Born in Wilkes Barre , pennsylvania , on January 9th 1835 , george Sealy , a prominent Galveston businessman , began his life and embarked on a remarkable journey that would leave an indelible mark on Galveston and Texas history . George was the 10th of 11 children born to Irish immigrant blacksmith Robert Sealy and Mary McCarty .
George's early life involved supporting his family from the age of 12 . His initial job , working as a farmhand , had him acting as a wait at the end of a plow , earning him a meager 10 cents per day , but his determination fueled his ascent . After attending Wyoming Seminary and Commercial College in Kingston , Wyoming , he moved back to the East Coast .
He worked at a country store and later became a station agent for the Lackawanna Railroad at 18 . By the time he was 22 , sealy was earning $150 a month , a great income for a young man in 1857 . In November 1857 , he left Pennsylvania , giving most of his savings to his widowed mother , and joined his older brother , john Sealy , in Texas .
George joined his brother at Ball Hutchins and Company in Galveston . The company was a dry goods wholesaler and small bank . George diligently worked his way up the ranks , starting as a shipping clerk , and eventually learned every aspect of the business .
In 1861 , his career trajectory faced a detour during the Civil War , where he served as a private in the Confederate Army , despite his opposition to secession . Representing Ball Hutchins and Company in Mexico from 1862 to 1865 , sealy played a crucial role in securing European cotton trading for the Confederacy through Mexico .
After the war in 1865 , george returned to Galveston and contributed significantly to Ball Hutchins and Company Post-Civil War and Reconstruction . Galveston was a boom town due to the port's proximity to the westwardly expanding American population . George Sealy and the company's stakeholders shifted the focus of Ball Hutchins and Company from cotton to banking .
George started at the bottom as a cashier and became a full partner in 1870 , eventually renaming the company Hutchins , sealy and Company , whose building still stands between 23rd and 24th Street on the northeast corner of Strand . George also invested his time and money with the financially challenged Gulf , colorado and Santa Fe Railway .
After its bankruptcy , he purchased the railway and reorganized it . This endeavor resulted in the expansion of the railway and the establishment of new towns along its route , named after the railway officers Rosenberg , sealy and Temple for Henry Rosenberg , george Sealy and Bernard Moore Temple .
George Sealy's legacy is also tied to the historic property on Broadway called Open Gates . His marriage to Magnolia Willis in 1875 resulted in eight children . George and his wife , magnolia Willis Sealy built this home in 1889 . The home survived the 1900s storm and provided refuge to Galveston citizens looking to escape the destruction .
The home at 25th and Broadway is registered on the National Register of Historic Places . George Sealy died in 1901 , with the home staying in the family until 1969 , when it was donated to the University of Texas Medical Branch and repurposed as the George and Magnolia Willis Sealy Conference Center .
Beyond George Sealy's business acumen , he was involved in numerous ventures , from banking and commerce to philanthropy , notably as the executor of his brother John Sealy's will . He played a pivotal role in establishing the John Sealy Hospital , with the $50,000 bequest for charitable purposes and the establishment of the medical facility .
George Sealy wasn't born in Galveston , but his commitment to Galveston persisted from when he arrived in 1857 to when he died in 1901 . This Galveston entrepreneur left behind a legacy of resilience , vision and enduring contribution to the growth of Texas . George Sealy .