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Galveston County, Texas

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SEE also: 1947 Texas City Disaster

Contents

History

1838- Galveston county was formed from Brazoria County and organized in 1839.[1] The county seat is Galveston, Texas, situated on Galveston Island.. The largest city of Galveston county is League City, Texas.[2]

Galveston Island and the city of Galveston are named for Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez (born in Macharaviaya, Spain)

Galveston collage.
  • Galveston County was created from Brazoria County in 1838; organized in 1839.

The Indian name for Galveston Island was Auia

10,000 B.P. Pottery from the late Prehistoric time has been excavated at campsites in the Galveston Bay area. [3]
5,000 years ago The Atakapan burial ground was discovered near Caplen on Bolivar Peninsula.
1519 The Karankawa Indians were living in the Lagoonshere when Álvarez de Pineda led an expedition past Galveston Island. Spain claimed the entire Gulf Coast, including Galveston Island, based on the Pineda expedition. In the (16th Century) the area was called Isla de Malhado (Isle of Misfortune) or "Isle of Snakes" due to the experiences of explorers landing there and encountering snakes. [4]
1519 The expedition led by Alonso Álvarez de Pineda actually sailed past Galveston Island while he was charting the route from the Florida peninsula to the Pánuco River. The information gathered from the expedition enabled the Spanish government to establish control over the entire Gulf Coast, including Galveston Island. In 1783, José Antonio de Evia, a Spanish navigator, surveyed the area and named the bay Galveston to honor Bernardo de Gálvez who supported the United States in the Revolutionary War.[3]
1528 - The Karankawa Indians were here when Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, was shipwrecked on what may have been Galveston Island. At first the Karankawa welcomed the Spanish survivors. Then as the Karankawa contracted some of the diseases which they had no immunity against, they felt the Spanish were killing them. The Karankawa turned against the guests. Soon they captured many of the Spanish. Only a few survivors escaped and headed to Mexico. [5] T
16th Century - The island was called Malhado. [3] Isla de Malhado, the "Isle of Misfortune", or Isla de Cubreras, the "Isle of Snakes".
Sixteenth-century Spanish explorers knew Galveston Island as Isla de Malhado, the "Isle of Misfortune," or Isla de Culebras, the "Isle of Snakes."[3]
Post 1770's Coahuiltecans, Atakapan-related groups, Tonkawa, Lipan Apaches were here.[3]
Bernardo de Gálvez aka Viscount of Galveston and Count of Gálvez
1783 José Antonio de Evia surveyed the channel and named the bay Galveston for Viceroy Bernardo de Gálvez, friend of the United States in the Revolutionary War. [3]
Sept, 1815 Henry Perry and Warren D. C. Hall, (of the Gutiérrez-Magee expedition, landed at Bolivar Point with three ships and 200 men. [6]
1816 - During the War for Mexican Independence, Jean Lafitte and brother were spies for the Spanish during the war for Mexican and developed Galveston Island, and their pirate colony, Campeche. From there, Lafitte attacked merchant ships until his death. They were known as Number 13. Other pirates and revolutionaries joined them. Population of the island was about 1000.[3]
Jean-Baptiste Francisco Lafitte.
1815-1821 Perry named the point for Simón Bolívar, the "Liberator," was directed to attack Spanish commerce on the Gulf.
1817 Jean Laffite, was appointed governor of Galveston Island by the Republic of Mexico, with his base, Campeche where present Sealy Hospital is located. Lafitte's ships sailed from Campeche but flew the flag of Mexico. They wanted to avoid another Spanish invasion. It was a prosperous pirate kingdom.
Laffite and Aury pursued the slave trade by seizing slave ships headed for the West Indies or the United States
Sept., 1819 - Long's effort to establish a civil government at Nacogdoches failed, and he established new headquarters at Fort Las Casas, Bolivar Point in September 1819.
1821- Lafitte was ousted by U.S. Navy. [3]
1822 - group of 80 American colonists on the schooner Revenge settled on the part of the mainland that would become Galveston County. [3]
1825 Stephen F Austin suggested the Mexican government build a port at Galveston and to build a customhouse with a garrison for protection. The control of the customhouse and harbor led to friction among Anglo settlers and the Mexican government. [7]
1827 The American colonists settled on Galveston Island near Offat's Bayou.
1830 - John Davis Bradburn was sent by the Mexican government to build a garrison at Anahuac on the Northeast edge of Galveston Bay, which started opposition from colonists, Anahuac disturbances and led to the arrest of William Barret Travis. [3]
Oct 16, 1830,David G. Burnet and Lorenzo de Zavala acquired contracts to settle families in the area in accordance with the Mexican colonization laws. The Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company promoted the effort. [8]
1835-1836 During the revolution, Texans fortified Galveston and the Texas Navy berthed in its port. [9][8]
April 1836 -The interim government under David G. Burnet took refuge on Galveston Island Galveston -the temporary capital of the new republic. [8][10]
Apr 22, 1836 The Battle of San Jacinto news reached Burnet at Galveston. [8][11][9]
May 1836 After the Consultation instituted a new Galveston customs district, a new customhouse was established. Fort Travis protected the port from 1836- 1844.[9][12]
May15, 1838 - The Republic of Texas created Galveston County from parts of from Harrisburg, Liberty, and Brazoria counties. 1838- Galveston county was founded. The county seat is Galveston, Texas, situated on Galveston Island.. The largest city of Galveston county is League City, Texas. This is a suburb of Houston, located near the north end of Galveston county.. It surpassed population of Galveston in the year 2000.[4]
1839 Steamers that furnished supplies to much of Texas plied the distance between the port and New Orleans, and construction of the Galveston wharves began [6]
1839 1st yellow fever epidemic [3]
The island and city of Galveston was one of the most important areas. City of Galveston - largest of the republic, had a lot of commerce with the ships docking there. [4]
Port Bolivar on the Bolivar Peninsula developed next - also a port of secondary importance.
1838- Two newspapers: The Galveston News, the earliest Texas newspaper still published in 1995, also had a considerable circulation on the mainland. [3]
1840 and 1850's Large numbers of immigrants began to arrive at the port. [4]
1844 - 2nd yellow fever epidemic [3]
1845 - Texas became a state of the United States. Galveston continued to grow. Cotton was a dominant trade in early years. [3]
1846-48 County participants in the Mexican War included the Galveston Riflemen in the first Regiment of Texas Infantry, the Guards, Fusiliers, Artillery, and Coast Guards. The Wigfall Guards were Irish, the Turner Rifles Germans. [3]
1847-1867 Six yellow fever outbreaks from 1847 to 1867[3]
1850 The Slave markets operated at Galveston, In the county there were (30) free blacks, and (714) slaves. [4]
1857-59 A fourteen-mile canal connected Oyster Creek, West Bay, and the Brazos River, and ultimately became part of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The first bridge from Galveston Island to the mainland was completed in 1859.[4]
1859's -The Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad completed to Houston. Galveston's importance continued to grow as it came to dominate the worldwide cotton trade. As railroads between Galveston, Harrisburg, Houston and other towns were built during the 19th century, small towns grew up along the rail lines. Nevertheless, Galveston still dominated. [6]
1860--There were (1,520) slaves, but only (2) free free blacks. Secession split the leading families [4]
1861- Galveston county joined the Confederacy. Galveston county had 9 manufacturing plants, and Houston had begun to overshadow Galveston as the state's largest port. As late as 1860 2/3 of Texas cotton was shipped from Galveston and exports totaled eleven million dollars, Houston ultimately became the central railroad terminal and shipping center of Texas.[4]
July, 1861 Blockade of southern ports included Texas and Galveston was captured by Northern forces in 1862.Galveston Island homes, warehouses, businesses, were closed and moved inland. [3][4]
1861-65 A number of Galveston county military groups supported Confederacy, including Galveston Artillery, Galveston, Rifles, and JOLO's.[4]
1864 Gen John B Magruder and Confederate military and naval forces under recaptured the city in the battle of Galveston.[4]
1865 - yellow fever epidemic in 1864 left Galveston forsaken. [3]
June 19, 1865 Union major general Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, raised a flag symbolic of Union Control, and Freedom for the Slaves.[3]
1866-67 - Military forces were located in Galveston. (4) white Infantry companies and (1) black infantry company. [4]
1866 - Citizens and the white soldiers of the Seventeenth Infantry in 1866 clashed.[4]
1867 - The police force was fired and replaced with African Americans and whites. [4]
1867 School attendance increased by (400%) in 1867, despite the schools' poor condition.[4]return of yellow fever, in 1867. Black population increased, as Northern cities population entered the state. [4]
1867 Galveston educational facilities included a Catholic college, a convent school, a German Lutheran school, an English commercial school, a male academy, three female schools, and the newGalveston Medical College. [4]
1868 (2) white infantry companies remained.[4]
1870's - Occupation forces in the county. Due to location and the pro-Union people, Galveston County survived the Reconstruction easier than the plantation-based counties.[4]
1870 - The public school system began. There were (2,478) white and (631) black children enrolled. [4]
1880s and 1890s. With the removal of the blockade and the reestablishment of the customhouse in Galveston, the Galveston businesses revived, port city's population nearly doubled within a year after the war.
Late 1890's - Texas City began across the West Bay from Galveston. It was developed by investors.
Early1900's Texas City Port began operating. [4]
1900 Galveston Hurricane occurred. Galveston Hurricane killed 6000 people on just the island and many more within Galveston county. The port of Galveston was destroyed and closed until rebuilt Major businesses and operations moved inland.Houston 1900 Hurricane[4]

See Galveston Hurricane, 1900, History and Tempest at Galveston as well as NOAA Galveston Hurricane, 1900.

1900 Texas City Port reopened almost immediately, thus shipping from Galveston County continued from this new port. [4]
1902 The Galveston Seawall was constructed to lessen the hurricane effects and destruction. [4]
Citizens knew the Texas coast was a dangerous place for commercial operations. The hurricane proved this.
1901 An Oil boom in Texas, Galveston rebuilt its port but Houston and Texas City outpaced Galveston for businesses, and population. [4]
1908 Goose Creek Field was discovered with the first offshore drilling in shallow N. Galveston Bay. Some dry holes succeeded this so the field was abandoned. [4]
1915 A deadly Hurricane struck again. [4] Galveston Hurricane, 1915
1916 - The real oil boom started with a gusher in 1916.[4][13]
World War II - Industrial growth expanded. Galveston's manufacturing was stagnant. [4]
1947- one of the largest Industrial explosions rocked Texas city and Galveston county. This almost wiped out the town. Cities such as Galveston, Houston, and nearby heard the boom, some had windows crack.[4]


Wall of names memorial.
Texas City .
Galveston city finally found its niche: Tourism . It was a tourist city before the hurricane, but became high Tourist. [4]
A Maceo crime syndicate established a business empire- gambling, bootlegging and prostitution. Entertainment began - Casino districts arrived in Kemah and Dickson. The law did not enforce strict law there. Galveston established a business empire based on gambling, bootlegging, and prostitution. The island's entertainment business spread throughout the county with major casino districts in Kemah and Dickinson enabled by a lax attitude among law enforcement in the county (Houstonians referred to the Galveston County line as the Maceo-Dickinson line).[4]
Galveston county prospered as oil fueled Texas City's industrial growth and wealthy tourists flocked to Galveston and the other entertainment districts. [6][4]
1950- Destroyed gambling empire by state law enforcement . [4]
Galveston's economy crashed as did the economies of some other county municipalities that were dependent on tourism. Texas City's economy weathered the storm because of its strong industry.
1962- The Karankawa burial site was discovered at Jamaica Beach.[4]
1963 - The NASA Johnson Space Center was created. The county grew with Clear Lake in both Harris and Galveston counties. [4]
Tourism, has gradually redeveloped in the county so that today it is a major industry , both on the island and on the mainland, and today has become a major industry in the county. [4]
1960-forward - Galveston has its best Attribute-- Tourism and beaches. Texas colleges have Spring Break Week 3/10 - 3/17. Galveston Island is one of the favorite places for them. [4]
2000 The largest city of Galveston county is League City, Texas, which is a suburb of Houston, located near the north end of Galveston county.. It surpassed the population of Galveston in 2000.[4]
Aerospace and related service industries continue to be important in the Clear Lake area of the county. [4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galveston_County,_Texas


Government Offices
Current courthouse

All Texas counties have a County Judge, Commissioner's Court, and precincts with a commissioner.Galveston county has had seven courthouses:1836, 1856, 1875, 1892, 1898, 1966, and 2006.[14]

First county courthouse, at Saccarappa, a community named for a river in Maine by settlers from that state, was located at the eastern end of Galveston Island.
1898 Galveston county Courthouse.
1898 courthouse as of 1911
1898 Galveston County Courthouse survived the Galveston deadly hurricane of 1900. This is of brick.. Beautiful. Terry Jeanson Texas escapes. [14]
Galveston County 6th courthouse.
1966 6th Galveston County courthouse is composed of brick, concrete, steel with marble. Granite adds finishing touches. There is beautiful paneling in the courtrooms. This building stands 2016 with the tax accessor. As the reference mentions, Galvleton certainly has modern courthouses.. [14]
2006 Galveston county Courthouse.
2006 7th courthouse houses county and district courts.It is Modern style, built of Concrete, brick and stone as well as touches of reflective glass.. Many offices and attorneys did not want to move into this building as it has closed courtrooms. [14]

Geography

Texas Handbook online, Galveston Galveston County is a county on the Gulf of Mexico. It is 80 miles SW of Louisiana state line, east of Brazoria County, and west of Chambers County. Boundaries are SE : Gulf of Mexico

It is mainland, galveston Bay, and Galveston Island, which is slowly eroding, is a bank of sand 3 miles wide and 28 miles long, extending 2 miles SW along the Gulf. Barrier islands.

"'Pelican Island - 4 miles from Galveston. In 1815 it was marsh which was narrow 4 mild long snd 1/2 mile wide that grew into an island from shell deposits.
Bolivar Peninsula slender strip of mainland NE of Galveston Island. Both Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island form natural storm barriers for Galveston Bay, (composing half of this county's 450 square mile area.
Entrance to Galveston harbor -1½ mile wide between Bolivar Point and Galveston Island.

Galveston, the county seat, is located at roughly the geographical center of the county (29°18' N, 94°47' W) on the Coastal Plain.

Altitudes in Galveston County range from a 35 feet above sea level on the NW to sea level. The mainland coastline is indented with small bays, inlets, and marshes.
Soil - layered sand and clay and deep, sandy loams.
Beach - 400 miles of Beach
Water supply - Many towns tap - Beaumont Clay which is water bearing formation underlying the whole county for their drinking water.
City of Galveston water is from artesian wells.
Drainage districts control the flooding problems of the county.
Vegetation and trees: predominant grassland vegetation, live oak, water oak, magnolia, hackberry, along the creeks and bayous.
Fish - The local water has Spanish mackerel, red snapper, flounder, pompano, spotted sea trout, redfish, tarpon, oysters, and shrimp.
Climate - humid, subtropical, and marine.
Tropical disturbances in late summer and early fall are common.
History of hurricanes in 1900, 1915, 1961, and 1983 caused major damage
1902 Seawall was constructed to lessen the hurricane effects,
Rainfall 47.06 inches annually,
Growing season lasts for 320 day

Adjacent counties

  • Harris County (north)
  • Chambers County (northeast)
  • Brazoria County (west)

Protected areas

Demographics

In 2000, there were 250,158 people, 94,782 households, and 66,157 families residing in the county giving the population density of 628 peopl square mile. Racial breakdown was 72.69% White, 15.44% Black or African American and 17.96% of the population were Hispanic. Median income - household $42,419, with median income for a family was $51,435. 10.20% of above were age 65 or over.

  • Galveston County is part of the ten-county Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land (Greater Houston) metropolitan statistical area ( one statistic shows 75% of Texas citizens living on the Texas coast, live in Galveston, Houston.
  • Galveston County is served by a major medical complex in Galveston and a private for-profit hospital in Texas City.
  • University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston is a 1,200 bed, major medical complex of seven hospitals.
  • John Sealy Hospital and on campus hospitals to serve burn victims, wome, children, geriatrics and psychiatric.
  • UTMB is certified as a Level I Trauma Center and serves as the lead trauma facility for the nine-county region in southeast Texas
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

The Mainland Medical Center, a 233 bed, private, for-profit hospital, operates in Texas City School District:

Clear Creek ISD
Dickinson ISD
Friendswood ISD
Galveston ISD
High Island ISD
Hitchcock ISD
La Marque ISD
Santa Fe ISD
Texas City ISD

Highways:

I-45 Interstate 45
Texas State Highway 3
Texas State Highway 6
Texas State Highway 87
Texas State Highway 146

Airports:

Scholes International Airport, Galveston (IATA: GLS, ICAO: KGLS) publicly owned airport - 2 runway on Galveston Island in Galveston.

Privately owned airports for private use include:

Creasy Airport is in an unincorporated area
Kami-Kazi Airport is in an unincorporated area
Commercial-- William P. Hobby Airport, located in Houston in adjacent Harris County.
The Houston Airport System stated that Galveston County
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, an international airport in Houston in Harris County.

Private heliports for private use include:

University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston - 2 heliports: one for Ewing Hall and one for ER
Republic Helicopters Heliport, unincorporated area, adjacent to Hitchcock
  • Bernardo de Gálvez Chapter of the SAR in Galveston, Texas
The Daily News of Galveston County carried an article by Bill Adriance, a member of the

Bernardo de Gálvez Chapter of the SAR in Galveston, Texas. It read, “Our lawmakers in Washington have heard you. The portrait of Bernardo de Gálvez has taken its place in Congress.' The portrait is in the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, but is unavailable to anyone without a Senate staffer tour escort. There was no ceremony as the Spanish Ambassador and Sen. Bob Menendez (the sponsor) could not get their calendars to combine. Bernardo de Gálvez

Cities

Village/Census designatd place/Unincorporated

Villages

Census-designated places

Communities:

Formed From

  • Harrisburg
  • Liberty
  • Brazoria counties.
Education
  • Galveston educational facilities include:
  • Catholic college
  • a convent school,
  • German Lutheran school,
  • English commercial school,
  • 'male academy
  • three female schools
  • Galveston Medical College, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

Resources

McLaurin oil field,1902, Galveston co..
  • Galveston Bay

Census

1850 -- 4,529 —
1860 -- 8,229 81.7%
1870 -- 15,290 85.8%
1880 -- 24,121 57.8%
1890 -- 31,476 30.5%
1900 -- 44,116 40.2%
1910 -- 44,479 0.8%
1920 -- 53,150 19.5%
1930 -- 64,401 21.2%
1940 -- 81,173 26.0%
1950 -- 113,066 39.3%
1960 -- 140,364 24.1%
1970 -- 169,812 21.0%
1980 -- 195,940 15.4%
1990 -- 217,399 11.0%
2000 -- 250,158 15.1%
2010 -- 291,309 16.5%
Est. 2015 -- 322,225

Notables

Veterans


WikiTree Pages

*1947 Texas City Disaster

Cemeteries



'

Sources

  1. ↑ https://texasalmanac.com/topics/government/galveston-county
  2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galveston_County,_Texas
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcg02
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 4.30 4.31 4.32 4.33 4.34 4.35 4.36 4.37 4.38 4.39 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galveston_County,_Texas
  5. ↑ "The Handy Texas Answer Book" by James Haley.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3
  7. ↑ https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fau14
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbu46
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qjr03
  10. ↑ https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/mza01
  11. ↑ https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/mza01
  12. ↑ https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/mza01
  13. ↑ http://texasalmanac.com/topics/business/history-oil-discoveries-texas
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasGulfCoastTowns/GalvestonTexas/Galveston-County-Courthouse-Texas.htm
  • ve.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2009/04/dayintech_0416






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Categories: Galveston County, Texas | Port of Entry, Texas | Galveston, Texas Immigrants 1800's | Texas Projects | Galveston Hurricane, 1915