“”Between the years of 1874 and 1900 Texas and Galveston as it’s forth largest city were booming the New York Herald called Texas “The Empire State of the Southwest” and Galveston was called “The Empire State of the Southwest” and Galveston was called “The New York of the Gulf. ” Galveston wholesale business had the largest houses outside of New York and St. Louis; some did five million dollars of annual. Galveston was also the premier banking center of Texas.
Much of it’s capital financed central Texas business. It was number one cotton port of the world. Galveston’s restaurants and hotels were the finest west of New Orleans and were world renown. Galveston business elite built fine mansions many designed by one of their own famous architects, Nicholas Clay. They traveled abroad and sent their children to the best eastern schools and colleges.
The people of Galveston were also very intoned to the latest fashions. In the late 1800’s Houston in an attempt to complete with Galveston, as a port, as a port, began to dredge Buffalo Bayou so that ocean going vessels could steam 50 miles upstream to its port. Houston set its port rates lower to encourage ships to make the trip upstream. This competition was a notable challenge to Galveston’s monopoly. Galveston had survived many disasters. Yellow fever claimed one-fourth of the population in 1839 and over one thousand lives in 1867.
The city survived many fires, which destroyed entire blocks. The city rebuilt the Strand with bricks and stone. The city even survived the fire of 1885 which burned over 4 hundred homes to the ground. Hurricanes did more destruction. The storm of 1818 destroyed the perdte Team Lafilles village.
Again in 1837 most of the islands structures were leveled. Another hurricane hit in 1867 right on the heels of the yellow fever epidemic. The Island City recovered, but the worse was yet to come. While the 1961 hurricane Carla was considered the most catastrophic hurricane to hit Texas since the start of the 20th century, its death toll pales in comparison with “West India Hurricane” that slammed into Galveston Island on September 8, 1900. Because it took 5 thousand – 8 thousand lives their awesome storm is still recognized as the single worst weather disaster in the United States history. The Galveston Island Hurricane cost Texans thirty to forty million dollars in property an astounded loss in 1900 dollars.
Bibliography “Hurricanes: Weather at its Worst” Thomas Helm, Dodd, Mead and Co. , Newyork 1967 pp. 35-49 “Texas Weather” George W. Bomar. Unv.
Of Texas Press, Austir, 1983. Pp. 74-77. “Galveston a Different Place” a History and Guide. Virginia Esenhour. Galveston, 1983 pp.
20-25. “Ray Miller’s Galveston” Ray Miller. Gulf Publishing Co. , Houston, Texas, pp.
126-133. “Galveston: A History of the Island” Gary Carlwright Macmillean. Press 1991, pp. 163- 180″The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 Essay”Between the years of 1874 and 1900 Texas and Galveston as it’s forth largest city were booming the New York Herald called Texas “The Empire State of the Southwest” and Galveston was called “The Empire State of the Southwest” and Galveston was called “The New York of the Gulf. ” Galveston wholesale business had the largest houses outside of New York and St. Louis; some did five million dollars of annual.
Galveston was also the premier banking center of Texas. Much of it’s capital financed central Texas business. It was number one cotton port of the world. Galveston’s restaurants and hotels were the finest west of New Orleans and were world renown. Galveston business elite built fine mansions many designed by one of their own famous architects, Nicholas Clay.
They traveled abroad and sent their children to the best eastern schools and colleges. The people of Galveston were also very intoned to the latest fashions. In the late 1800’s Houston in an attempt to complete with Galveston, as a port, as a port, began to dredge Buffalo Bayou so that ocean going vessels could steam 50 miles upstream to its port. Houston set its port rates lower to encourage ships to make the trip upstream. This competition was a notable challenge to Galveston’s monopoly. Galveston had survived many disasters.
Yellow fever claimed one-fourth of the population in 1839 .
