Become a city

Becoming a City

The Foghorn (the early newsletter for Nassau Bay) reported in a summary chronology in February 1970 that Nassau Bay residents were interested in the possibility of incorporation in the past. In1966 Mrs. E. Lindquist, president of Nassau Bay Civic Association, established a Committee for the Study of Annexation Status, Co-Chairmen Robert J, Ward and Clay Fulcher. The Committee reported that Houston had annexed a 10-foot strip around Nassau Bay in 1963 and that at that time incorporation was not feasible.

The Texas Supreme Court overruled the lower courts on Wednesday, February 26, 1969, and the Supreme Court decided Pasadena's long court battle in their favor, that Houston did not have a valid annexation procedure in their strip annexation. At that time a Committee for Incorporation of Nassau Bay was active having been organized January 7, 1969. Therefore, the Committee was ready to act quickly on the Supreme Court decision.

A petition for an election to incorporate the City of Nassau Bay was signed by 78 residents on Feb 26, 1969, and submitted to the county judge the next day. Activity was delayed due to the re-elections of both Houston and Pasadena's mayors and the agreements they were to work out to settle their land dispute out of court.

Worth McCauley, attorney for the Committee for Incorporation of Nassau Bay closely monitored all these activities. This culminated in the letter 9 January 1970, from the Houston City Attorney to Harris County Attorney, which cleared the last question of Houston's extra-territorial jurisdiction. Following this an incorporation election was scheduled and held in March 1970. And a city was born!

February 27, 1969. The Town Meeting at the Baptist Church was filled to overflowing. Over 400 residents came to learn more about the incorporation activities in Nassau Bay. On January 7, 1969, 14 residents met and formed the Committee for Incorporation of Nassau Bay. About150 residents were participating in this effort. Frank Rogers and Dr. Clyde Hesse were named co-chairmen for the committee, and Worth McCauley and Dalton Jones as legal counsel.

The committee urged all residents to give serious consideration to this effort. They reminded them that the majority of the residents were employed in the Nassau Bay area. They noted that Nassau Bay had a large commercial area considering our size. Within the boundaries were 4 service stations, 1 bank, l savings & loan, 1 phone company, a radio station, Thermal Systems, 3 hotels (585 rooms), a proposed 122 bed hospital (to cost $4,500,000.00), 4 churches, 5 apartment complexes (1,052 units), 3 town houses (43 units at present, 86 units inuncompleted Harbour Martinique), a post office, 11 buildings leased to companies related to NASA and 3 shopping center units (includes professional offices and shops).

The Foghorn article stated: "Nassau Bay residents ARE vitally interested in their community. What can any remote city council possibly provide that we can't do better for ourselves? We must decide now to form our own government or WE WILL FORFEIT THAT RIGHT!!!!"

June 1969. Frank Rogers and Dr. Clyde Hesse, Co-Chairman - Committee for Incorporation of Nassau Bay, submitted a lengthy document to Nassau Bay Residents. They stated that recent public announcement by the city of Houston regarding annexation emphasized the fact that unincorporated areas such as Nassau Bay would soon become a part of the city of Houston.

At the time development of the Clear Lake Area started, after the location of Manned Spacecraft Center, the City of Houston annexed a strip of land ten feet (10') wide which went around Nassau Bay, Clear Lake City, down to the Galveston County line, over to the boundaries of El Lago, Seabrook, and up along the south boundaries of La Porte and Pasadena. This strip of land, although only ten feet wide, constituted boundaries of the annexed territory of Houston and the area within, including Nassau Bay and Clear Lake City, lied within a five (5) mile radius of this strip.

July 1969.The Committee for the Incorporation of Nassau Bay (CINB) met at the home of Dr. C. Hesse to formulate a position to be taken subsequent to receipt of the release from League City. A petition was composed for submittal to County Judge Bill Elliott, the substance of which was the request that the resident property owners of Nassau Bay & Swann Lagoon be authorized to vote on the matter of incorporation. The petition was submitted during the week of 16 June.

August 1969. About a month ago after receiving releases from both Webster and League City, a second petition was submitted to the County Court. That petition called for an election to be held to determine if the people of Nassau Bay and Swan Lagoon wished to form their own city government. The County Office authenticated the signatures on that petition and it was expected that Judge Elliot would act on the request within ten days.

September 1969. Counsel for Judge Elliot recommended against granting the petition to hold an election at the time because of pending litigation between Houston and Pasadena over annexation of land in the South Houston-Ellington AFB area. The Committee for Incorporation of Nassau Bay entered the suit in order to insure recognition of Nassau Bay's interests.

February 1970. The resident's choice was to either vote for incorporation at the upcoming election or to remain in League City's extra-territorial jurisdiction free to annex Nassau Bay and Swan Lagoon at their leisure. According to Houston city attorney William A, Olson in a letter, 9 January 1970, to Harris County attorney Joe Resweber " ... On the basis of studies recently completed, my assistants and I have now concluded that, as a result of the Supreme Court decision which eliminated Houston's '10-foot strip,' the area proposed to be incorporated lies just outside of Houston's present extra-territorial jurisdiction, ...Consent by the City of Houston would not be a prerequisite to incorporation."

March 1970. An election to incorporate Nassau Bay and Swan Lagoon into a general law city was announced for March 14, at the Southwestern Savings Association, 18014 Nassau Bay Dr. Election Judge Dick Gregg would supervise this election. Election officials were: Clerks - Clare Schweickart, Mary Fran Ballard; Judges - Larry Redmond, Robert McMurchy. The Canvassing Committee was Ruth Brown, Mary Ann Haggenmaker, and Dick High.

April 1970. CONGRATULATONS NASSAU BAY TEXAS !!!!!!! Saturday, March 14, 1970, a new city was born. Dick Gregg, election judge read the official returned after the polls closed to the group of residents who anxiously awaited the news. Announcement of the 1211 votes cast: Corporation 1163; No Corporation 48, was followed by smiles and hearty applause. County Judge Elliott would call an election for a mayor, 5 aldermen and marshal after the 20-day waiting period.