The area surrounding major airports is always a high-crime area. Parks and designated recreational areas are likewise high-crime areas. However, few people actually live near these areas, and as such, the crime rate may not seem as high as it might otherwise. This is because crime tends to happen where people congregate, not where they live. So, it is not uncommon to see higher crime rates around recreational areas, even ones where the locals feel safe.
When railroad service first reached the area, the population of the area was just over 400. By 1882, the city was home to a meat-packing plant and many cattlemen drove their herds north to Kansas City. The city also had a flourishing lumber industry and was the largest shipbuilding community in Texas. However, the aftermath of the Civil War decimated most of these industries, and Wallisville struggled economically. In the 1870s, brickmaking on Cedar Bayou supported Galveston's building boom, and other manufacturers turned to boatbuilding. In the 1890s, Wallisville also had a thriving lumber industry, although Anahuac remained vacant.
In the 1970s, the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act had a profound effect on the area. The United States Army Corps of Engineers investigated the feasibility of building a saltwater barrier across the Trinity River, to aid rice farmers, improve river navigation, and increase water supplies for adjacent counties. State legislators backed the plan, and engineers purchased the townsite to build the reservoir. This work led to the discovery of a pre-historic burial site.