The City of Houston originated when John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen, two brothers who were real estate developers from New York, landed on the banks of Buffalo Bayou. In August 1836, just a few months after Texas won its independence from Mexico, they purchased 6,642 acres in the area and settled there. Once settled, they were ready to open shop. Anxious to sell land and create a real estate boom in Texas, they marketed the land to all those brave enough to come to Texas. The rest is history, and it has been quite a history of growth over the years. With the confluence of Buffalo and White Oaks Bayou, a natural turning basin existed. Boats could easily navigate the water. Next came the city streets, commercial concerns, and a semblance of a government and Houston was on its way.