Humble is located at
29°59'42" North, 95°15'54" West (29.994920, -95.264873) According to the United
States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.6 kmē Square kilometre
(symbol kmē)
Just before the Civil War,
a wandering fisherman named P.S. (Pleasant) Humble brought his family into the
area. They settled on the banks of the San Jacinto River and operated a ferry
near the present U.S. 59 crossing. A flood drove his family away from the river
in search of higher ground. Soon a small community began forming in the area.
A pioneer oil boom town.
Originated as crossroads community named for settler Pleasant Smith Humble
(1835?-1912), who lived here before 1889, hewing his timber into railroad
ties, mining gravel from his land, keeping store, and serving as justice of the
peace. Neighbors included the Bender, Durdin, Isaacks, Lee, Slaughter, and
Williams families.
Economic bases were farms
and sawmills. The post office opened 1902. In 1904 C. E. Barrett (1866-1926)
drilled for oil in this area, securing small production on Moonshine Hill.
On Jan. 7, 1905, he brought in the No. 2 Beaty Well which yielded 8,500
barrels a day, opening the great boom. From a village of 700, Humble grew at
once into a town of 20,000. Field production-- the largest in Texas for the
year 1905-- was 15,594,923 barrels of oil. The field was named for the town.
A group of its operators, including Ross S. Sterling, later (1931-33)
governor of Texas, in 1911 incorporated a new oil company named for the
field, The Humble Oil Company, thus spreading into the annals of world commerce
the town's name. Production from several strata here exceeded the total for
fabulous Spindletop by 1946. Known as the greatest salt dome field, Humble still
produces and the town for which it was named continued to thrive.
The Humble Oil Company's
name was changed to Exxon two decades ago. The opening of Houston
Intercontinental Airport was a major local growth catalyst on the late 1960's.
Located less than five miles from Humble, this event stimulated development
throughout Houston's north side. Soon, subdivision development was initiated
nearby. The resultant growth started a transformation of the City of Humble and
the surrounding rural homestead areas.
Kingwood, Forest Cove, Northshire,
Atascocita,
Eagle Springs,
Summerwood, The Commons
of Lake Houston just to name a few.
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