A map of Galveston Island, a barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States |
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Galveston Island (Texas)
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Gulf of Mexico |
| Area | 64 sq mi (166 km2) |
| Length | 27 mi (43 km) |
| Width | 3 mi (5 km) |
| Highest point | 20 feet (6.1 m) |
| Country | |
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United States
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| State | Texas |
| County | Galveston County |
| Largest city | Galveston (pop. 57,523) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 58,175 (as of 2000) |
| Density | 342.21 /km2 (886.32 /sq mi) |
Galveston Island is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Houston. The entire island, with the exception of Jamaica Beach, is within the city limits of the City of Galveston.
The island is about 27 miles (43 kilometers) long and no more than 3 miles (5 kilometers) wide at its widest point. The island is oriented generally northeast-southwest, with the Gulf of Mexico on the east and south, West Bay on the west, and Galveston Bay on the north. The island's main access point from the mainland is the Interstate Highway 45 causeway that crosses West Bay on the northeast side of the island. The far north end of the island is separated from the Bolivar Peninsula by Galveston Harbor, the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel. Ferry service is available between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. The southern end of the island is separated from the mainland by San Luis Pass. The San Luis Pass-Vacek Toll Bridge connects the San Luis Pass Road on Galveston Island with the Bluewater Highway that leads south into the town of Surfside Beach.
The people of the island (the non-tourists) distinguish each other in two ways: “BOI” (Born On the Island) and “IBC” (Islander By Choice). “BOI” is cited in print from at least 1956 and “IBC” is cited in print from 1975.[1]
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All residents are zoned to Ball High School. Colleges and universities include:
Originally, Akokisa and Karankawa Indians lived and camped there. Some believe the island is where Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and his party made a brief stop-over in November 1528, during his infamous odyssey.[2]
Jao de la Porta, along with his brother Morin, financed the first settlement by Europeans on Galveston Island in 1816.[3] Joa de la Porta was born in Portugal of Jewish parentage and later became a Jewish Texan trader.[4] The island colony came to be led by privateer Jean Lafitte, who named it Campeche (Jao was named supercargo for the Karankawa Indian trade and later became a full-time trader).[5] For a few years the island and the bay were a base for piracy and slave trading. After attacking an American ship, however, Lafitte was forced to leave in 1821 by the U.S. Navy.
With the advent of Mexican independence, and the Texas revolution soon after, Texas began to grow rapidly. The island quickly became Texas' primary port and a magnet for immigration. Following Texas' annexation by the United States, the island's population surpassed the population of San Antonio making it the state's major population center, a title it would hold until nearly the end of the 19th century. Galveston for a time was the largest cotton shipping port in the world and the second large port for immigration in the United States.
On September 8, 1900, the greatest natural disaster to ever strike the United States occurred at Galveston. In the early evening hours of September 8, the Galveston hurricane of 1900 came ashore, bringing with it a great storm surge that inundated most of Galveston Island and the city of Galveston. As a result, much of the city was destroyed and at least 6,000 people were killed in a few hours' time.[6]
Isaac M. Cline, the meteorologist in charge of the local Weather Bureau, lived on Galveston Island. Cline was aware of a storm in the Gulf based on previous reports from Florida. Although weather conditions were relatively calm on September 7, Cline observed the rough seas and the high waves that seemed to become more ominous by the hour. He sent a telegram to Washington, D.C., saying he thought a large part of the city was going to be underwater. He predicted a very heavy loss of life.
After the hurricane passed, a seawall was constructed around the settled portion of the island. Some houses were raised, and others were built on stilts. Sand dredged from nearby waterways was pumped into the area within the seawall, and in time, the elevation of the eastern portion of the island was raised by as much as 17 feet (5.2 m).[7]
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