34) |
89 (32) |
82 (28) |
73 (23) |
65 (18) |
80 (27) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 45 (7) |
48 (9) |
55 (13) |
61 (16) |
68 (20) |
74 (23) |
75 (24) |
75 (24) |
72 (22) |
62 (17) |
53 (12) |
47 (8) |
61 (16) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 10 (−12) |
14 (−10) |
22 (−6) |
32 (0) |
44 (7) |
56 (13) |
55 (13) |
64 (18) |
50 (10) |
33 (1) |
25 (−4) |
9 (−13) |
9 (−13) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 4.3 (109) |
3.0 (76) |
3.2 (81) |
3.5 (89) |
5.1 (130) |
6.8 (173) |
4.4 (112) |
4.5 (114) |
5.6 (142) |
5.3 (135) |
4.5 (114) |
3.8 (97) |
54.0 (1,372) |
| Source: weather.com[24] | |||||||||||||
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 141,674 people, 47,031 occupied housing units,[25] and 35,179 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,208.1 people per square mile (1,238.7/km²). There were 50,367 housing units[25] at an average density of 1,140.5 per square mile (440.4/km²).
The racial makeup of the city was 71.4% White, 1.6% African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 21.3% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 48.2% of the population.[25]
There were 47,031 households out of which 43.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.48.
In the city the population was distributed by age as follows: 31.6% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.
The city's key economic sectors include exploration for petroleum and gas, petroleum refining, petrochemical processing, 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's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in the bordering Clear Lake Area.[26] The Pasadena Refining System, a partnership of Petrobras and Astra Holding USA, is headquartered in Pasadena.[27]
The median income for a household in the city was $38,522, and the median income for a family was $42,541. Males had a median income of $34,330 versus $25,869 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,301. About 13.2% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
Harris County operates the Kyle Chapman/Pasadena Courthouse Annex.[28] Harris County Hospital District operates the Strawberry Health Center in Pasadena.[29]
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Houston V District Parole Office in Pasadena.[30]
There are four post offices in the city limits.[31][32][33][34] In July 2011 the USPS announced that one, John Foster Post Office, may close.[35]
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.[36]
The city has its own police department, which employs approximately 250 Officers, with 1 Police Chief, 3 Assistant Chiefs and numerous other supervisory positions.
The last election was a special election held on January 19, 2008.
The city has several museums, including the Pasadena Historical Museum,[37] the Bay Area Museum and Armand Bayou Nature Center. Pasadena also has a community theater,[38] an annual rodeo [39] and the Pasadena Philharmonic. The city's newspaper is the Pasadena Citizen[40]
Because of its location near the refineries that dot the nearby ship channel, Pasadena has been dubbed by locals with the nickname "Stinkadena." Several country music songs have been recorded with "Pasa-get-down-dena" as the title including Kenefick on their album "Hard Road."
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, but the building's shell was still standing until 2006 when it was demolished by the Pasadena Independent School District, its current owner. Only the old sound recording studio remains. Gilley still resides in Pasadena.
Clara Barton of the American Red Cross purchased 1.5 million strawberry plants and sent them to Pasadena to help victims of the flood 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.[41] Attendance at the annual Strawberry Festival was 56,000 in 2008.
Pasadena Philharmonic Society and Orchestra[42] 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.
Institutions of higher education include:
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.
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.[43][44]
Harris County operates several community centers in Pasadena.[45]
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.[48]
San Jacinto Branch YMCA is located in Pasadena.
City parks are maintained by the City of Pasadena, Texas.[49]
Armand Bayou Nature Center (ABNC) is a 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) 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. 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. 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.
As of 2010[update] ABNC has been designated as one of five preserves under the Texas Coastal Preserve Program of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.[50]
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.[51]
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) operates a park & ride service from the Pasadena Town Square 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.[52] 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.[53] The Pasadena Park and Ride lot is located on the north side of Pasadena Town Square.[54]
Pasadena has formalized sister city agreements with the following cities:[55]
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