Pomeroy Collection
San Jacinto College Central - Lee Davis Library

The Pomeroy Collection was donated by author C. David Pomeroy. This is his collection of papers and resources used to write his book Pasadena: the early years. The collection also includes personal and family records relating to local Pasadena history. Materials in the Pomeroy Collection may not be checked out of the library. Please call 281-476-1850 to make an appointment to use this collection. A Finder's Guide is available in the library. Lee Davis Library plans to make selected materials from the Pomeroy Collection available on the Internet.

Pasadena, The Early Years Historical Timeline by C. David Pomeroy, Jr.

Initial Settlement
1890 - JHB buys land. Houston pop. 27,000. Pas pop. 0. Dallas 38,000. San Antonio 37,000. Galveston 29,000.
1893 - Jan. 30, 20 Ac. to John Richey (First land sale in new community).
1894 - First school house was built, "the Academy."
1895 - Feb 14.8 deg., 20" snow in Houston, 24" in Deer Park.
1896 - May, plat filed. Methodist organized in Deepwater.
1897 - Bailey, Coolidge & Ben Williams families arrive.
1898 - First school census, 24 white & 3 negro.
- Mar. 26, Pasadena Independent School District (PISD) election 23 for, 0 against.
- Methodist move to Pasadena, Baptist organize in Deepwater.
1899 - Feb. 8 degrees, Snow drifts 10' in Galveston, Galveston Bay froze over.
- June 15, final official formation of PISD.

Community Development, Churches and Retail Businesses
1900 - Pasadena pop. approx. 200 (20 families). Houston pop. 44,000. Galveston pop. 36,000. La Porte pop. 537.
- Sept. "Galveston Hurricane," 7,200 die (6,000 on Galveston Island). 1.5 million strawberry plants introduced by Clara Barton of the American Red Cross.
1901 - Pomeroys move to Pasadena.
1902 - First telephone (located at Guinn's Post Office).
1903 - Baptist Church built (cost $600, value $1,000).
1904 - Methodist buy land for church.
1905 - School moved to Broad Way (facing Shaver) from Wafer at Shaw (5th).
- Two mercantile stores open (Dickerson and Tilley)
1906 - Crown Hill Cemetery established (Payson Pomeroy first person buried).
1907 - Methodist Church built, cost $2,300.
1908 - June 12 - Aug. 2, Pomeroy House built
1909 - Clyde McMaster (later mayor) moves to Pasadena.

Introduction of Mechanical Devices
1910 - Pasadena pop. approx 500. Houston pop. 78,800. - Brick school house built, now facing Broad Way street.
- Assembly of God organized (Apostolic).
- South Houston platted
- First Airplane flight in Texas (S. Houston, Louis Paulham).
1914 - Houston Ship Channel established, Port of Houston (1841).
1915 - Hurricane in August.
- hand pull ferry across Buffalo Bayou (future Houston Ship Channel.
1917 - Allen Ranch sold to Sinclair interest for refinery (now Lyondell-Citgo)
- Ellington Air Base built.
- First service station in Pasadena (Hargrave's)
- Nov. - World War I over
1918 - Sinclair refinery begins construction.
1919 - Crown Refinery groundbreaking.
- June, Pasadena State Bank and Guaranty State Bank both open in Pasadena
- construction begins on Humble (now Exxon) Refinery in Baytown

Struggle to Incorporate
1920 - Pasadena pop. approx 1,000. Houston pop. 138,276.
- June, first incorporation map proposed, includes new industries.
- First brick commercial building, Guaranty State Bank, still standing.
1921 - Motorized ferry replaces hand pulled one (current location of Washburn Tunnel).
- Hoof & Mouth disease (1921-22) - Pasadena State Bank consolidates Guaranty State Bank in.
1922 - electricity comes to Pasadena.
- hand pull ferry across Buffalo Bayou (future Houston Ship Channel.
1923 - Pasadena incorporated with a vote of 50 vs. 0.
1924 - Pasadena High School built.
- Aug, H L & P Deepwater plant built.
- Nov, city unincorporates.
- Dec 1, worst freeze in 20 years, 80,000 cattle froze.
1927 - Natural gas comes to Pasadena.
- Dec, Vote to incorporate again, fails 63 v. 71.
1928 - Aug, telephone exchange established in Pasadena, listed as separate section in Houston telephone book.
- Dec, vote to re-incorporate passes, 102 v. 94.
1929 - Conrad elected mayor, speed trap reputation, $10,700 in fines.
- First city newspaper. - First bond issue, $120,000 for water, sewer, street & city hall.
- Jun, Phillips Petroleum plant construction starts.
- Aug, Shell Refinery opens in Deer Park.
- Sept, Whoopee built.
- Oct. 29, Stock Market Crash, Great Depression begins.

World War II and Industrialization
1930 - Pasadena pop. 1,647. Houston pop. 292,352.
1933 - Feb, record cold 17 degrees.
- June, record high 101 degrees.
- July, Mexican Baptist Church organized.
- Bank Holiday.
1935 - South Houston & Genoa school districts consolidates into PISD.
1936 - Cullinan leases land to Champion Paper Co. (now Simpson Paper).
- Memorial Baptist Church organized, builds first brick sanctuary in Pasadena.
- Texas Centennial.
- Construction begins on San Jacinto Monument.
- Oct, Rotary Club organized.
1937 - Presbyterian church organized.
- Feb 14, Champion Paper mill opens.
- Jackson Jr. High built.
- First hospital, Pasadena Clinic & Hospital opens (Dr. E. E. Conners).
- First movie house (Rita/Pasadena Theater, now Norman Furniture).
- Methodist build new brick sanctuary ($12,000 with 400 members).
1938 - Episcopals organize.
1939 - Lighted new football stadium built behind high school.

The Great Depression and Great Changes
1940 - Pasadena pop. 3,436. Houston pop. 384,514.
1941 - Library moves to City Hall.
- John Campbell buys Baldwin property on Southmore.
- Dec, US declares war on Japan after Pearl Harbor raid.
1942 - First Rodeo.
- Houston Shipbuilding hires 20,000 employees.
- Brown Shipbuilding.
- San Jacinto Shipbuilding (Todd Shipyard, Pasadena side, sold to Phillips in 1948).
- Lutherans organize.
1943 - Goodyear opens.
1944 - July, Hurricane hits La Porte.
1945 - Dec, Jensen Arcade opens, first public auditorium.
- First home mail delivery (or 1946?).
- Mathison Chemical opens.
1947 - Sam Hoover elected Mayor (serves one 2 yr term)
- Dec, Pasadena Citizen begins. - Pasadena Savings & Loan started (Bank United today).
- Pasadena State Bank builds new brick building on Shaw at Munger.
1948 - Washburn Tunnel work begins (opens 1950).
- Corrigan Center opens.
- Texas City disaster.
1949 - Sears buys land from John Campbell.
- Nov. 19, Capitan Theater opens at Corrigan Center.

Initial Settlement Post War Industrial Growth
1950 - Pasadena pop. 22,483.
- May, Washburn Tunnel opens.
- Sears opens.
1952 - First National Bank opens on Shaw.
1954 - First Baptist Church moves to Tatar Street.
1856 - South Main Baptist is formed.
1962 - JFK announces Space Center project for Houston.