Follow Galveston Unscripted on Spotify or Apple Podcasts ! More history content on Visit Galveston ! Commercial Icon of Galveston’s historic Strand & Civil War Battleground The Hendley building also known as Hendley row. Constructed between 1855 and 1859. When this building was constructed, 20th street was considered the centerline of the city. This Greek Revival style building or buildings are the oldest commercial structure on Strand. When looking at the front of the building from Strand, ...
Aug 05, 2022•2 min
Follow Galveston Unscripted on Spotify or Apple Podcasts ! More history content on Visit Galveston ! The 1937 Federal Building located at 601 25th St, Galveston, TX This building is one of Galveston‘s court houses, post office, and customs house. Built in 1937 and design by architect Alfred c. Fin, this building replaced an earlier Federal building and post office on the same site. It has been home to a number of federal agencies and at one point housed the Galveston Bureau of the national weath...
Jul 29, 2022•1 min
Transcript: The Texas Heroes Monument is at the intersection of Broadway and Rosenberg Avenue. The statue was sculpted by Louis Amateis, an Italian sculptor and artist. The Statue was created to commemorate the people who fought for Texas during the Texas revolution against Mexico. The Texas Heroes Monument is made mostly of light gray granite with the statue made of bronze. The four sides of the monument represent values such as Patriotism, Courage, Honor, and Devotion. The statue was commissio...
Jul 22, 2022•3 min
The Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry takes travelers on SH 87 between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. The Galveston-Port bolivar ferry is a free 24 hour marine transportation system provided by the Texas Department of transportation. However, this ferry system is not the first to carry people and vehicles across the entrance to Galveston Bay. An official ferry service was not started until the railroads needed a method to move freight between the two points. The first ferries were essent...
Jul 15, 2022•2 min
Galveston Island is home to many firsts in Texas! Here are a few firsts that Galveston can claim! First Naval base, post office, bakery, Masonic order, beach patrol, military company, cotton press law firm west of the Mississippi catholic convent, grocery store, railroad locomotive, insurance company, first telegraph & telephone, first private bank jewelry store, gas and electric lights, real estate firm, hospital and trade union, drug store, opera house, cotton exchange, orphanage, medical ...
Jul 08, 2022•1 min
Do you ever wonder why this little island off of the coast of Texas is named "Galveston"? What do the American Revolution, a Spanish Governor, and cattle drives have in common? In the year 1777, a Spaniard named Bernardo de Galvez y Madrid became the Governor of Spanish Louisiana. He was ordered by the King of Spain to ramp up the assistance to the revolting American colonies against the British. This operation was dedicated on clearing the Mississippi River of British forces and made way for a ...
Jun 27, 2022•4 min
Follow Galveston Unscripted on Spotify or Apple Podcasts ! More history content on Visit Galveston ! A Spanish explorer named Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca shipwrecked on what is believed to be Galveston Island in the year 1528. During an exploration mission, a portion of the Narváez expedition mistakenly landed on the west coast of Florida, thinking it was the East Coast of Mexico. After multiple conflicts with the natives along the Florida coast, the crew had no choice but to build rafts out of t...
Jun 27, 2022•4 min
Did you know that the American Civil war made its mark in Galveston? During the American Civil War, in October of 1862, The Union Navy had finally seized control of the Port of Galveston. Galveston was the premier port along the Texas Coast, key for shipping cotton. On New Year’s Day 1863, A joint effort between the confederate army, and a makeshift confederate naval force attacked the Union Naval ships in Galveston harbor. The confederacy hatched a plan to utilize cotton clad warships. These ve...
Jun 27, 2022•2 min
Located at Pier 19 and 20 , the Mosquito Fleet is home to many of Galveston‘s shrimp boats. It is said that the name “Mosquito fleet” comes from the shrimping boats insect like profiles. The mosquito fleet area is home toThe mosquito fleet area is home to the historic 1838 Kuhn’s wharf, the popular Katie’s Seafood Market and restaurant. , and plenty of hungry Pelicans! Before Galveston’s first bridge connected to the mainland in 1860, the area around the mosquito fleet became the cities open mar...
Jun 27, 2022•2 min
The ocean star oilfield energy center is a retired offshore drilling rig that has been converted into a museum and education center exhibiting the process of onshore and offshore drilling. The Ocean Star is a jack up rig and was built in 1969 in Beaumont, Texas. This rig worked throughout the Gulf of Mexico, mainly along the Texas and Louisiana gulf coast and has drilled approximately 200 wells during her active years. Since retirement, she has been converted into a fascinating education center ...
Jun 27, 2022•50 sec
While standing on Pier 21, you will be able to see pelican Island across Galveston Harbor. Pelican Island is home to Texas A&M University in Galveston, Seawolf Park, and the Galveston Naval Museum, which exhibits a World War II era destroyer escort and submarine.Pelican Island is mostly man-made from mud pulled from the Galveston, Texas City, and Houston ship channels during dredging projects over the past century. When a ship channel is deepened and widened, there needs to be a place to put...
Jun 27, 2022•2 min
For more from Galveston Unscripted or to deep dive into Galveston history: visitgalveston.com Galveston Unscripted What is Galveston Unscripted? Follow Galveston Unscripted on Spotify or Apple Podcasts ! More history content on Visit Galveston !...
Jun 26, 2022•3 min
The monument on the grass at Pier 21 is dedicated to the first Navy of the republic of Texas. The Texas Navy descended from the Texian Navy, developed during the Texas Revolution. The Texas Navy is credited for keeping the Mexican Navy focused on defending the Mexican supply lines to their ground troops during the Texas Revolution as well as the beginnings of the Republic of Texas. Throughout the lifetime of the republic of Texas, the Texas Navy had quite a few skirmishes with the Mexican Navy a...
Jun 26, 2022•1 min
Elissa was built in Aberdeen, Scotland as a merchant vessel in a time when steamships were overtaking sailing ships. She was launched on October 27, 1877. Elissa has sailed under multiple sailed under Norwegian and Swedish flags. After nearly a century of sailing the open seas, the Elissa fell into a state of disrepair. Several attempts were made by various organizations around the globe to acquire the Elissa from Greece, as she was one of the last of her kind that had survived a life at sea. Sh...
Jun 26, 2022•1 min
Standing on Pier 21 is one of the best ways to experience the port of Galveston short of hopping on one of those cruise ships. Pier 21 is where the downtown district meets the 200 year old port of Galveston. While standing on Pier 21 looking towards The harbor you can see pelican Island across the ship channel. Pelican Island is mostly man-made from dredge mud pulled from what is now the Houston, Galveston, and Texas City ship channels. While looking west, you may be able to spot the masts of th...
Jun 26, 2022•2 min
