History

Jacinto City’s history dates back to Nov. 1, 1841, when the State of Texas issued a land grant to James Wyatt Oates. In 1866, his grandson, Charles Oates, built the first home in what is now Jacinto City. Whittier Elementary School curently sits on that site. At that time, ranching and logging were the predominant industries in the area. Once the Houston Ship Channel was developed and oil refining took root in the area, things started to grow rapidly. In 1917 a little dirt road called Market Street was covered with shell. In the 1920’s Holland Avenue was extended to go from Clinton Drive to Market Street.

Our status as a rural community changed around 1942 when Frank Sharp began to develop the first subdivision then known as Industrial Acres. Soon after, a commercial hub appeared which included a theater, grocery store and later a post office. In 1946 a group of citizens banded together to form a General Law City which was incorporated in May of 1946.