TexasEscapes.com HOME Welcome to Texas Escapes
A magazine written by Texas
 
New   |   Texas Towns   |   Ghost Towns   |   Counties   |   Trips   |   Features   |   Columns   |   Architecture   |   Images   |   Archives   |   Site Map

Galveston County TX
Galveston County
Galveston Hotels

THE GALVESTON SEAWALL

Galveston, Texas
Galveston end of Seawall 1908 old photo
End Of the Seawall, 1908, Galveston
Courtesy texasoldphoto.com

The Seawall

Built in 1902 to prevent the tidal surge of the 1900 disaster.
First section was 3.3 miles.

  • Galveston 1900 by Mike Cox ("Texas Tales")

  • The Galveston Storm by Archie P. McDonald, PhD("All Things Historical")
    The hurricane that struck Galveston on September 8, 1900, still reigns as the worst natural disaster in United States history because an estimated 10,000 people lost their lives.

  • The Seawall monument
    statue in memory of the Galveston 1900 storm
    The Seawall Monument
    Photos courtesy Lou Ann Herda
    Statue in memory of the victims of the 1900 storm  
    Historical Marker on 2100 block Seawall Blvd.:

    The Original Galveston Seawall

    On Sept. 8, 1900 a devastating hurricane and tidal wave destroyed much of Galveston and left 6000 persons dead. After the tragedy, the city appointed a board of three engineers, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Henry M. Robert (1837-1923), author of "Robert's Rules of Order," Alfred Noble, and H. C. Ripley, to devise protection from future storms. Work on their proposal, to be financed jointly by city, county, and state governments, was started in 1902.

    To prevent flood damage, buildings were jacked up and the surface of the entire city upgraded, increasing the elevation to a maximum of 12 feet above sea level. As a shield against high waves, a solid concrete wall was built along the Gulf shore of the island. The original section of the seawall, begun in Oct. 1902, stretched 3.3 miles. Founded on wooden pilings, the 17-foot high barrier was backed by a sand embankment and protected in front by stone riprap. The Gulf side of the wall curved outward to prevent water from washing over the top. Finished in July 1904, the seawall proved its value in 1915, when a hurricane more severe than the storm 15 years earlier did far less damage. Since then, the wall has been periodically lengthened. Freed from the threat of further destruction, Galveston has grown into a modern and prosperous city.
    1975
    Galveston Texas seawall
    The Seawall (and fish as big as cars.)
    Photo courtesy of Lou Ann Herda, 2002
    Galveston Seawall and beach, 1920s
    Seawall and beach, Galveston, 1920s
    Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
    rough sea at Galeston, Texas,  1930s
    "Rough Sea at Galveston" 1930s
    Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
    Great seawall protecting Galveston, Texas
    "The great seawall protecting Galveston, Texas"
    Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
    Great seawall protecting Galveston, Texas
    "The great seawall protecting Galveston, Texas"
    Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
    Galveston Texas Moonlight View of Beach Boulevard and Seawall  and Hotel Galvez
    "Moonlight View of Beach Boulevard and Seawall from the Air.
    Showing Hotel Galvez, Galveston, Texas "

    Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
    Hotel Galvez old photo
    Photo courtesy texasoldphotos.com
    Hotel Galvez c.1911
    Built to restore Galveston as a tourist destination
    after the storm of 1900

    Book Galveston Hotels
    Galveston's rocky shore
    A small section of rocky shore (manmade) at Galveston
    Photo courtesy Lou Ann Herda

    Related Articles

  • Galveston 1900 by Mike Cox ("Texas Tales")

  • The Galveston Storm by Archie P. McDonald, PhD("All Things Historical")


    See Galveston, Texas
    Book Galveston Hotels


  •  


    Texas Escapes Online Magazine »   Archive Issues » Go to Home Page »
    TEXAS TOWNS & COUNTIES TEXAS LANDMARKS & IMAGES TEXAS HISTORY & CULTURE TEXAS OUTDOORS MORE
    Texas Counties
    Texas Towns A-Z
    Texas Ghost Towns

    TEXAS REGIONS:
    Central Texas North
    Central Texas South
    Texas Gulf Coast
    Texas Panhandle
    Texas Hill Country
    East Texas
    South Texas
    West Texas

    Courthouses
    Jails
    Churches
    Schoolhouses
    Bridges
    Theaters
    Depots
    Rooms with a Past
    Monuments
    Statues

    Gas Stations
    Post Offices
    Museums
    Water Towers
    Grain Elevators
    Cotton Gins
    Lodges
    Stores
    Banks

    Vintage Photos
    Historic Trees
    Cemeteries
    Old Neon
    Ghost Signs
    Signs
    Murals
    Gargoyles
    Pitted Dates
    Cornerstones
    Then & Now

    Columns: History/Opinion
    Texas History
    Small Town Sagas
    Black History
    WWII
    Texas Centennial
    Ghosts
    People
    Animals
    Food
    Music
    Art

    Books
    Cotton
    Texas Railroads

    Texas Trips
    Texas Drives
    Texas State Parks
    Texas Rivers
    Texas Lakes
    Texas Forts
    Texas Trails
    Texas Maps
    USA
    MEXICO
    HOTELS

    Site Map
    About Us
    Privacy Statement
    Disclaimer
    Contributors
    Staff
    Contact Us

     
    Website Content Copyright Texas Escapes LLC. All Rights Reserved