History of Galveston: From business mecca to the Great Storm, and tourism today

GALVESTON, Texas - After being chartered as a city in 1836, Galveston became a mecca for business. Its natural harbor made it easy to import and export goods out of the state.

"It was the only natural port really from part of Mexico over to Mobile, Alabama, so it was really critical to getting things into the developing part of the western part of the United States west of the Mississippi," said Dwayne Jones with the Galveston Historical Foundation. "So all of that was really important to Galveston’s growth."

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In the mid-19th century, the city grew rapidly and became a major immigration point for thousands of Europeans and East Coast investors. It was the largest city in the state with the moniker "Gateway to the West."

"It really was a point where things came here, then went by boat and wagon and then later by train into the center-land of Texas, even up into the center part of the United States and the mid-west," Jones said. "That sort of transport and movement of goods and services and people was really critical to the development of the west."

In 1865, Galveston was also the location where enslaved Texans learned of their freedom. A day now referred to as the Juneteenth national holiday.

From 1870 to the 1890s, Galveston boomed because of its position on the Gulf. This was the place where people came to do business, and the historic Strand became the Wall Street of the South.

"Just because it was the center of trade, commerce, financial institutions formed here, later insurance entities formed here. All of those things were creating a very powerful center for the state of Texas," Jones said.

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But the good times ended with the hurricane of 1900. This event destroyed almost two-thirds of the island and killed 6,000 people, leaving another 8,000 homeless.

 "It made people wonder, do I really want to invest in this island that had this tragedy and had such loss. And so it was an important shift in the region, I think you’d have to say, and certainly in the state," Jones said.

In the city’s recovery, a 17-foot-high seawall was built and most everything on the island was raised by a few feet above sea level.

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This was a time when Galveston reinvested itself in keeping shipping at the port and developing a strong opportunity for tourism. 

"Today the cruise ships are a vital part of Galveston in many different ways and levels. I think all of that really comes about because we have a port that’s an important part of the city’s history and economics and part of the state’s as well," Jones said.

Visitors from all over the world come to Galveston to take part in festivals like Mardi Gras and Dickens on the Strand. And the port where it all started centuries ago is still a mainstay for this city.