Texas Almanac, 1998-1999 Page: 35
672 p. : col. ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
History 35
After the Great Storm
Galveston's Response to the Hurricane of Sept. 8, 1900
by Mary G. Ramos, editor, Texas AlmanacThe ruins of Sacred Heart Church stand in a sea of destruction following the hurricane of 1900. Photo used by permission of the
Rosenberg Library, Galveston.The fact that the city of Galveston exists today is the
triumph of imagination, hope and determination over
reality. Perched precariously on a sand-barrier island in
the Gulf of Mexico, Galveston is subject to the whims of
inevitable hurricanes.
One of those hurricanes, dancing its deadly way
across the Gulf of Mexico in early September 1900,
came very close to dealing the city a fatal blow. An esti-
mated 6,000 residents died, and most structures in the
city were destroyed or badly damaged. In terms of
human life, it remains the worst natural disaster in
United States history.
Galveston's leaders took several major steps to
recover from the storm and to prevent a recurrence of
the devastation. First, they developed a new form of
municipal government, one with strong centralized con-
trol to handle the economic recovery of the city. Next,
they built a massive seawall to turn back storm-gener-
ated waves. Perhaps the most amazing step they took
was to raise the level of the entire city, by more than 16
feet in some areas, in order to keep flooding at a mini-
mum.
As we approach the 21st century, we take a look at
the storm that struck Galveston as it approached the
20th. And we look at the giant steps the people of
Galveston took to make sure the tragedy would never be
repeated.Early History of the Island and the City
Galveston Island, one and one-half to three miles
wide and 27 miles long, was part of the Karankawa Indi-
ans' territory before Europeans arrived. The first Euro-
pean to see the island was probably Spanish explorer
Alonso Alvarez de Pineda, who in 1519 surveyed the
entire Gulf Coast from the Florida Keys to Veracruz for
the Spanish government.
When Cabeza de Vaca was shipwrecked on a Gulf
island that he called Isla de Malhado (Island of Misfor-
tune) in 1528, he may have been on Galveston Island.
Other Spanish visitors called it San Luis or Isla de Cule-
bras (Island of Snakes).
In 1785, Josh Antonio de Evia charted the coastline,
naming the bay between island and mainland for Ber-
nardo de GAlvez Gallardo, the viceroy of Mexico. Map
makers later also applied the name to the island.
In 1816, Frenchman Louis Michel Aury became the
first European to inhabit the island, and he attempted to
establish a government. He was displaced by French
pirate Jean Lafitte in mid-1817; Lafitte hung around the
island until about 1820.
Probably the primary attraction to pirates and to the
settlers who followed them was that the eastern end of
Galveston Island was the best natural port between New
Orleans and Veracruz. The government of Mexico built
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Ramos, Mary G. Texas Almanac, 1998-1999, book, 1997; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth162515/m1/35/: accessed May 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.