Galveston was to be...

Well long before the Grand Piers and steamship lines began calling the port of Galveston , galveston was a wild , windswept barrier island and it stood at the edge of empires like the French and Spanish . It had been home to native peoples for centuries and would later draw the interest of European explorers .

But our story really takes place throughout the 19th century . In the early 1800s , galveston Island became the haven for pirates like Louis Michel Arie and Jean Lafitte . These men saw the island's location not just as scenic but as strategic . The Port of Galveston was first established in 1825 by an active Mexican Congress , while Texas was still a part of Mexico .

That actually makes this year the 200th anniversary of the Port of Galveston . From 1825 to 1836 , the city and port were fought over during the Texas Revolution , as it was a strategic base of maritime operations and even home to the Texas Navy .

A little later on , after Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836 , galveston emerged as one of the most important ports in the republic . By the 1840s .

Galveston Island was the center for immigration , commerce and state politics , as it was a thriving port Between the Revolution and Texas joining the US in 1846 , the economic growth through Texas was just kicking off and for most thriving economies you need a port . With Texas becoming a state

in the Union , the Port of Galveston and the population on the island boomed . At 7,200 residents , galveston remained the most populous city in Texas until roughly 1890 . But despite Galveston's growing promise , the island was still a raw wild west town , a frontier outpost with muddy streets , rickety wharves and a population as rough and restless as the Gulf itself .

But this wasn't just another Texas coastal city With the largest population in Texas . Perched on the edge of the Gulf , this little island was roaring with ambition . Steamboats crowded the wharves . Roaring with ambition , steamboats crowded the wharfs .

Road roads began stretching across Texas and the rest of the continent like arteries , and big money was pouring in from every direction . Galveston was becoming a glittering beacon of progress , a place where international trade , high society and raw southern grit collided . Much like today . People didn't just live here .

They believed in Galveston and for a brief moment in time the rest of the world believed it too . By the late 1800s , with its connections to the expanding railroads throughout the United States , the world was growing increasingly connected and Galveston was right at the center of it all . The promise of the Panama Canal opening drew all sorts

of people . As the population of the United States expanded west , Galveston Island either became the closest or most economical port to begin importing or exporting goods through . For the major cities in the west , like Denver , colorado , it's important to remember that in 1881 , france began to work on the Panama Canal .

This would connect the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean and the Gulf . The outlook for the growth of the seafaring economy was very strong , although the Panama Canal was not yet completed . This drew all sorts of people and goods to this booming little island .

Galveston was getting worldwide attention , with wealthy businessmen from around the country and around the globe making a big bet and investment not only into Galveston but into Texas , especially after the Civil War in 1865 . The US government recognized the island's strategic value for potential defense and economic investment .

The Coast Guard even established a base on Pelican Island in 1878 , but government spending in the area saw a significant increase in the 1890s . The looming threat of the Spanish-American War brought national defense to the forefront of the Gulf .

This conflict , along with broader global circumstances , prompted the US government to make substantial purchases and improvements to the island , including the bolstering or construction of three military installations .

Fort San Jacinto , on the far east end of Galveston Island and Fort Travis on the Bolivar Peninsula were strategically positioned to guard the mouth of the Galveston Ship Channel and , on the west side of the city , fort Crockett stood watch over the Gulf .

This highlights Galveston's pivotal role in the National Defense Strategy , and deepening and widening the ship channel itself was a strategic economic investment for the US government , for Galveston and the rest of the country . They saw potential in the idea early and they began building accordingly For several years .

The Deepwater Committee , a group of Galveston businessmen and other local movers and shakers , lobbied Congress for additional funding to improve ocean-going access to the island and the Bay Area . In 1888 , the Galveston Harbor Bill was passed , providing $6.2

million to build two massive jetties which would eventually help make the channel deeper and more accessible for larger and larger ships . Adjusted for inflation , this comes out to roughly $207 million today , and having these larger vessels into the port meant more cargo could be shipped , drawing even more business to and through the island .

And , by the way , these jetties still stand at the entrance to the ship channel today . At the end of the 1880s , nearly every railroad throughout Texas had a line ending in Galveston by this point , sending all sorts of goods and people back and forth across the continent . I cannot begin to describe how important Galveston was to the Texas and US economy .

With its connections to the rest of the world by the Gulf and as a direct hub for the railroads throughout Texas . This made sending all sorts of goods and people back and forth across the continent and beyond possible , and Galveston was at the center of it all .

In 1899 , the Southern Pacific Robo Company announced that Galveston would be its primary eastern terminal and base of operations . To accommodate the future increase in cargo to the island , the company began construction on what would be nine new piers , one of which was marketed as the largest and finest pier in the world .

Over 1,400 feet in length and 650 feet in width . This is an absolutely massive cargo pier . If you've ever been to the Empire State Building , just imagine it laying on this pier and still having room on either side . That's how big these investments were rolling into Galveston .

That's how much the US government , private companies and the people believed in Galveston's economic prowess and strategic location . Further inland , loaded rail cars with Kansas wheat dominated the plains , while rail cars loaded with rice harvested right here in Texas were bound for ports around the world .

The Texas economy and the island shipping industry relied heavily on the southern cotton market . Plenty of wool , lumber , lead and borax were brought from the interior of Texas right here to Galveston to be shipped out to ports across the globe . Ships were pouring into Galveston from all over the world .

Businessmen and suppliers kept Galvestonians well-stocked with quality dry goods , hardware , furnishings as well as fine clothing and shoes . With more and more exposure to international trends and markets , galveston remained the most populous city in Texas until roughly 1890 , with around 29,000 residents , and was surpassed in population by Houston . Around this time .

Galveston was the third richest city per capita in the entire country , exporting prime merchandise to cities all over Europe . Galveston wasn't just growing , it was aiming high . Galveston was destined to surpass other southern ports and become a counterpart to cities like New York or San Francisco .

A financial and cultural hub where goods , ideas and people converged , it was becoming the southern economic engine . The financial scene was thriving . Galveston was known as the Wall Street of the South or Wall Street of the West . Galveston became home to the first national bank in Texas and one of the only two stock exchanges west of the Mississippi .

At the time , investors , insurers and entrepreneurs all had eyes on the island . Culturally considering , galveston was the second largest immigration port in the United States . Galveston was cultivating finer things world-class hotels , theaters and elegant homes . Rich ranchers and cotton growers from all over Texas were settling in and building fine residences .

Elite clubs and organizations reflected a city that saw itself as refined , fashionable and globally minded , fostering that sense of cultural sophistication and international influence .

And then we reach the year 1900 . Now most of you watching know what happened in September of 1900 . Ironically , in September of 1900 , the New York Tribune reported on some of the finer aspects of island life . Quote rich ranchers and cotton growers from all parts of Texas have settled here and built fine homes .

It is a place of more than ordinary wealth and the trade runs to fine goods . Business conditions in Texas have never been better and merchants were in a happy frame of mind . End quote . On September 8th , the 1900 storm struck Galveston , killing between 6,000 and 12,000 people on the island , completely changing Galveston's place in time and space .

The 1900 storm was the deadliest natural disaster in US history . But to quote from that same New York Tribune article about the resiliency of Galveston , quote there is no place to which the town could be moved in the first place , and ways will doubtless be found to make the island safe .

The city is much better able to withstand disaster now than it was 10 years ago . It is a city of rich men who will be able to build up after disaster . Galveston will always be a city for people who will take their chances . End quote . Galveston stood at the edge of greatness .

It had the infrastructure , the capital and the connections and the sheer will to rival any port city in the world . But when the great storm struck Galveston , the rising tide of destiny met an unstoppable force of nature . What was built with vision and wealth was nearly lost in a single night . Yet even then , the idea of Galveston refused to die .

This storm may have scattered the dream , but it didn't erase it , because this island , bold enough to bet on the future , never stopped believing it had one . In the wake of disaster , galveston didn't fade , it adapted .

The city raised itself , literally and figuratively , with one of the most ambitious civil engineering projects in American history , elevating the entire urbanized portion of the island and building a seawall to protect from future hurricanes .

For a few reasons , houston would eventually eclipse Galveston as the region's commercial powerhouse , from the 1900 storm devastating the island , to the oil strike in Spindletop in 1901 , to the

Panama Canal opening up in 1914 . But this wouldn't help Galveston very much at the time , as they were recovering from the 1900 storm . Houston was poised to become the next major port city on the Gulf Coast , but Galveston never lost its spirit . Today , galveston is shaped by resilience .

Its historic homes and buildings still line the streets , the port remains busy with cruise ships and other cargo vessels , and tourism , medicine and maritime trade drive the economy here .

It may not be the New York of the South like it once aspired to be , but it remains something just as enduring A city that remembers what it was and refuses to forget what it could still become .

Now this short video episode , which is normally an audio-only episode , is brought to you by Visit Galveston , and if you would like to see more video episodes just like this one , let me know in the comments . See you next time . On Galveston , unscripted .