Harrisburg, Houston facts for kids

Harrisburg (which used to be called Harrisburgh until 1892) is a historic community that is now part of the big city of Houston, Texas.

This area is located east of downtown Houston. It sits south of where Brays Bayou and Buffalo Bayou meet, and west of Brady's Island. Harrisburg was started before 1825 on the eastern parts of the Buffalo Bayou. This land was owned by John Richardson Harris. In 1926, Harrisburg became an official part of Houston. The county it's in, Harris County, Texas, was actually first named Harrisburg (Harrisburgh) County. This name was shortened after the original town of Harrisburg changed. There are special historical markers at the John Richardson Harris site. They tell the story of how General Santa Anna burned the town. He did this while chasing Sam Houston and his army, just before they reached Lynch's ferry.

Exploring Harrisburg's Past

Early Days in Mexican Texas

Harrisburg got its name from its founder, John Richardson Harris. He named the town after himself and also after Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. That city was named after his great-grandfather. In 1826, Harris hired Frank Johnson to map out the town. Harrisburg was located right where Bray's Bayou met Buffalo Bayou.

In 1829, John Richardson Harris built a home and a trading post there. He also started building a steam mill with his brothers, David and William P. Harris. John Richardson Harris went to New Orleans to get parts for his mill. Sadly, he caught yellow fever and died there. His two brothers stayed in Harrisburg and kept the businesses going.

John Richardson Harris had a wife and children living in New York when he died. His wife, Jane Birdsall Harris, moved to Mexican Texas in 1833 with her oldest son, De Witt Clinton Harris. Meanwhile, David and William Harris made their business bigger. They brought in two ships to move goods in and out of the area.

Harrisburg During the Texas Republic

In 1835, a temporary government for Texas, called the General Council of Texas, made Harrisburg its capital. But on April 16, 1836, during the Texas Revolution, most of Harrisburg was burned down. This happened when the forces of Antonio López de Santa Anna attacked.

In the summer of 1836, two brothers, John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen, looked for places to start new towns. They were interested in the Galveston Bay area. After a small investment in Galveston, they tried to buy land at Morgan's Point, Texas, but it didn't work out. Next, the Allen brothers traveled up Buffalo Bayou to Harrisburg. They talked with Jane Birdsall Harris about buying the town site. However, there was a disagreement about who truly owned Harrisburg. Jane Harris couldn't show a clear ownership document at that time. So, the Allen brothers decided not to buy Harrisburg.

The Republic of Texas officially made Harrisburg a town on June 5, 1837. Later, some investors from Boston formed the Harrisburg Town Company. They added the town of Hamilton in 1839. At this time, Harrisburg's population grew to about 1,400 people.

In 1840, Andrew Briscoe started the Harrisburg and Brazos Rail Road. He hired Maurice Birdsall to get wood for the railroad tracks near Harrisburg. Briscoe also put out an advertisement to hire many workers, including some who were enslaved, to help build the railroad. The Republic of Texas gave this company a special permission document on January 9, 1841. However, only a few miles of the railroad track were ever built by this company.

Harrisburg After Texas Joined the U.S.

After the Harrisburg and Brazos Rail Road project stopped for several years, things changed. In 1847, the Harrisburg Town Company sold all its unsold land to Sidney Sherman. He led a group of investors from Boston who wanted to improve the town. Harrisburg's land was used for a new plan to build a railroad. This railroad would start at a point near where Braes Bayou meets Buffalo Bayou.

This group of investors created the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado Railway (B.B.B. & C.). They got permission from the State of Texas on February 11, 1850. Sherman was a main partner. He also got investors from Houston, like William Marsh Rice, William J. Hutchins, and Benjamin A. Shepherd. The B. B. B. & C. hired John Williams to map out the railroad route.

Williams finished mapping the B.B.B. & C. route between Harrisburg and the Brazos River in 1851. The railroad officially started running on January 1, 1853. Harrisburg was the starting point of this line. It was the very first working railroad line in Texas!

After the American Civil War, the railroad grew and changed its name to the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway. Harrisburg stayed an important railroad town for a while. But then a big fire in the 1870s destroyed the rail yards. These yards were then rebuilt in Houston instead.

Harrisburg's population got smaller after the railroads moved away. It also shrunk when the Houston Ship Channel was made wider in 1919. In December 1926, the City of Houston officially took over Harrisburg. This annexation added about 1,293 acres (523 hectares) of land to Houston's city limits.

Learning in Harrisburg

Public Schools

Harrisburg is served by the Houston Independent School District. This means the public schools in the area are part of this district.

Many homes in Harrisburg are assigned to J. R. Harris Elementary School. This includes most areas east of Broadway and some areas west of it, generally north of Elm Street. Some homes are assigned to Dávila Elementary School. All students in the area go to Deady Middle School and Milby High School.

The area used to have its own school system called the Harrisburg Independent School District. J. R. Harris Elementary opened as Harrisburg School in 1895. A separate school for Black students, also called Harrisburg School, opened in 1904. In 1952, that school moved to a new building and was renamed "Kay Elementary School." It was named after its first principal, Savannah Georgia Kay. Kay Elementary School closed in 1978. Today, students at Chávez High School use the old Kay Elementary School building as a special "land lab" for learning.

Public Libraries

Kids and families in Harrisburg can use the Stanaker Branch of the Houston Public Library.