See how Houston was marketed to the rest of the world way back in 1836

PHOTOS: Vintage photos of Houston

In 1836 the Allen brothers put out an advertisement showing off the settlement along Buffalo Bayou dubbed Houston. The area soon be known as Houston looked more like idyllic hilly European hamlet than a bayou village swarming with mosquitoes and people living in tents. As can be seen in the illustration above they had to fib a little to get the first few settlers in Houston.

>>>See real, actual photos of Houston from way back in the day... less In 1836 the Allen brothers put out an advertisement showing off the settlement along Buffalo Bayou dubbed Houston. The area soon be known as Houston looked more like idyllic hilly European hamlet than a bayou village swarming with mosquitoes and people living in tents. As can be seen in the illustration above they had to fib a little to get the first few settlers in Houston. PHOTOS: Vintage photos of Houston

In 1836 the Allen brothers put out an advertisement showing off the settlement along Buffalo Bayou dubbed Houston. The area soon be known as Houston looked more like idyllic In 1836 the Allen brothers put out an advertisement showing off the settlement along Buffalo Bayou dubbed Houston. The area soon be known as Houston looked more like idyllic ... more Photo: Bettmann/Bettmann Archive Photo: Bettmann/Bettmann Archive Image 1 of / 66 Caption Close See how Houston was marketed to the rest of the world way back in 1836 1 / 66 Back to Gallery

It wasn't easy to sell outsiders on Houston over 182 years ago, in an age when information moved at a glacial pace.

Obviously we didn't have the likes of GQ magazine to tell everyone about our bars, restaurants, and scenery. Heck, we didn't even have any of that.

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In 1836 the Allen brothers -- Augustus C. and John K. -- put out an advertisement showing off the settlement along Buffalo Bayou dubbed Houston. The area soon be known as Houston looked more like idyllic hilly European hamlet than a bayou village swarming with mosquitoes and people living in tents.

While they were at it the Allen brothers should have just predicted that one day predicted the first word uttered by man from the surface of the moon would be "Houston."

It gets better, per the ad's copy, presented by the Houstorian website in full.

"There is no place in Texas more healthy, having an abundance of excellent spring water, and enjoying the sea breeze in all its freshness," the ad's copy declares. "Nature appears to have designated this place for the future seat of Government. It is handsome and beautifully elevated, salubrious and well watered, and now in the very heart or centre of population, and will be so for a length of time to come."

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Sure they had to fib a little to get the first few settlers in Houston. Texas, even at its very beginning, has always been about exaggeration. One day Houston would have mountains, albeit ones made of concrete and rebar that we call freeways and tollways.

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The part about Houston being "well watered" does make us giggle a little, especially in a post-Harvey world. Humidity is just water in the air anyway, right?

"Vessels from New Orleans or New York can sail without obstacle to this place, and steamboats of the largest class can run down to Galveston in 8 or 10 hours, in all seasons of the year," the ad said, already hoping to coax Yankees down to the city.

Not one word of humidity, hurricanes, or mosquitoes was spoken. That's how you sell a city.

Craig Hlavaty covers Houston history and pop-culture. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | craig.hlavaty@chron.com