Houston Heights incorporated as an independent city on July 1, 1896, with William G. Love as its first mayor. It grew from about 800 residents in 1900 to some 9,000 by 1915, with its own schools, waterworks, and city government. It would remain its own town until 1918.
The source
Source: Handbook of Texas Online, “Houston Heights, TX”. No scan of this page is reproduced here.