Galveston (Texas)

Galveston County

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Galveston is a city and the county seat ( county seat ) of Galveston County on an island on the east coast of the State of Texas in the United States.

Geography

Galveston is located about 80 km southeast of Houston on the Gulf of Mexico offshore on one of the coast, elongated narrow Galveston Island Iceland, which also forms the southern boundary of Galveston Bay.

The city has an area of ​​539.6 km ², of which 119.5 km ² land area and 420.1 km ² ( 77.85 %) is water area.

Climate

In Galveston eastern climate. Wind from the south and south-easterly direction to bring warm air from the Mexican desert areas and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. In summer, temperatures usually rise above 32 degrees Celsius, while in winter the temperatures are usually 15 to 10 degrees Celsius. Snowfall is rare. The average amount of rainfall is about 1000 mm per year.

History

The island was originally inhabited by the indigenous peoples of the Karankawa and Akokisa. 1528 Conquistador Álvar Núñez stranded here in the Cabeza de Vaca and began his march back to Mexico. To René- Robert Cavelier 1687 took, Sieur de La Salle, the area for France in possession and named it in honor of his king, Louis XIV St. Louis. The island itself he never set foot. The Spanish explorer José de Evia charted the Gulf Coast and named in 1785 the island after Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, the governor of Spanish Louisiana, 1779 at the entry of Spain in the American Revolutionary War Spaniards, Creoles, Native Americans and African Americans in the fight against the British had recruited.

The first permanent settlement of Europeans on the island, built around 1816 the pirate captain Louis Michel Aury as a base of operations in support of the Mexican War of Independence against Spain. When in 1817 he made ​​an unsuccessful attack against the Spaniards, the pirate Jean Laffite took the opportunity to occupy Galveston, where the " pirate kingdom " Campeche (also called Campeachy ) to establish and proclaim himself as its head of government. 1821 presented the U.S. Navy the pirates the requirement to leave the island or to be destroyed. Lafitte burned his settlement and disappeared. According to legend, is supposed to be still buried on the island, the Bolivar Peninsula or on High Iceland his treasure.

Mexico took advantage of Galveston in 1825 as a trading port and built in 1830 a customs station. In the Texan War of Independence, the island served as a main base for the Texas fleet. 1836 Galveston was briefly became the capital of the Republic of Texas. In the same year, a group of businessmen acquired by native Canadians Michel B. Menard for $ 50,000 19 km ² of land of the Austin Colony to found a city. On April 20, 1838 Menard and his partners sold the first faces on. 1839 the city of Galveston was formally established through the adoption of a Constitution and granted by the Congress of the Republic of Texas, the city law.

In the second half of the 19th century, Galveston was commercial and transportation hub for Texas. Between 1840 and 1870 over a quarter million immigrants came here, many of them German. At times, made ​​70 percent of U.S. exports of cotton to Galveston. In the censuses of 1870 and 1880 finally Galveston was the largest city in Texas. Then, the growth began to slow down. Other cities grew faster in 1890 Galveston was overtaken by San Antonio and Dallas, 1900 also of Houston.

Hurricanes

On September 8, 1900 Galveston hurricane was invading that destroyed the city to a large extent and estimated 8,000 human lives, then a fifth of the population. Galveston was rebuilt and raised a protective wall was built around the lake. The shipping route to Houston was dredged to 1914, which led to further losses during shipping. The city had finally lost its outstanding importance.

On September 13, 2008 at 2:10 local time clock Hurricane Ike reached the city. Even before the arrival of the storm center Galveston was largely flooded. Five meter waves hit over the dams. One of the biggest attractions was destroyed - the 79 years old dance and game room Balinese Ballroom, had occurred in the early stars, for example, Frank Sinatra.

Religion

Galveston is considered the " mother seat" ( = nut seat ) of the Roman Catholic Church in Texas. At the foundation of the Diocese of Galveston in 1847 this was responsible for the Catholics throughout Texas, with increasing population development of other dioceses were later split off. In recognition of the growth of the Diocese of Galveston Houston was renamed the Diocese of Galveston - Houston in 1959 and the Sacred Heart Church in Houston was next to St. Mary's Church in Galveston to the second cathedral of the diocese. In December 2004, the Diocese of Galveston - Houston was elevated to an archdiocese Archdiocese of Galveston - Houston.

St. Joseph 's Church ( Joseph Church ), built in 1859-60, was the first German Catholic Church in Texas. The church was closed in 1969 and is now a museum.

Sights and culture

Galveston's historic Old Town and its beaches are major recreation areas for the residents of the Houston area. Many wealthy " Houstonians " also have holiday cottages or apartments in Galveston.

Other attractions include the Galveston Galveston Iceland Railroad Museum, the beach a National Historic Landmark District, the Lone Star Flight Museum and several historical ships. Of importance for tourism are the tourism and leisure center Moody Gardens and the Schlitterbahn Water Park amusement park (opened May 2005).

Galveston is home to a symphony orchestra ( Galveston Symphony Orchestra ) and a ballet company.

Galveston is sung in a song of U.S. singer Glen Campbell.

Economy and infrastructure

After the setback in economic development through the Galveston hurricane disaster of 1900, Houston became the economic center of the region. The Port of Galveston is served by passenger and cargo ships.

Galveston is the seat of a high school and three academic education institutions: the Galveston College, Texas A & M University at Galveston and the Medical Branch of the University of Texas ( UTMB ), which operates a large university hospital in Galveston since 1891, which has over 15,000 jobs to the largest employer in Galveston County is. Galveston is also home to the headquarters of the Moody National Bank and the American National Insurance.

Sons and daughters of the town

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