Update: Sadly, the historic Balinese Room was destroyed by
Hurricane Ike. Many businesses and residents sustained damage, but it could have been much worse.
We wish Galveston and area a speedy recovery, and know the coast will bounce back better than ever. This feature was written prior to the hurricane. In time it will be updated.

The romance combined with the heritage of the barrier reef island attracts many to Galveston every year. From our recent visits to the island, we were impressed with the range of attractions and unique history dating to the 1500s that makes the island so special. With 32 miles of beaches, there are also art galleries, museums, restaurants, unique Victorian architecture, the Strand, antique shops, cruise lines, and other attractions, at every corner, Galveston has an illustrious history of firsts, where the commerce of cotton made it the place to be in the 1800s, giving the Strand area the designation of "Wall Street of the Southwest." After the great Storm of 1900, the island became a mecca for tourists, a leading port for industry, and cruise lines.

The island has been home to the Karankawa and Akokisa Indians, the pirate Jean Lafitte, the super rich, a few ghosts, and many historic firsts for Texas.

A few of the notable (but not inclusive) Texas firsts include the:

• first post office (1836)
• first cotton compress (1842) and cotton exchange (1872)
• first railroad locomotive (1852)
• first gas lights (1856) and electric lights (1883)
• first drug store, Star Drug Store (1867, and still operating today)
  
• first medical college (1886 and still standing) and nursing school (1894)
• first electric street cars (1893), and 50 other firsts...
  

The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.  ~G.B. Shaw

The city almost did not survive what was to become known as "The Great Storm of 1900", still unmatched in ferocity to any other hurricane to ever impact the United States. Winds on that September 8th were estimated at 140 mph at the height of the storm, with extensive flooding and damage to homes and buildings. Many did not survive, with over 6,000 losing their lives in Galveston (1 out of every 5). The sun shone bright the next day, and the extent of the damage was shocking. Like a phoenix though, the Galveston residents were determined to rebuild no matter what the price and banded together in a can-do attitude. The city form of government was changed to a commissioner one, making it more efficient in getting things done (and was soon copied by over 200 cities, including Dallas and Houston). Oleander was planted throughout the city, soon gaining it the nickname of the " Oleander City ." Over an eight year period, the grade of the city was raised, with buildings raised up to 20 feet. Teams of men 60 strong would lift up each house with jacks, in time with the slow beat by a man with a bass drum. Sand pumped in from the Bay as fill-in underneath the houses, with each resident responsible for paying for their house lifting. A 17 foot seawall was slowly built and completed by 1910, utilizing $14.4 million in funds raised by local citizens, without government assistance to speak of. It proved to be well worth the cost, as a strong hurricane 15 years later resulted in 8 deaths and only minimal island damage. One wonders what more could be accomplished in New Orleans today with such a self reliant attitude, by taking local initiative. While at Pier 21, be sure to watch the short film, The Great Storm, which includes rare film of the 1900 damage by Thomas Edison's assistant.

Through the preservation efforts of local residents and historic groups such as the Galveston Historical Foundation, neighborhoods are lined with the finest examples anywhere of Victorian homes in the country.

The Moody Mansion, built in 1895, was acquired by W. L. Moody, Jr. for the miniscule sum of $20,000 less than a week following the 1900 storm. The Moody family has been instrumental in the character of the city and Texas, with their varied business interests including insurance, hotels, banking, ranching, and with numerous charities. The Moody Mansion is only matched in scale and grandeur by the Bishop's Palace, which was built in 1886 by politician and railroad owner, Colonel Walter Gresham. The Bishop's Palace is designated as 1 of 100 outstanding buildings in the country by the American Institute of Architects and has a massive one-of-a-kind mahogany staircase, with ornate wood, rosewood, satinwood and stained glass throughout. The fireplaces within the house have won numerous awards, and attention to detail is represented throughout. Another of the houses to see is the Ashton Villa, circa 1859, the oldest on Broadway. The house was built by the famed railroad tycoon, merchant and banker, James Moreau Brown. The Ashton Villa is the first brick house built in Texas, and is one of the many houses that was saved from demolition by the Galveston Historic Foundation. It is a National Trust Save America Treasures site.


The Tall Ship Elissa, as seen from our helicopter. View more of our aerial photos here.

Galveston has over 60 firsts for Texas, including:
first post office, electric lights, medical college, hospital, and brick house.


Follow along with us as we venture into downtown and the Historic Strand district, containing extensive examples of Victorian buildings, the largest range of cast iron-faced Victorian buildings anywhere in the country.

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