Galveston: A City Transformed

Introduction

Galveston, Texas, is located on a barrier island two miles off the upper Texas Gulf coast. Subject to extremes in weather, the city is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes in the western Gulf of Mexico. Galveston during the 1890s was a booming seaport and one of the nation's wealthiest cities. The Storm of September 8, 1900, changed the city's fortunes. It killed approximately 8,000 people on Galveston Island and left an estimated $28 million in property losses.

In recovering from this cataclysm, Galveston transformed itself through political and technological changes. It pioneered the commission form of local government in 1901, undertook the construction of the initial portion of the Seawall (1902-04), raised the city's grade (1904-10), and opened the new causeway (1912). These improvements meant that Galveston was much better prepared to cope with an even more severe hurricane in August 1915.

The Rosenberg Library has significant archives about this transformational period of our city's past. Its letters, photographs, oral histories, and other materials form the basis of this project. The separate collections can be found by following the Collections link above.

Galveston and Texas History Center I Rosenberg Library

Funding for the 1900 Storm Photo Exhibit was provided by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
If you are interested in a copy of this image, please review our photo reproduction policy and contact us by mail or through e-mail.

Galveston and Texas History Center, Rosenberg Library, 2310 Sealy Avenue, Galveston TX 77550
Voice (409) 763-8854 ext. 127- Fax (409) 763-0275

GTHC WebTeam GTHC, Rosenberg Library.