Texas City, Texas

Everything Texas City is known for

9 songs mention this city 3 artists from here

Texas City, Texas, a deepwater port on the Gulf Coast, has connections to the broader Texas music landscape. While not widely known as a music hub, several artists have called Texas City home, including country musicians Jason James and Derryl Perry, and Christmas artist Charles Brown. The city is also mentioned in songs like "Texas City" by The Tender Things and Johnny Cash's "Rockabilly Blues (Texas 1955)."

These musical ties, though perhaps not extensive, contribute to the cultural fabric of this Galveston Bay community.

Music in Texas City

Songs About Texas City

Happy Is a Happy Texas City!
The Guy Who Sings Songs About Cities & Towns
82%
"Happy Is a Happy Texas City!"
Texas City
The Tender Things
69%
When the Fire Comes Down
Hank Williams
55%
"Texas City, Texas City / Oh, how awful was her fate / First she burned and then exploded"
Talkin' 1947 Texas City Disaster Blues
Johnny Anderson
55%
The Texas City Dyke
Mean Gene Kelton
50%
"(title) "The Texas City Dyke" — names the Texas City Dike fishing jetty"
the ballad of lavern and captain flint
guy clark
10%
Rockabilly Blues (Texas 1955)
Johnny Cash
7%
"And I'm Texas City sad"
Neon
Chris Young
4%
"a little Johnny Lee on"
Houston Romance
I See Hawks In L.A.
2%
"Texas City"

Artists From Texas City

J
Jason James
country Pop: 40
C
Charles Brown
christmas Pop: 23
D
Derryl Perry
country Pop: 8

Rivers & Roads in Song near Texas City

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Texas City.

Interstate 45 7 songs Trinity River 10 songs FM 3005 2 songs Interstate 10 32 songs US Route 90 8 songs U.S. Route 59 7 songs

Musical Heritage

Bayou Fest: Music and a Cook-Off on the Coast RoadyGoat

If your timing is right, La Marque throws one of its biggest parties of the year right here. Bayou Fest is the city's annual concert series paired with a barbecue cook-off, a combination that says a lot about what this Gulf Coast community values: live music and serious smoked meat. It grew into one of La Marque's major community events, the kind of gathering where neighbors who spend the week working the nearby plants come together over brisket smoke, cold drinks, and a stage. The cook-off side draws teams who take their smoke rings seriously, and the concert side gives the city a stage of its own rather than borrowing one from Houston or Galveston next door. For a city that has spent its history bracing against hurricanes and industrial booms, Bayou Fest is the lighter side of the same coastal-prairie identity, a reminder that life out here on the flat bayou country isn't all levees and refineries. It's the rare day when a town built around work and weather just lets itself have a good time. Pull over if it's happening; this is La Marque at its most relaxed and welcoming. (Source: City of La Marque.)

4.3 mi away

History of Texas City

Texas City, TX RoadyGoat

Texas City is more than just refineries shimmering in the Gulf Coast sun, though they’re certainly a big part of the story. It’s easy to drive through on Highway 146, headed to the Bayport area, and miss the fact that this place has nurtured some real giants.

Texas City, TX RoadyGoat

Texas City, down on the bay, has always been a place shaped by big dreams and hard work. From its very name, chosen back in the 1890s, you can sense the ambition to become a major port. It drew folks from all over, looking for opportunity in the burgeoning shipping and industrial sectors. You hear old-timers talk about the mix of accents back then, a real melting pot drawn to the promise of jobs on the docks and in the refineries. Though a distinct dialect never quite took root, you can still catch echoes of those early influences in the way some people talk, a hint of the Gulf Coast mingling with the drawls of folks who came down from further north and west. That heritage is more visible in other ways. Take the food, for instance. You can find some great seafood shacks around here, serving up dishes that draw on both Cajun and Tejano traditions — think spicy shrimp boils and grilled snapper with a kick. And while the architecture is mostly modern, practical stuff built for industry and working families, you'll still see the occasional older house, raised on piers against the threat of flooding, a reminder of the constant push and pull between the city and the bay. Even the strong football tradition at Texas City High has that feel of a community pulling together, generations of families cheering on their own, a shared identity forged in the shadow of the refineries and the salt air.

Texas City, TX RoadyGoat

Texas City has always been a place shaped by industry, by the bay, and by a certain resilience forged in the face of unimaginable tragedy. For decades, the refineries have been the backdrop to everyday life, their flares a constant reminder of the city's economic engine. But recently, there's been a subtle shift in the conversation, a growing awareness of the delicate balance between industry and the environment. You see it in the renewed focus on protecting the Galveston Bay ecosystem, especially the migratory bird populations that depend on its wetlands. This isn't about turning our backs on the petrochemical plants that connect us to the world and keep our families employed. It's about finding ways to coexist. The Beaumont Formation, that clay and silt beneath our feet, reminds us that the land itself is ancient and valuable. People are talking more about sustainable practices, about responsible development along Highway 146, and about ensuring that future generations can enjoy Moses Lake and the natural beauty that still thrives here. It's a slow process, this change in mindset, but it feels like Texas City is finally starting to look forward with both its economic strength and its environmental responsibility in mind.

Texas City Disaster

1947

The worst industrial accident in American history began when the cargo ship SS Grandcamp, loaded with ammonium nitrate fertilizer, exploded at the Texas City docks on April 16, 1947.

Historical Marker →

Texas City Disaster Memorial

1947

On April 16, 1947, the French cargo ship SS Grandcamp, loaded with ammonium nitrate fertilizer, exploded in Texas City harbor, killing nearly 600 people in the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history.

Historical Marker →

The Texas City Disaster

1947

On April 16, 1947, three ships--the "Grandcamp", the "High Flyer", and the "Wilson B. Keene"--were docked in the Texas City port. They were loaded with cargo, including ammonium nitrate fertilizer, bound for Europe to assist in the Post-World War II recovery effort. At 8:33 a. m. the Texas City fire department responded to a call for assistance with a fire on the "Grandcamp". As smoke billowed from the ship, spectators gathered to watch. The "Grandcamp" exploded at 9:12 a. m. with a tremendous force that was felt for miles around. A second explosion came at 1:10 a. m. on April 17, when the "High Flyer's" cargo caught fire, destroying the "Wilson B. Keene" as well. More than 550 people, including 27 firemen, were killed; Flying pieces of concrete, steel, and glass injured thousands more; Resulting fires took days to extinguish. Response to the disaster came immediately, with the American Red Cross coordinating relief efforts. Far-reaching effects of the Texas City disaster incuded the implementation of safety standards and revised emergency medical treatment procedures. Citizens determined to rebuild. By 1950 few physical reminders of the disaster remained, although the event retains a prominent place in state and national history. (1990)

Historical Marker →

Everhart, Forrest Eugene, Sr.

1944

Forrest Eugene Everhart, Sr., Medal of Honor recipient, was born on August 28, 1922, in Bainbridge, Ross County, Ohio. He was the son of Thomas Henry Everhart and Alice (Beatty) Everhart. As a youngster, he attended the local school in Bainbridge but left high school after two years. He also first learned to shoot a rifle when he developed an interest in squirrel hunting. In January 1940 Everhart enlisted in the Ohio National Guard as a member of Company H, 166th Infantry Regiment in Chillicothe. The 166th was attached to the Ohio National Guard’s Thirty-seventh Infantry Division. On October 15, 1940, the Thirty-seventh Infantry was called to active duty as the nation prepared for World War II . On active duty, Everhart underwent intense military training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, and was assigned guard duty with his battalion in Texas City, Texas, along the Gulf of Mexico. In Texas, Everhart met Dorothy Hudson of Texas City. They married on July 10, 1943, and would have six children. In December 1943 Everhart was assigned to Company H, 359th Infantry Regiment of the Ninetieth Infantry Division (known as the “Tough ‘Ombres,” “Texas’ Own,” and the “Alamo” division). On March 23, 1944, the Ninetieth embarked from New York for the European theater of the war. It arrived in England on April 5 and began to train for D-Day and Operation Overlord. The Ninetieth Division experienced some major problems during the Normandy campaign. Elements of the division landed in Normandy on Utah beach on D-Day June 6. On the morning of June 7, the troopship, Susan B. Anthony , transporting Everhart’s unit, the 359th IR, hit a mine in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy and sank. Other ships pulled alongside the doomed vessel and rescued the troops. After the 359th IR landed in Normandy, it fought in support of the Fourth Infantry Division for three days. Although well-trained and equipped for combat, the Ninetieth Division was ill-prepared for fighting in hedgerow terrain and suffered heavy casualties. On June 13, Everhart suffered a leg wound from shrapnel that led to a month of hospitalization in England. In August, Everhart took another blow when a piece of shrapnel hit him in the face under his right eye. The wound caused Everhart discomfort for the rest of his life. Near Kerling, in northeastern France, Technical Sergeant Everhart faced his greatest challenge during World War II. On November 12, 1944, German tanks and infantry forces in a predawn strike threatened to overrun the unit’s left flank and machine gunner. As the platoon commander, Everhart took immediate action, racing 400 yards and through hostile fire, until he reached the machine gun. Everhart directed fire toward the Germans and then engaged the enemy in a fifteen-minute grenade attack that killed thirty and forced the rest to withdraw. Everhart than ran to his threatened right flank and fought the enemy with grenades. His actions forced them to retreat and killed another twenty Germans. Praised for his “gallantry and intrepidity” that halted a German attack, Everhart was recommended for the Medal of Honor. Suffering from trench foot, Everhart was removed from combat a few days after the Kerling battle. Evacuated first to England, he subsequently spent several months at Stark General Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina, and the post hospital at Camp Carson, Colorado. Everhart received his military discharge on July 20, 1945, and then traveled to Texas City to join his wife and his son Forrest E. Everhart, Jr. On August 23, 1945, President Harry Truman presented the Medal of Honor to Technical Sergeant Forrest Everhart and twenty-seven others in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. Congress credited his award to Texas from where he had deployed as part of the Ninetieth Division. A few days later, Everhart returned to Bainbridge, Ohio, where a parade was given in his honor. Accompanied with his parents, his wife, and his child, the young war hero took m

Tsha Handbook → · 3.5 mi away

Moore, Helen Edmunds

1915

Helen Edmunds Moore, state legislator, was born on January 3, 1881, in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, the daughter of J. H. Edmunds, who became a prominent mechanical engineer of Kansas City, Missouri. She became a nurse at Kansas City Hospital, where she met Hugh Benton Moore , a railroad man, who was a patient. They were married on September 5, 1905, in Kansas City, one month before their move to Texas City. Her husband, the pioneer developer of Texas City, served as the general manager of Texas City Terminal Railroad and Mainland Company. As a nurse she provided the only medical service available until the first doctor arrived in 1907. Together they sought civic improvements for the new port: the Moore Memorial Public Library, city incorporation, health laws, and a park. Helen Moore began her successful public career fighting for woman suffrage , touring the state to organize women to work for the constitutional amendment. When the amendment was rejected in 1915 by the Texas legislature, Minnie Fisher Cunningham of Galveston, state president of Texas Equal Suffrage Association , wrote to Moore asking her to continue the campaign for woman suffrage. She wrote, "I am not going to pretend it is an easy work that I am calling you to, but I believe you are the woman for it. I know your spirit and your fire, and they are irresistible." Mrs. Moore accepted the challenge and became chairwoman of the southeast district for TESA. Her interest in politics led her to accept the presidency of the League of Women Voters of Texas in 1923 and become a delegate to the Democratic national conventions in 1924 and 1928. In addition to these political activities, Mrs. Moore organized the Texas City Red Cross Branch in 1916 and served as its first president. As an active member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, she served in the Altar Society. Though childless, the Moores raised three of her nieces at their home near the waterfront and Texas City Dike. The home is a Texas state historic landmark. Fishing and water sports were her favorite hobbies. As a member of the Forty-first, Forty-second, and Forty-fourth legislatures, she revealed the determined spirit behind her gentle image. When she was first elected there was only one other woman in the House. In the Forty-fourth Legislature she was the only woman. She succeeded in getting state authorization for construction of the Texas City Dike as a permanent part of the Galveston Bay channel system. However, her chief interest was social legislation. She was a member of the Public Health Committee and the Education Committee and chairman of the Eleemosynary Committee. Bills she secured included measures for removal of the insane from jails to insane asylums; establishment of state hospitals for cancer, pellagra, and tuberculous patients; and, following her investigation (the first) of state facilities, increased appropriations and improved maintenance for all state hospitals, orphanages, and penal institutions. In 1932 she also served on the appropriations committee, where she was instrumental in the establishment of the first psychopathic hospital at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Under her sponsorship the state established the state board of education, required a six-year scholastic age for children, required teachers in public schools to be citizens of the United States, included the teaching of American and Texas government in public schools, and established schools in the penitentiary with compulsory attendance. (She had found that 23 percent of the inmates had never attended school.) She also urged the passage of the federal child labor amendment. She was very proud of the protective legislation for women that cut their working hours from fifty-four to forty-eight hours a week. She won reelection in 1934 on a pledge to vote for the repeal of the prohibition amendment and the establishment of a liquor tax rather than income and sales taxes. Upon her leaving the Texas House in

Tsha Handbook → · 3.5 mi away

1867 Settlement

1867

The 1867 Settlement (also referred to as the Settlement), located twelve miles south of League City and in the Texas City Historic District in Galveston County, is a historically significant place as the only Reconstruction -era African American community established in the county. Located near Bell Drive, in west Texas City, this was a self-sufficient Black settlement established by former slaves after the Civil War . Unlike most freedmen of that time, the members of the community were landowners and settled an area that they called by various names, including "Our Settlement" and "Campbellville" for the Reverend Israel Campbell who began a church there in 1870. The origins of the settlement can be traced to a Civil War containment camp in northern Galveston County where enslaved men were separated from their families and impressed for service to drive cattle for the Confederacy . Many of the future settlers worked as cowboys and ranch hands for George Washington Butler on Clear Creek (now League City). After the Civil War they drove his cattle on the Chisholm Trail to Abilene, Kansas. Cattle trailing provided a stable income for the post-Civil War destitute state of Texas. After the announcement of emancipation in June 1865 ( see JUNETEENTH ) in Galveston, state Supreme Court judge William Jefferson Jones of Virginia Point set aside the only land in the county available to freedmen, who could procure testimonials from local businessmen declaring they had good morals and work ethics. By 1867 many of the former cowboys and ranch hands, with money earned by driving cattle, began to purchase acreage from Judge Jones, who sold land out of the 320-acre land grant he received during the Republic of Texas era and required payment ten years later. The grant was next to the Galveston, Houston, and Henderson Railroad in what is now west Texas City. Founding families included the Brittons, Bells, Hobgoods, Phillips, and Caldwells. The Kneeland Britton family was the first family of the Settlement. Most of the families were headed by cowboys, and a large number of them still worked for George Washington Butler. One of the cowboys, Calvin Bell, settled in the area in 1874 with his wife Katie, who served as the first schoolteacher. The Bells, an interracial couple, were later charged with unlawful marriage, due to Texas anti-miscegenation laws, and in 1894 Katie Bell, a White woman, was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison; her husband was acquitted. A nearby cemetery, named for the Phillips family, was established in 1880. At that time the Settlement had approximately forty-two residents. By 1885 Reverend Campbell's church, which was later named Greater Bell Zion Missionary Baptist Church, had become the center of the Black community. By the mid-1880s and largely coinciding with the end of the major cattle drives, citizens of the 1867 Settlement began leaving their profession as cowboys and sought more structured, stationary work in agriculture or in the railroad industry. In 1900 the population was eighty-three and consisted mostly of relatives and descendants of the founding families. The community had an adult literacy rate of 88 percent, and the majority of its residents were landowners. The population increased to approximately 120 in 1910. A train track, constructed in 1911 for the purpose of running an electric interurban between Houston and Galveston, ran through the middle of the 1867 Settlement, dividing it in half. A train stop, built at the border of nearby La Marque near the Settlement, resulted in local residents referring to the Settlement as Highlands because of its proximity to Highland Bayou. In 1920 the Settlement had a hotel, restaurant, and Masonic lodge. Children had access to the La Marque Colored School, and as the population increased and spread into nearby La Marque, the community began to lose its identity. Many workers left agriculture in favor of industrial work at nearby plants in Texas City. The 18

Tsha Handbook → · 3.5 mi away

Things to Do in Texas City

historical 16.4 mi away
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Hotel Galvez Ghost Bride

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Galveston Seawall

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Everything Near Texas City

803 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

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