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<br />-'.-~.. <br />;; I <br />~ <br /> <br /> <br />City of La Porte Paths &c Open Space Master Plan <br /> <br />LA PORTE TODAY <br /> <br />2.1 Introduction <br /> <br />In assessing the recreational needs of a community, it is essential to <br />understand the current context of what shapes that community. This <br />includes the history of the community, the local economy, the <br />demographic and population aspects of the citizens of the community, <br />and the physical characteristics of the community. Recreation is an <br />integral part of the picture of the community, and as such is key to the <br />success and health of the entire city. <br /> <br />2.2 A Brief History of La Porte <br /> <br />In 1891, La Porte was founded as one of the fIrst cities in today's Harris <br />County. First settlers in the area had started coming in the 1820s, and in <br />1891 , developer I. R. Holmes began promoting La Porte and its <br />surroundings specifically. <br />The name La Porte comes from the French word "door" and was meant to <br />depict La Porte's function as CI ctoorway to Galveston Bay and the Gulf of <br />Mexico. La Porte was incorporated in 1892, and at that time, 22 acres of <br />land were set aside to build a park that was later called Sylvan Beach. <br />With the developers' investments and marketing strategies, the area <br />became hugely popular in the late 18905 - and- property was even sold at <br />the world Fair 1893 in <br />Chicago. A population <br />growth in the area <br />occurred in that year as <br />well, when the first <br />excursion train started <br />its trips to Pasadena, <br />with wagon transport to <br />Sylvan Beach. With the <br />new transportation <br />system, many <br />Houstonians built their <br /> <br />r 2 - La Porte Toelay <br /> <br /> <br />Sylvan Beach, before a hurricane washed away 90 <br />yards of shoreline in 1915 <br /> <br />PGge 1 <br />