Discover the Port of Houston’s History

Oct. 29, 2013 - PRLog -- The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is The Port of Houston by Mark Lardas. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images chronicling the growth of America’s second largest seaport.

To reach the Port of Houston’s Turning Basin, a ship must travel 50 miles along a narrow and twisting channel that passes through Galveston Bay, the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou. Despite this improbable location, Houston has the world’s largest landlocked port. Measured by annual tonnage shipped, the Port of Houston is the second-largest port in the United States. Its docks, wharves and facilities cover more than 25 miles.

The port starts its second century as a seaport in 2014. Its transformation from a crowded river port into an industrial giant is fascinating. Images of America: The Port of Houston shares a tale of technology, geography, politics, hard work and Texas brag—mixed with a little luck.

Highlights of The Port of Houston include:

•A collection of rarely seen images, the majority of which come from the Houston Maritime Museum, the University of Houston’s Digital collections, the Port of Houston Authority and the author’s own private collection.
•Information on how the Port of Houston was the first port in the world that received a cargo of shipping containers.
•Shares how the Port is the economic engine that drives Houston. In 2012 the Port directly or indirectly, created 1, 026,820 jobs and had a $178.5 billion in economic impact.
•Illustrates how the Port of Houston was only accessible by riverboats for the first 40 years of its existence.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com/