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.