Galveston, Texas

:Galveston redirects here. For the Galveston in Indiana, see Galveston, Indiana.

History

Galveston island was originally inhabited by members of the Karankawa and Akokisa tribes. The Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca was shipwrecked on the island in 1528 and there began his famous trek to Mexico.

Related Topics:
Karankawa - Akokisa - Cabeza de Vaca - 1528 - Mexico

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The island was named in honor of Bernardo de Gálvez in 1785 by Spanish explorer Jose de Evia, who charted the Gulf Coast. The first permanent settlements on the island were constructed around 1816 by the pirate Louis-Michel Aury as a base of operations to support Mexico's rebellion against Spain. In 1817 Aury returned from an unsuccessful raid against Spain to find Galveston occupied by the pirate Jean Lafitte, who took up residence there after having been driven from his stronghold in Barataria Bay off the coast of New Orleans, Louisiana. Lafitte organized Galveston into a pirate "kingdom" he called "Campeachy" (or "Campeche"), annointing himself the island's "head of government." Lafitte remained in Galveston until 1821 when he and his raiders were given an ultimatum by the United States Navy: leave or be destroyed. Lafitte burned his settlement to the ground and sailed under cover of night for parts unknown.

Related Topics:
Bernardo de Gálvez - 1785 - Spanish - Jose de Evia - 1816 - Louis-Michel Aury - 1817 - Jean Lafitte - Barataria Bay - New Orleans, Louisiana - 1821 - United States Navy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Following its successful revolution from Spain, Mexico designated Galveston a port of entry in 1825, erecting a customs house in 1830. During the Texas Revolution, Galveston served as the main port for the Texas navy.

Related Topics:
1825 - 1830 - Texas Revolution

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1836, Michel B. Menard, a native of Canada, along with several associates purchased 4,605 acres (19 km²) of land for $50,000 from the Austin Colony to found the town that would become the modern city of Galveston. Menard and his associates began selling plots on April 20, 1838. In 1839, the City of Galveston adopted a charter and was incorporated by the Congress of the Republic of Texas.

Related Topics:
1836 - April 20 - 1838 - 1839 - Republic of Texas

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Galveston's rise and the Hurricane of 1900

At the end of the 19th century, the city of Galveston was a booming metropolis with a population of 38,000 (more than Houston, Texas in 1900). Its position on the natural harbor of Galveston Bay along the Gulf of Mexico made it the center of trade in Texas, and the largest cotton port in the nation. At that time, the Strand area of Galveston was known as "the Wall

Related Topics:
Houston, Texas - 1900 - Galveston Bay

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Street of the South." Between 1838 and 1842, 18 newspapers were started to serve the island's rapidly growing population (the Galveston News is the sole survivor). A causeway linking the island with the mainland was finished in 1860, which paved the way for railroad expansion.

Related Topics:
1838 - 1842 - Galveston News - Causeway - 1860

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During this era, Galveston was also home to a number of state firsts, including: the first post office (1836), the first naval base (1836), the first Texas chapter of a Masonic order (1840); the first cotton compress (1842), the first insurance company (1854), the first gas lights (1856), the first opera house (1870), the first orphanage (1876), the first telephone (1878), the first electric lights (1883), the first medical college (now the University of Texas Medical Branch) (1891), and the first school for nurses (1890).

Related Topics:
1836 - Masonic - 1840 - 1842 - 1854 - 1856 - 1870 - 1876 - 1878 - 1883 - University of Texas Medical Branch - 1891 - 1890

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1900, the island was struck by a devasting hurricane, an event that still holds the record as the United States' deadliest natural disaster. Had it not been for the Hurricane of 1900 and the dredging of the Houston Ship Channel, Galveston would arguably be a more prominent city than it is today.

Related Topics:
1900 - Hurricane - Natural disaster

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On the evening of September 7, 1900, high winds arose, heralding the arrival of a hurricane that struck the island in the early morning of September 8 and lasted until the next day. Wind speeds reached up to 135 mph (an estimate, since the anemometer was blown off the U.S. Weather Bureau building). The island's infrastructure was devastated, and an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 people were killed.

Related Topics:
September 7 - 1900 - September 8 - Anemometer

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the storm cleared, the city decided to shore up its defenses against future inclement weather — the entire grade of the city was raised and a permanent concrete "sea wall" built along a large portion of the beachfront. Just after the hurricane, the city originated the City Commission form of city government (which became known as the "Galveston Plan"), although the city has since adopted the Council-Manager form of government.

Related Topics:
City government - Council-Manager

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite attempts to draw new investment to the city after the hurricane, Galveston never fully returned to its former importance or prosperity. Development was also hindered by the construction of the Houston Ship Channel, which brought the Port of Houston into direct competition with the natural harbor of Galveston Bay for sea traffic.

Related Topics:
Port of Houston - Galveston Bay

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~