Galveston History & First Impressions

It's hot, much worse than Austin. Actually the temperature is 5-10 degrees lower than Austin. Problem is the humidity is very high.

Galveston is great for history buffs. Texas history by comparison is boring. Galveston's history goes back to 1528:

1528 - Cabeza De Vaca was shipwrecked on Galveston. De Vaca and his men lived among the Karankawa Indians for four years. De Vaca became a trader and healer before he and three survivors eventually traveled overland to Spain's outpost in Mexico.

1816 - the first permanent European settlement on the island was established by the pirate Louis-Michel Aury.

1817 - French pirate Jean Lafitte occupied the island.

1821 – The U.S. Navy forced Lafitte to leave the island.

1825 - Mexico (after its successful revolution from Spain) established the Port of Galveston and made it a customs entry point.

1835-1836 – Galveston served as the main port for the Texas navy during the Texas Revolution.

1836 - A Canadian named Michel B. Menard, along with several associates, purchased 4605 acres of land for $50,000 from the Austin Colony to found the town that would become the modern city of Galveston.

1839 – The city of Galveston was incorporated by the Congress of the Republic of Texas

1863 - Confederate forces under Major General
John B. Magruder expelled occupying Union troops from Galveston.

Remainder of the 19^th century - Galveston became a booming metropolis with a population of 38,000. Galveston's financial commercial district that is now called The Strand was nationally proclaimed as the wall street of the south. Its position on the natural harbor of Galveston Bay along the Gulf of Mexico made it the center of trade and one of the biggest cities in the state of Texas. Galveston's port was second only to New York. A highly social town as well, with a southern paw deep into organized crime and illegal gambling, Galveston's charm lured the crooked as well as the "up and coming" of society.

1900 - Galveston was utterly destroyed by the great hurricane of 1900 and never recovered economically.

1917 – The Houston Ship Channel was completed, ensuring that Galveston would never recover its status as the second largest port in the U.S. Houston was inland, safer, and closer to the rail connections and oil fields that became economically critical early in the 20^th century.

Through 1957 - Galveston evolved into a gambling and drinking resort town. The Texas Rangers raided the city in 1957, putting an end to that era.

1980s onward - Galveston underwent revitalization by overhauling and promoting the Historic Downtown District known as the Strand, which contains one of the largest and most well-preserved concentrations of Victorian iron-front commercial architecture in the country, adding the 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA to the Texas Seaport Museum and reviving the Mardi Gras Galveston. Through the efforts of the Galveston Historical Foundation more than 2,000 buildings in town have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Modern-day high rollers have turned empty Strand warehouses into retail stores, restaurants, offices and trendy apartments.

During Galveston's golden era before 1900 it was home to a number of state firsts, including: the first post office (1836), first naval base (1836), first Roman Catholic Cathedral in Texas (1839), first Texas chapter of a Masonic order (1840); first cotton compress (1842), first newspaper still in operation (Galveston Daily News) (1842), first parochial school (Ursuline Academy) (1847), first insurance company (1854), first gas lights (1856), first Jewish Reform Congregation (Congregation B'nai Israel) (1868), first opera house (1870, still in operation), first orphanage (1876), first telephone (1878), first electric lights (1883), first medical college (now the University of Texas Medical Branch) (1891), first school for nurses (1890) and the first country club (1898).

Over 75% of Galveston's buildings were damaged by hurricane Ike in September 2008. Although many buildings have been restored, many others have not. I suspect the reasons for this are primarily lack of insurance or law suits over insurance claims, responsibility for damage, etc. Over 11,000 trees on public land and 30,000 trees on private land must be removed because they are dead, damaged or have severe root damage caused by the salt water surge.

I got the impression that there are few people on the Galveston beach; however, that is probably misleading because Galveston Island is over 27 miles long.

I've taken a lot of pictures but cannot find my camera>PC IF equipment. When I find it I will post a photo tour of Galveston.

For more information go to Galveston info on Wikipedia.