Encyclopedia
Galveston is the county seat of
Galveston County located along the
Gulf Coast region in the
U.S. state of
Texas within the
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2005
U.S. Census estimate, the city had a total population of 57,466. Galveston is accessible by a
causeway linking
Galveston Island to the mainland on the north end of the city, a toll bridge on the western end of the island, and by ferry boat service on the east end of the city.
Galveston is known for its historic neighborhoods and a ten-mile long
seawall designed to protect the city from floods. It is also home to the infamous
Balinese Room, a historic nightclub and former illegal gambling hall located on a 600-foot pier extending into the Gulf of Mexico.
The city houses many tourist attractions. The attractions include the Galveston
Schlitterbahn waterpark,
Moody Gardens, the
Lone Star Flight Museum, a downtown neighborhood of historic buildings known as "
The Strand," many historical museums and mansions, and miles of beach front. The Strand plays host to a yearly
Mardi Gras festival, Galveston Island Jazz & Blues Festival, Texas Beach Fest, Lone Star Bike Rally, and a Victorian-themed
Christmas festival called "Dickens on the Strand" in early December.
Galveston is the second-largest city in Galveston County after
League City; League City surpassed Galveston between 2000 and 2005 .
History
Galveston's founding
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. In the late 1600s French explorer Robert Cavelier La Salle, although he did not reach Galveston Island, claimed this area for King Louis and named it St. Louis.
The island was named in honor of Bernardo de Gálvez in 1785 by
Spanish explorer José 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" , anointing 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. There are still rumors that Lafitte's treasure is buried somewhere between Galveston Island, Bolivar Peninsula and High Island.
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. Galveston also served briefly as the capital of the
Republic of Texas in 1836.
In 1836, Michel B. Menard, a native of Canada, along with several associates purchased 4,605 acres 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.
Juneteenth, which is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, owes its origins to the island city.
Galveston's growth
At the end of the 19th century, the city of Galveston was a booming metropolis with a population of 42,000 . 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 Street of the South." Between 1838 and 1842, 18 newspapers were started to serve the island's rapidly growing population . A
causeway linking the island with the mainland was finished in 1860, which paved the way for railroad expansion.
During this era, Galveston was also home to a number of state firsts, including: the first post office , the first naval base , the first Texas chapter of a
Masonic order ; the first cotton compress , first Roman Catholic Cathedral , the first insurance company , the first gas lights , first Jewish Reform Congregation , the first opera house , the first orphanage , the first telephone , the first electric lights , the first medical college , and the first school for nurses .
The 1900 Storm
In 1900, the island was struck by a devastating
hurricane, an event that still holds the record as the United States' deadliest 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 . The island's infrastructure was devastated, and an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 people were killed.
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
seawall was built along a large portion of the beach front. Just after the hurricane, the city originated the City Commission form of city government , although the city has since adopted the Council-Manager form of government.
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. To further her recovery, and rebuild her population, Galveston actively solicited immigration. Though the efforts of Rabbi Henry Cohen and
Congregation B'nai Israel, Galveston became the focus of a 1907 immigration plan called the Galveston Movement that in the following years diverted roughly 10,000
Eastern European
Jewish immigrants from the crowded cities of the Northeastern United States.
Galveston today
Though the storm stalled economic development and the city of Houston grew into the region's principal metropolis, Galveston has regained some of its former glory. Today it is considered a major tourist destination and remains a port of entry and a destination for
cruise ships, and a port of call and repairs for cargo ships. Galveston is currently ranked the no. 1 cruise port on the Gulf Coast and no. 5 in North America .
Galveston's historic downtown and abundant beaches are major tourist destinations. Houstonians and visitors from around the world purchase beach homes and condominiums and make Galveston their second home.
Other attractions in Galveston include
Moody Gardens, the Galveston Island Railroad Museum,
Schlitterbahn, the Strand and the Lone Star Flight Museum. Galveston is also home to several historic ships: the tall ship
Elissa at the Texas Seaport Museum and USS
Cavalla and USS
Stewart, both berthed at Seawolf Park on nearby Pelican Island. Galveston is also home to a symphony orchestra and a small ballet company.
The
Galveston County Daily News, formerly the
Galveston Daily News, is a newspaper [i] published ...
, the city's main newspaper, is the oldest continuously printed newspaper in Texas since 1842.
Galveston has been the home of the
University of Texas Medical Branch , a major teaching and indigent-care hospital which now encompasses 84 acres , since 1891. UTMB is the largest employer in
Galveston County, creating over 15,000 jobs and bringing about $300 million into the local economy. The Shriners Hospital adjacent to UTMB is a 30-bed pediatric burn hospital providing comprehensive acute care and reconstructive and rehabilitative care to children who have been burned. American National Insurance Company, one of the larger life insurance companies in the United States, and Moody National Bank are headquartered in Galveston.
The
Jimmy Buffett song, "Who's the Blonde Stranger?" and Glen Campbell's "Galveston" are set in Galveston, as are
ZZ Top's "Balinese", Austin Webber and Scott Clare's "Straight From the Island" and
Gene Autry's "Gallivantin' Galveston Gal."
Galveston's beaches are much cleaner than in the past. With the island's population showing greater concern for their environment, washed up seaweed is now only moved back from the waters edge in order for the natural buildup and preservation of the beaches. The beaches are now cleaned daily by the Galveston Park Board.
In the
2000s, property values rose after expensive projects were completed . This led some middle class families to move from Galveston to other areas such as
League City,
Texas City, and
La Marque. The city population grew by seven tenths of a percent from 2000 to 2005 according to the
U.S. Census Bureau. The tax base of the Galveston ISD grew by 13% in 2005 while Galveston ISD lost many district-zoned non-
Hurricane Katrina evacuee students. .
Architecture
Buildings in Galveston notable for their architecture include many in the Historic Strand District, The Hotel Galvez, the Moody Mansion, Ashton Villa and Bishop's Palace.
Tallest Buildings in Galveston- Palisade Palms Trade Winds Tower
- Palisade Palms Beach Club
- The Emerald Condominiums
- Ocean Grove Condominiums
- American National Insurance Company Tower
- San Luis Resort South Tower
- San Luis Resort North Tower
- The Breakers Condominiums
- The Galvestonian Resort and Condos
- One Shearn Moody Plaza
- US National Bank Building
- By The Sea Condominiums
- John Sealy Hospital Towers at UTMB
- Medical Arts Building
Geography
Galveston is located at .
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 539.6 km² . 119.5 km² of it is land and 420.1 km² of it is water.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 57,247 people, 23,842 households, and 13,732 families residing in the city. The
population density was 478.9/km² . There were 30,017 housing units at an average density of 251.1/km² . The racial makeup of the city was 58.66%
White, 25.49%
Black or
African American, 0.42% Native American, 3.21% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 9.73% from
other races, and 2.41% from two or more races. 25.77% of the population were
Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 23,842 households out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,895, and the median income for a family was $35,049. Males had a median income of $30,150 versus $26,030 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,275. About 17.8% of families and 22.3% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 32.1% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.
Galvestonians
- Jack Johnson , first black heavyweight champion
- King Vidor
...
, film director
- Katherine Helmond , actress
- Kay Bailey Hutchison , US Senator for Texas
- Valerie Perrine , actress
- Barry White , soul singer
- Jonathan Pollard , spy for Israel
- Bill Engvall , comedian
- Mikhael Ricks , NFL player
- Steve McKinney , NFL player
- Damon Jones , NBA player
- Casey Hampton , NFL player
- Brandon Backe , MLB player
- Greg Randall, NFL player
- Javon Walker , NFL player
- Randy Hymes , NFL player
- Felix Cora Jr. , professional boxer
- Derrek Pope , NFL player
- Alex McLeod , actress
Education
Colleges and universities
The city is home to three post-secondary institutions:
Galveston College ,
Texas A&M University at Galveston, and
University of Texas Medical Branch.
Schools and libraries
The city of Galveston is served by Galveston Independent School District. There is one public high school in Galveston,
Ball High School, named after George Ball who funded its construction.
Two Catholic schools, the Galveston Catholic School and O'Connell Consolidated High School are in Galveston. Both are a part of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
The city is served by the Rosenberg Library .
Sister cities
Galveston has five
sister cities, as designated by :
...
See also
- John Sealy Hospital
- Scholes International Airport at Galveston
External links
