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GALVESTON
LOCAL HISTORY
As early as the 1500’s this area was home to
the Akokisa Indians who camped, fished and hunted
the land, it was also the place where they buried
their dead. In 1786 Jose de Evia was sent by
Bernard de Galvez, a Spanish colonial governor
and general, to chart the Gulf of Mexico. Jose
de Evia found the river mouth and called the
bay Galveston Bay the governor. The governor
never set foot on the land that was named after
him as he died in the same year. It was only
later that the island and the city took the
same name
In 1817 Jean
Lafitte, a privateer arrived and made the island
his base and named it Campeche. Lafitte’s own
mansion “Maison Rouge” was located in the village
plus a large slave market, boarding houses,
saloons, pool halls and huts for the pirates.
General James Long tried to recruit Lafitte
to help make Texas Independent from Spain and
Mexico, but he remained neutral. In 1821 Lafitte
was forced to leave his operation on the island,
after having attacked and American ship. Lafitte
held a huge party before he left and then burnt
his settlement, it is also believed that he
had buried treasure on the Island, but it has
never been found.
Jane Long, the
wife of General James Longs, became “The Mother
of Texas” when she gave birth to the first Anglo
Saxon native Texan baby in 1821; she was named
Mary Jane Long. Michel B. Menard, bought a “league
and labour” of land in 1836 for the huge sum
of $50,000 from the Austin Colony and this was
the beginning of Galveston. As Menard needed
additional funds to promote the new town and
formed the City of Galveston with nine other
men, namely, Gail Borden, Samuel May Williams,
William H. Jack, A J Yates, John K. Allen, Mosley
Baker, James Love and David White.
In 1937 Congress
made Galveston a port of entry and Gail Borden
was appointed as Collector of Customs. In 1842
the Galveston News was founded and is the only
surviving and the oldest daily newspaper in
the state – It is now known as The Galveston
County Daily News. The Strand became the “Wall
Street of the Southwest” as all the wholesalers,
cotton agents, mercantile firms and insurance
companies could be found here. In 1860 the bridge
to the mainland was completed and this provided
the opportunity for the railroads to expand.
On September
8 1900 Galveston was hit by one of the most
ferocious storms in history. With wind-speeds
of over 120mph and tidal surges the island it
was devastated. Almost a third of the city was
completely destroyed and more than 6,000 people
were killed. In 1902 a seawall, seven miles
long and 17 feet high, was built by the city
to prevent such a terrible devastation from
hitting the island again, it was completed in
1910. Galveston overcame this terrible disaster
and has become a top resort. |
