2019 Newcomer Guide + Business Directory 2019LCRCCDirectory | Page 14

COMMUNITY
LEAGUE CITY:
THEN & NOW
L
eague City is the largest and fastest growing
municipality in Galveston County. Once known as a
ranching community, it is now a beacon for young
professionals, families and retirees.
In 1854, the Butler, Coward and Perkins families moved from
Louisiana to Texas to settle along Clear Creek. Since the 1840s,
these ranching families had used the area when driving cattle
along the Opelousas Trail and chose it to settle in because
the marsh grasses would be a year-round food source for their
herds.
In the decades following the Civil War, the North Galveston
County cattle industry thrived. George Washington Butler, who
was just 9 years old when his family moved to Texas, eventually
became a highly respected stock breeder, eventually owning
2,000 acres of grazing land. In 1872, he bought a 30-acre
tract that became the Butler Ranch and Cattle Station, which
became a passenger and mail hub along the railroad. Today,
League City landmark Helen’s Garden sits on part of that
14 | League City Regional Chamber of Commerce
property, and the only remnants of the famed Butler Longhorns
are found at the Butler Museum.
In the early 1890s, wealthy Galveston financier John Charles
League purchased land in the area at Butler’s urging. In 1896,
the area officially became known as League City. League and
Butler would continue to have a lasting impact on the League
City of today. League donated lands for parks, churches and
schools, managed construction of roads, and, along with
Butler, laid the groundwork for a commercial district for the
area.
By 1914, 500 people lived in League City. In 2018, the city’s
population surpassed 107,000.
The city has become a bedroom community known for
excellent schools, master-planned communities, a growing
health care presence, NASA Space Center, a wide range
of shopping centers and the beautiful League City Historic
District.