Business View Civil and Municipal | September 2022

72 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 W hen the new Republic of Texas was in its infancy, economic development in the area now known as Baytown mostly depended upon rice farming and the growing number of brickyards that scraped high quality clays found along the bayous, creeks, and streams. Then in 1908, there was an oil boom which spurred the rapid growth of the Goose Creek community along with those of Wooster and Pelly. Together, they were incorporated as ‘Baytown’ under new charter on January 24, 1948. “Baytown housed engineers, oil workers, and executives of Humble Oil, which was the predecessor of Exxon,” explains City Manager Rick Davis. “So, we are the birthplace of Exxon. And as Houston’s population continued to grow, the East side, where we are, has obviously diversified in terms of the motivations that people have The investment continues