Sylvan Beach TX

increasingly important role in international trade since the 1970s. The area around modern La Porte gained fame early in Texas history as the location of the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, which ended the Texas Revolution, establishing the independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico. The San Jacinto Monument, in the unincorporated area of La Porte, commemorates the battle. During the early 1900s, particularly the 1920s and 1930s, La Porte's Sylvan Beach became a nationally known tourist destination attracting some of the nation's most well-known entertainers. As a result of changing economics in the Houston area and beach erosion the tourist business declined while industrial development in the area grew. During World War II and afterward La Porte's economy rapidly re-oriented toward petroleum/petrochemicals and shipping, which developed as the dominant industries in the Pasadena-Baytown area.