The History Of Humble, Texas

The deep-rooted history of the beautiful Texas city. 

In The Beginning

Humble, Texas is located just outside of Houston in the northeast region of Harris County. The city covers about 10 square miles and is home to a very diverse and unique population of over 15,000 citizens. Today, the city is also a hub for commercial business, bringing in a huge population on a daily basis. 

The first settler in Humble was Joseph Dunman and he made his way to the area in the late 1820s. Moving into the late 1800s, Pleasant Smith Humble acquired the land and named the small town after himself. The first business in the town was a small post office opened by Humble in 1886.

In the late 1800s, the area was mostly known for its abundance of timber, making the area a great hub for commercial businesses. The first sawmill was introduced in the Humble area by the builder C.O. Bender, and from there the area became the central point for transporting timber throughout the region. During this time, the sawmill created a small town that allowed workers to trade and sell different products and merchandise. Humble began to grow with the influx of citizens and soon the town had a couple of hotels, and general stores, plus a small church and school.

The Rise Of The Oil Industry

Moving into the 1900s, oil production began to enter the town, followed by a booming population. People were moving to Humble from all over to get a piece of the new oil discovery. By 1905, Humble was the largest oil-producing town in Texas. The Humble Oil and Refining Company was also formed around this time and now the company is widely known across the country as Exxon Co. USA.

The oil craze began slowing down and monopolizing, thus, attention shifted to farming and back to lumber. Humble was officially incorporated as a town in 1933, but the town remained small until the Houston airport was opened in 1969. During this time, suburbs began to pop up in the area surrounding Huston. Citizens began moving out of Huston and into smaller towns like Humble, just outside of the city. Soon after, Humble became a hub for some of the areas best retail businesses.

humble texas history

Today

Today, the city of Humble is thriving and is the leader in commercial, economic and social happenings in the northern region of Harris County. Humble is home to an incredible, state of the art hospital in addition to other leading healthcare facilities. The city is also known for the high-quality school system and the civic center. There are also a handful of Humble restoration services companies.