History of Galveston, Texas

Galveston was founded in 1836 by Michel Menard, Samuel May Williams, and Thomas F. McKinney, and briefly served as the capital of the Republic of Texas.

New tourist attractions were established, and further development of the medical school and other area businesses has revitalized the economy in recent decades.

In 1519, the Alonso Álvarez de Pineda expedition sailed past Galveston Island en route from the Florida peninsula to the Pánuco River.

The first permanent European 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.

[6] In 1817, Aury returned from an unsuccessful raid against Spain to find the island 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.

[7][8] Following its successful revolution from Spain, the Congress of Mexico proclaimed the establishment of the Port of Galveston on October 17, 1825, and erected a customs house in 1830.

Galveston also served as the capital of the Republic of Texas when, in 1836, interim president David G. Burnet relocated his government from nearby Harrisburg to the island.

[9] In 1836, Michel Branamour Menard, a native of Canada, along with several associates, purchased 4,605 acres (18.64 km2) of land for $50,000 from the Austin Colony to found the town that would become the modern city of Galveston.

[13] That same year, the city plan for Galveston was designed by Gail Borden, laying out the newly established town in a simple gridiron pattern.

[3] The City of Galveston became significant to the slave-trade era of industrialized human trafficking, establishing itself as the largest slave-market west of New Orleans.

[18] In the late 1890s, the Fort Crockett defenses and coastal artillery batteries were constructed in Galveston and along the Bolivar Roads.

The annual observance owes its origins to the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation exemplified by the return of Union Army and the investiture of General Order No.

Its position on the natural harbor of Galveston Bay along the Gulf of Mexico made it the center of trade in Texas and one of the largest cotton ports in the nation, in competition with New Orleans.

[22] Between 1838 and 1842, 18 newspapers were started to serve the island's rapidly growing population (The Galveston County Daily News is the sole survivor).

Then, on May 4, 1847, Pope Pius IX approved the creation of the Diocese of Galveston and named St. Mary's Church the cathedral for the entire state of Texas.

The Galveston Weekly News described one 1849 ship's arrival as carrying members of the "wealthy class", including lawyers, merchants, and many skilled workers.

[30] Cuney himself rose to the chairmanship of the Texas Republican Party, the most powerful position held by any black American in the 19th century.

[33] Despite attempts to draw new investment to the city after the hurricane, Galveston has never fully returned to its previous levels of national importance or prosperity.

Though the storm stalled economic development and the city of Houston grew into the region's principal metropolis, Galveston regained some of its former glory.

During the 1920s and early 1930s, Fort Crockett housed the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) 3rd Attack Group (an ancestor to USAF's 3rd Wing).

[47][48][49] This event became the first international contest and attracted participants from England, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, and many other nations until its demise in 1932.

[51] In January 1943, Galveston Army Air Field was officially activated with the 46th Bombardment Group serving an anti-submarine role in the Gulf of Mexico.

The foundation, one of the largest in the United States, would play a prominent role in Galveston during later decades, helping to fund numerous civic and health-oriented programs.

Increasing enforcement of gambling laws and the growth of Las Vegas put pressure on the gaming industry on the island.

Recognizing this, the Reverend Wendelin J. Nold, fifth bishop of the Galveston Diocese, was permitted by the Vatican to erect a Cathedral of convenience in Houston, naming Sacred Heart Church as co-cathedral.

Galveston and St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica remained the home of the diocese, but now the bishop could more easily access the rapidly growing Roman Catholic population in Houston.

Restoration efforts financed by motivated investors, notably Houston businessman George P. Mitchell, gradually created the Strand Historic District and reinvented other areas.

Among the reasons cited were low elevation and the single evacuation route off the island, which is blocked by the fourth largest city in the United States, Houston.

[69] Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Island in the early morning of September 13, 2008, as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 110 miles per hour (180 km/h) [70] Ike produced waves and a rising storm surge of about 14 feet (4.3 m), which went around the famous Galveston Seawall, flooding the city via the storm sewers, and the unprotected "bay side" of the island, before the first winds or drop of rain.

The Balinese Room, a historic nightclub, formerly a notorious illegal gambling hall, which was located on a 600-foot (200 m) pier extending into the Gulf of Mexico, was destroyed in the storm.