Port of Houston Ship Channel Oral History
The Houston Ship Channel is a marvel of human ingenuity. Dredged from the shallow Buffalo Bayou near downtown Houston out to Galveston Bay, this 55-mile man-made waterway provides access to one of the busiest and largest ports in the world--the Port of Houston. The channel's very existence is a testimony to the vision and "can do" attitude of several business and political leaders in Houston who more than a century ago blazed a path that ultimately made Houston a giant in the global maritime trade and the energy capital of the world.
In 2006, historian Jason Theriot conducted a series of oral history interviews with individuals with a long history working at the Port of Houston and on the ship channel. They worked as port captains, ship pilots, commissioners, and longshoremen. They talk about working on Liberty Ships during WWII and how the petrochemical industry dramatically expanded in the post-war years. They talk about the challenges of growth, handling bigger ships, diversity of the maritime culture, changing attitudes toward improving water quality and the environment. These are the people who invented and perfected the art of the "Texas Chicken." Their knowledge of past events and experiences in the maritime industry provides a compelling narrative story about the history of this world-class port. In Oct. 2014, the Houston History Magazine dedicated an entire issue to the history of the Port of Houston ("Dredged to Excellence, 100 Years on the Houston Ship Channel" click here for the pdf) with several excerpts taken from this interview collection.