DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, friends — so let me pass it along straight. Now, when the Civil War finally went quiet, most of the South took a long, long time finding its footing again. But Galveston County?
Galveston County came back faster than anywhere else in the South. That's not me talking — that's the record. And when it came back, it came back swinging.
Galveston grew into the largest city in Texas, and with that natural seaport sitting right there on the Gulf, it became the focal point for both sea and railroad transportation. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad was established. Wholesale grocery firms took root.
Cotton compressing firms were founded. And here's where it gets good — the first electric lights used in Texas burned right there in Galveston. The first telephone in the state was installed there too.
Not in Austin, not in San Antonio — Galveston. The city became known for its beaches, its fishing, its palatial homes, its flowers and palms, its resorts and its public schools. A place that was, by any measure, humming.
Then came the 1870s, and the port got a serious upgrade — the outer channel was dredged down to a depth of 32 feet, deep enough to accommodate all ocean-going vessels. Meanwhile, out on the mainland, a settlement called Austinia gave way to Shoal Point, and in 1894 a group of land developers named it Texas City, making it a permanent colony. So you've got a county risin', a city gleamin', ships comin' in from open ocean, and a new town planted firm on the mainland.
Seemed like nothing could slow it down. And then came the catastrophes — not one, not two, but three. A yellow fever epidemic.
A fire in 1885. And then, the 1900 storm. A hurricane that took some six thousand lives.
Six thousand. Let that number sit for a moment, because it deserves the silence. But here is what the marker wants you to know about the people of Galveston County — they were determined to rebuild.
A seawall was constructed by Galveston County. Then came an enormous city grade-raising project. And in the wake of all that devastation and reconstruction, Galveston did something no city had done before — it founded the first city commission form of government, a model that was later adopted by municipalities throughout the United States.
A city knocked to its knees by wind and water, and it got back up and taught the whole country how to govern itself. That's Galveston County, from Reconstruction to 1900 — and a little beyond.
What the marker says
The revival of economic, political, social and religious institutions in Galveston County following the Civil War was more rapid than anywhere in the South. Galveston emerged as the largest city in Texas and with its natural seaport, became the focal point for sea and railroad transportation. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad was established. Wholesale grocery firms were established and cotton compressing firms were founded. The first electric lights used in Texas burned in Galveston and the first telephone in the state was installed. The city also became known for its beaches, fishing, palatial homes, flowers, palms, resorts and public schools. The greatest single development of the port occurred in the 1870s when the outer channel was dredged to a depth of 32 feet, sufficient to accommodate all ocean-going vessels. On the mainland, Shoal Point succeeded the Austinia settlement and became a permanent colony in 1894 when a group of land developers named it Texas City. During this period, Galveston was hit by three catastrophes -- a yellow fever epidemic, a fire in 1885 and the 1900 storm. Some 6,000 lives were lost in the hurricane. The citizens were determined to rebuild the city and a seawall was constructed by Galveston County, followed by an enormous city grade-raising project. The first city commission form of government was founded and was later adopted by municipalities throughout the United States.