The Port's Past
The Port of Houston Authority is an autonomous governmental entity authorized by a 1927 Act of the Texas Legislature. In 1909, the voters of Harris County approved the port as the Harris County Houston Ship Channel Navigation District.

Championed by Congressman Tom Ball, the Houston Ship Channel received federal funds and locally supported bond monies to dredge and deepen the waterway.

Amid much pomp and circumstance, the ship channel officially opened Nov. 10, 1914. Thousands of people attended the ceremony, which was marked by a 21-gun salute. From his office in Washington, D.C., U.S. President Woodrow Wilson fired a cannon via remote control to officially mark the channel as open for operation.

A band played the National Anthem from a barge in the center of the turning basin while Sue Campbell, daughter of Houston Mayor Ben Campbell, sprinkled white roses into the water from the top deck of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Windom. “I christen thee Port of Houston; hither the boats of all nations may come and receive hearty welcome,” she said.

As a part of the 50th anniversary program, President Lyndon B. Johnson pushed a button in Washington to explode dynamite that broke ground for a new dock to be built by the Navigation District as a part of its then-current expansion program. For this anniversary event, Mrs. George E. Woods of Houston, the former Sue Campbell, saw her granddaughter re-enact her christening part of the program.

On Nov. 15, 2004, the port authority celebrated the ship channel's 90th anniversary by again re-creating the christening. For this anniversary, Kirby Eckels, the daughter of Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, christened the channel. The LaPorte High School Band performed the National Anthem and the Harris County Sherrif's Department performed a 21-gun salute.

In 1971, the Texas Legislature changed the name to the Port of Houston Authority and gave it expanded powers for fire and safety protection along the 50-mile Houston Ship Channel.

The Port's Present
The Port of Houston has been instrumental in the city of Houston's development as a center of international trade. About 100 steamship lines offer service linking Houston with 1,053 ports in 203 countries. It is also home to a $15 billion petrochemical complex, the largest in the nation and second largest worldwide.

Piloting into the Next Century
In October 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Water Resources Development Act of 1996, which paved the way for widening and deepening the Houston Ship Channel. In 2005, the port authority completed a five-and-a-half-year plan to deepen the channel from 40 to 45 feet and widen it from 400 to 530 feet. A combination of local voter-approved bonds and federal funds was used to finance the improvements.

Tomorrow's Busiest Waterway
Improving the ship channel will enhance Houston's competitiveness by allowing ships to use their capacity more fully, thus lowering unit transportation costs. These improvements will reduce collision and oil spill risks in the channel and will improve navigational aids. This expansion will also accommodate tomorrow's anticipated mix of marine vessels.

A Channel of Emerging Opportunities
Modernization of the Houston Ship Channel is imperative if Houston is to maintain its competitive edge against other deep-channel Gulf ports and remain a major international port. By meeting the demands of the global marketplace, the Port of Houston can retain its position of worldwide leadership, thus ensuring more trade, more cargo, more jobs and more economic benefit to the Houston area.

Port of Houston Authority
111 East Loop North • Houston, Texas 77029
P.O. Box 2562 • Houston, Texas 77252-2562
Phone: 713-670-2400

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