Galveston is a city and island located in Galveston County, Texas, United
States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 57,247.
The island was the site of one of the United States' greatest natural
disasters. It is the county seat of Galveston County6, and is situated in
East Texas.
Galveston was named after Bernardo de Galvez. He was the governor of Spanish
Louisiana. After 1779, when Spain entered in the American Revolutionary War,
Galvez recruited Spaniards, Creoles, Native Americans, and African-Americans
and fought against the British during the war.
Galveston is home to the Moody Gardens and the headquarters of the Moody
National Bank. A new Schlitterbahn water park will open there in May 2005.
Galveston Hurricane
On the evening of September 7, 1900, winds arose that heralded the arrival
of a hurricane that struck the island early in the morning of September 8
and lasting through to September 9, 1900. Wind speed reached up to 135 mph,
although this is an estimate since the anemometer was blown off of the US
Weather Bureau building. The island was devastated and an estimated 6,000 to
12,000 people were killed. See the Galveston Hurricane of 1900.
Previous to the major storm, Galveston was a beautiful and prestigious city,
and was known as "the New York of the South." Had it not been for the Storm
of 1900, Galveston might, today, be one of the nation's largest cities.
A warning was given by Isaac M. Cline, section director of the Galveston
office of the US Weather Bureau, which may have prevented the deaths of many
more people. Because of the storm, the Galveston Seawall was built, the
entire grade of Galveston was raised, the Commission Form of City Government
was formed, women received greater roles in public affairs, and the Houston
Ship Channel was built.
Galveston today
The storm also caused survivors to move inland, into the city of Houston.
Although Galveston is a anchor city for the Houston Metropolitan Area, it
has largely been overshadowed by the city of Houston. However, Galveston
remains a port of entry and a destination for cruise ships.
Many Houstonians have beach houses in Galveston or elsewhere in Galveston
county. Houstonians sometimes go into beach houses during the summer, or
simply drive to Galveston to enjoy the local beach.
Other attractions in Galveston include aforementioned Moody Gardens, the
Galveston Island Railroad Museum, the Strand National Historic Landmark
District, and the Lone Star Flight Museum. Galveston is also home to several
historic ships, including the tall ship Elissa at the Texas Seaport Museum,
and USS Cavalla and USS Stewart, both berthed at Seawolf Park on nearby
Pelican Island.
Geography
Galveston is located at 29°16'52" North, 94°49'33" West (29.281137,
-94.825945).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
539.6 km˛ (208.4 mi˛). 119.5 km˛ (46.2 mi˛) of it is land and 420.1 km˛
(162.2 mi˛) of it is water. The total area is 77.85% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 57,247 people, 23,842 households, and
13,732 families residing in the city. The population density is 478.9/km˛
(1,240.4/mi˛). There are 30,017 housing units at an average density of
251.1/km˛ (650.4/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 58.66% White, 25.49%
African American, 0.42% Native American, 3.21% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander,
9.73% from other races, and 2.41% from two or more races. 25.77% of the
population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 23,842 households out of which 26.3% have children under the age
of 18 living with them, 36.6% are married couples living together, 16.9%
have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% are non-families.
35.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.2% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.30 and the average family size is 3.03.
In the city the population is spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18,
11.3% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100
females there are 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $28,895, and the median
income for a family is $35,049. Males have a median income of $30,150 versus
$26,030 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,275. 22.3% of
the population and 17.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 32.1% are under the age of 18 and 14.2% are
65 or older.
