Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.
Galveston Unscripted | J.R. Shaw
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Mosquito Fleet | Galveston, Texas
Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.
07/04/21 • 1 min
📍Visit our interactive map!Enjoy this content? Buy me a book! 📚
📱Social and other ways to explore Texas HistoryTour with Spotify:
👂Listen: Kuhn's Wharf
👂Listen: Quick History of Galveston👂Listen: Texas Firsts👂Listen: The Great Fire of 1885👂Listen: Port of Galveston
Interested in information covered in this episode? Dive deeper into the links below!
Katies SeafoodKuhns WharfBattle of GalvestonContact us: [email protected]
Transcript:
While exploring Pier 21, you may spot all of the shrimp boats docked between the Ocean Star and Katie's seafood. This area is known as the mosquito fleet. It's said that the name mosquito fleet comes from the shrimping boats, insect-like profiles.
This area was home to the 1838 Koons Warf, one of the first significant investments at the Port of Galveston and one of the first docks with deep water access. Before Galveston's first bridge connected to the mainland in 1860, the area around the mosquito fleet became the city's open market. Boats would arrive from the mainland, bringing produce, beef, and other goods to barter. Throughout the city's early years, the market eventually expanded southward along 20th Street between Avenue B, also known as Strand, and Avenue D, known as Market Street.
During the Civil War in late 1862 into 1863, the United States Navy occupied Galveston for a few months, and the USS Harriet Lane was docked at the end of Koons Wharf. The Confederacy took back Galveston Island and initiated what is now known as the Battle of Galveston. The area between the mosquito fleet along 20th Street to Strand, including the Hendley building, is a civil war battleground.
Today's mosquito fleet ties together Galveston's early market, the naming of Market Street, the Battle of Galveston during the civil war, and Koons Wharf, a significant pier for trade at the port of Galveston. Be sure to take a close look at some of those shrimp boats. If you've ever eaten shrimp in Galveston, chances are high they came from one of these boats.
Pelican Island from Pier 21 | Galveston, Texas
Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.
07/02/21 • 2 min
📍Visit our interactive map!Enjoy this content? Buy me a book! 📚
📱Social and other ways to explore Texas HistoryTour with Spotify:
👂Listen: Jean Lafitte
👂Listen: The Strand
👂Listen: Pier 21
👂Listen: Port of Galveston
Interested in information covered in this episode? Dive deeper into the links below! :Quarantine stationGalveston Naval MuseumSeawolf ParkTexas A&M University at Galveston
Contact us: [email protected]
Transcript:
While standing on Pier 21, you can see Pelican Island across the harbor. Pelican Island can only be accessed by the 51st Street Bridge, which can be seen at the far west end of Galveston Harbor. Today Pelican Island is home to Texas A&M University at Galveston Sea Wolf Park and the Galveston Naval Museum. The Galveston Naval Museum exhibits a World War II destroyer escort, the USS Stewart, and a World War II era submarine, The USS Cavalla. Texas A&M University at Galveston was established in 1965. Prominent Galveston businessman George P. Mitchell donated the land. This campus is currently home to the Texas Maritime Academy, one of the seven maritime academies in the United States. The campus is also world-renowned for its maritime business and marine biology program.
The Pelican Island we see today is primarily manmade from mud pulled from the Galveston, Texas City, and Houston ship channels during the Dredging projects over the past century. When a ship channel is deepened and widened, the mud they pull from the ship channel must go somewhere. Pelican Island became the ideal place to expand real estate along the Galveston and Texas City ship channels. Over the past 100 years, Pelican Island has steadily grown into what you see today. When you look at old maps from the 1800s, you will see two small islands north of Galveston itself. These were known as Pelican Island and Pelican Spit. Seawolf Park currently sits at the location of Pelican Spit, and it's also where one of the quarantine stations for immigration was built in the early 1900s. If you have time on your trip to Galveston, I recommend driving to the Far East end of Pelican Island to experience the Galveston Naval Museum in Seawolf Park.
Seawolf Park is known as a first-class fishing destination in this part of Texas. As you look across the water from Pier 21, you will likely see ships, Oil rigs, tugboats, or all of the above. Pelican Island is home to multiple maritime-related businesses, including dry docks for vessel and oil rig repair, tugboat companies, offshore vessel services, and even a dock specifically made to load
Hope - An interpretation of Pompeo Coppini's Lost Galveston Sculpture - Galveston, Texas
Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.
10/16/21 • 4 min
Supporters: The Galveston Arts Center: https://www.galvestonartscenter.org/
📍Visit our interactive map!Enjoy this content? Buy me a book! 📚
📱Social and other ways to explore Texas HistoryHope is located at 2517 Avenue HTour with Spotify:
👂Listen: Rosenberg Fountains👂Listen: East End Historical District👂Listen: Texas Heroes Monument👂Listen: Quick History of Galveston👂Listen: The Strand
👂Listen: Pier 21
👂Listen: Port of GalvestonPhotos, to support, and learn more about Doug's project, visit Galvestonsculpture.comMy Conversation with Doug McClean - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6tupzLU7z0UffunUThje7Z?si=XjuYw4caQrqBap24rXM4bgHope is an interpretation of Pompeo Coppini's "Victims of the Galveston Flood" sculpture that was originally was commissioned by Galveston City Leaders and later turned down and deemed too emotional. The Sculpture traveled to the St. Louis World's Fair and was sent back to Austin where it was locked away until 1918, put on display once more and then lost forever.
Doug McLean took on the challenge of recreating the sculpture and bring it to Galveston where it has been cast in Bronze and is now on display behind city hall. Doug McLean has a degree in Fine Arts he was fortunate to attend the prestigious Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture in Maine.
His first creative challenge in Galveston was serving as the blacksmith during the restoration of the 1877 Tall Ship Elissa where he hand forged hundreds of the ships fittings and became an active crew member. To this day he feels his introduction to Galveston before the revitalization of The Strand Historic District put him in the right place at the right time.
Doug has been a long time resident of Galveston, Texas and has completed and erected a statue titled "Hope" inspired by famous artist Pompeo Coppini's infamously lost sculpture "Victim's of the Galveston Flood."
Doug discusses the calling he felt to undertake this daunting pr
Rosenberg Fountains - A gift from Henry Rosenberg - Galveston, Texas
Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.
08/06/21 • 1 min
Supporters: The Galveston Arts Center: https://www.galvestonartscenter.org/
📍Visit our interactive map!Enjoy this content? Buy me a book! 📚
📱Social and other ways to explore Texas HistoryTour with Spotify:
👂Listen: East End Historical District👂Listen: Silk Stocking District👂Listen: Texas Heroes MonumentInterested in information covered in this episode? Dive deeper into the links below! :
Map of Rosenberg FountainsContact us: [email protected]
Transcript:
Henry Rosenberg was a Swiss immigrant and prominent businessman who loved Texas and the Galveston community.
Henry Rosenberg left much of his fortune to be used on public projects to improve the city of Galveston, including drinking water fountains and the Rosenberg library. At the time of Henry Rosenberg's death in 1893, no fresh water was being pumped to the island. Most of the drinking water had to be pulled from wells or collected during rainstorms.
This made it difficult for all Galvestonians, man and beast, to access fresh, drinkable water. One of Henry Rosenberg's final wishes was for 17 water fountains to be constructed for the people and animals of Galveston. Each fountain was built with a unique design, and they were scattered throughout the urbanized portion of the island.
Shortly after the 17 fountains were erected, a pipeline from the mainland was built over Galveston Bay to deliver water to the island residents rendering the Rosenberg fountains impractical. After the 1900 storm, most of the fountains were stored during the city's reconstruction. Today, nine fountains remain.
Most are functioning horse troughs or dog bowls, as Henry Rosenberg would've. You will find many of the surviving fountains in the downtown historic district and the Historic East end.
Key Words: Galveston, Texas, History, Island, Beach, cruise, cruise ship, vacation, Henry Rosenberg, Fountains, East End Historic District, Strand, Seawall, Bolivar, Houston, Audio Tour, Audio Guide, Free Tour, Free in Galveston,
The Laffite Society & Dale Olson | Jean & Pierre Laffite: Privateers or Pirates? Why Galveston Island? Treasure is what you make it!
Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.
03/23/22 • 56 min
📍Visit our interactive map!Enjoy this content? Buy me a book! 📚
📱Social and other ways to explore Texas HistoryHistoric resources for everything we discuss in the episode: https://www.galvestonunscripted.com/lafitte-society-dale-dolson
Lafitte and/or Laffite are both accepted spelling
Dale Olson is the one of the founders of the Laffite Society, a technical music writer, if you have watched a Disney production anywhere from 1970-1990, you may have heard his trumpet playing somewhere in the movie or show! Dale was recognized as "Distinguished Alumnus" of the University of North Texas in 2014 , and has given approximately 50 lectures related to early Galveston history and the Laffites. Dale and I discuss the founding of the Laffite Society, Laffite's role in the War of 1812, how Jean and Pierre Laffite ended up in Galveston, their privateering operations in Louisiana and Texas, and the eventual demise of some of the most contentious characters in Texas, and American history!
Tour with Spotify:
👂Listen: Jean Lafitte and his role in Galveston👂Listen: The Great Fire of 1885👂Listen: East End Historical District👂Listen: Port of Galveston👂Listen: The Hendley Building👂Listen: Lost Bayou Historic District👂Listen: Texas Heroes Monument
Key words: Jean Lafitte, Pierre Lafitte, New Orleans, war of 1812, Galveston, Texas, Mason Rouge, pirates, privateer,
Local 851 & Galveston's segregated waterfront
Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.
04/23/22 • 1 min
Local 851 & Galveston's segregated waterfront
Longshoremen are the workers who handle cargo operations on ships that called the busy port of Galveston! Galveston‘s longshoremen have a rocky history in terms of racial segregation, and rights to work on the waterfront. Like many ports in the late 1800s to mid 1900s, the longshore unions at the port of Galveston separated by race. Although the unions were racially divided, it was common to have longshoremen from separate unions loading or unloaded the same cargo on the same vessel. Although it was very uncommon for them to be paid the same wages. In 1913, After multiple labor disputes stemming from unfair labor hiring practices, local 851 was born as an all black longshore union. Local 851 was formed from a long-standing labor organization on the Galveston waterfront. Formerly known as the Lone Star Cotton Jammers and Longshoremen’s Association of Texas. After decades of unfair hiring practices, uneven wages, and racial tension on the waterfront, In 1920, there was a Longshoremen strike that shook up the state of Texas. Local 851 joined a few other unions during this strike. The Texas Rangers and National Guard were dispatched to Galveston by Governor William P. Hobby. Local 851 was at this location until 1983. The federal District Judge, Norman W. Black, ordered Local 851, Local 307, Local 329, and Local 1576 to merge into Local 20. One of the same Unions that operates on the Galveston Waterfront today.
Interested in information covered in this episode? Reference links below:
Local 851 - Case Law
Galveston Longshoremen in Jim Crow Texas
Galveston Longshoremen Strike of 1920
Biracial Unions on Galveston's Waterfront, 1865-1925: Book
📱Social Media and other ways to explore history📍Visit Galveston history audio tour map!🎧Market Mile with Spotify! | West of Rosenberg Ave & North Broadway
The Green Book in Galveston | Rosenberg Avenue
Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.
04/23/22 • 1 min
The Green Book in Galveston | Rosenberg Avenue between Market St. & Post Office St.
The Green book was created by a man named Victor Hugo Green, an African-American postal carrier from Harlem. The original Green book was published in 1936. During the era of racial segregation, the green book was a valuable publication offering resources, contacts, and addresses, providing African-American travelers safe passage across the country. The guide contained a list of businesses in US cities catering to African-American customers. Galveston was among the Texas cities which listed hotels, restaurants, gas stations, entertainment venues, and other safe spaces for African-American travelers. In this location, there were three businesses, the imperial Barbershop and Mitchell’s restaurant in the Oleander hotel, all listed in the Green Book. Galveston had at least 12 locations listed in the Green Book. All of them are scattered around the greater east end of the island others include;
Gus Allen’s Hotel (2710 Church)
Miss G.H. Freeman’s Tourist Home (1414 29th)
*Mrs. J. Pope’s Tourist Home (2824 M)
Gulf View Tavern (28th & Seawall)
Beach Service Station (2901 R)
Manhattan Club (2802 R 1⁄2 )
Little Shamrock Motel (1207 31st)
*Ilma’s Beauty Parlor (4106 N)
Sunset Auto Garage (3928 H/Ball)
*original building still standing
Of those just listed, only a handful of buildings are still standing, but they stand strong is a reminder of Victor Hugo Green and the goal to keep African-American travelers safe, not just in Galveston but throughout the United States.
Interested in information covered in this episode? Reference links below:
Green Book in Galveston
The Negro Motorist Green Book | History
Victor Hugo Green
African American Travel Guide Survey Project
📱Social Media and other ways to explore history📍Visit Galveston history audio tour map!🎧Market Mile with Spotify! | West of Rosenberg Ave & North Broadway
George W. Carver Theatre | Teatro Rey | La Plaza Theatre
Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.
04/23/22 • 1 min
George W. Carver Theatre | Teatro Rey | La Plaza Theatre
In Galveston, the Martini family is a household name. These days the Martini name can be found on 21st and Church Street on the old Martini theater and here, just west of Rosenberg Avenue on Market Street. At one point, the Martini family owned eight theaters, one of which was opened in Galveston‘s Black Business District. The George W. Carver theater opened in 1940. The Martini family opened this theater specifically for African-American audiences. The area north of Broadway and west of Rosenberg Avenue was Galveston‘s Black Business District during racial segregation. The George W. Carver theater operated for 19 years until 1959, when Mateo Vela bought it and converted it to Spanish-language films directed at Hispanic audiences. Mateo named the theatre Teatro Rey. In the 1970s, the theater changed hands and was briefly called the La Plaza theater until it closed in 1979. The shell of this theater today stands as a reminder of segregation, marginalization, and eventual racial integration—a stepping stone to a past that is not so far behind us.
Interested in information covered in this episode? Reference links below:
African American Historic Places in Galveston
Lost Restaurants of Galveston’s African American Community
Black Galveston
African-American History Resources: Reconstruction to the Present
La Plaza Theater
1947 Fire Map Showing Theatre
📱Social Media and other ways to explore history📍Visit Galveston history audio tour map!🎧Market Mile with Spotify! | West of Rosenberg Ave & North Broadway
Central Fire Station #1 | The Galveston Fire Department
Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.
04/23/22 • 1 min
Central Fire Station #1 | The Galveston Fire Department
Did you know that the Galveston Fire department was the first paid fire department in the state of Texas?
Galveston's first paid fire department began in 1885, but fire prevention on the island goes back to the city's founding in the late 1830s in early 1840s. In the early days, volunteer firefighters were the only thing that stood between a cooking fire gone awry or an out-of-control chimney fire. In some cases, early residents were required to keep buckets in every room of the house just in case they needed to put out a fire. Before 1885 volunteer firefighters of Galveston had a very difficult time doing that job. Response time was very slow as the roads were mostly sand which made responding with necessary equipment extremely difficult. As the city grew, firefighting evolved. In 1876, they moved from fire-watch towers to a telegraph system. The initial system utilized over 12 miles of wiring. One of Galveston's worst fires occurred in November 1885. A fire broke out at Vulcan ironworks at 16th and strand and destroyed over 40 city blocks as a north wind and dense wooden structures on the east end of Galveston fed the flames. Since the founding of the Galveston Fire Department, the training, equipment, and stations have become some of the most advanced in Texas. Central fire station #1 was built with the intention of matching the historical architecture of the downtown Galveston area and was built with hurricane preparedness and personnel comfort in mind. On the east side of central fire station #1, there is a memorial for firefighters who lost their lives protecting the city of Galveston. Be sure to take a moment and read the names.
Interested in information covered in this episode? Reference links below:
Central Fire Station #1
Galveston Burning | James Anderson
Drawing of 1885 fire destruction
Fire insurance maps showing fire limits of downtown Galveston
📱Social Media and other ways to explore history📍Visit Galveston history audio tour map!🎧Market Mile with Spotify! | West of Rosenberg Ave & North Broadway
Maceo Spice & Import Company | Maceo family legacy
Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.
04/23/22 • 1 min
Maceo Spice & Import Company | Maceo family legacy
The Maceo family has a well-established name in Galveston history. Sam and Rosario Maceo arrived in Galveston from New Orleans in the early 1900s. Founders of the turf club and the famous Balinese Room, the Maceo family built a business empire in Galveston. One of those enterprises began in 1944, Maceo spice & Import Company. In the early days, Maceo's was strictly a commercial enterprise designed for wholesale to chefs and restaurants. The building that Maceo's is in today was initially purchased as a warehouse by Rosario Maceo. The warehouse eventually evolved into a retail location. Maceo had another store front of Rosenberg Avenue. After hurricane Ike, Maceo spice and import Company moved back to the location on 27th and Market Street. Today, Maceo is a vibrant restaurant and storefront for exotic spices, meats, and cheeses from all over the World. Many of the menu items are secret family recipes, some of them over 100 years old. Others could be recipes from the famous Balinese room. So go ahead, step inside, look around, find some delicious spices, order a Muffuletta, and experience a Galveston staple: Maceo Spice and Import Company.
Interested in information covered in this episode? Reference links below:
The influence of the Maceo Family in Galveston
History of Maceo Spice
Maceo Spice & Import Company
Balinese Room History
📱Social Media and other ways to explore history📍Visit Galveston history audio tour map!🎧Market Mile with Spotify! | West of Rosenberg Ave & North Broadway
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How many episodes does Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All. have?
Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All. currently has 144 episodes available.
What topics does Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All. cover?
The podcast is about Free, Places & Travel, Society & Culture, History, Texas, Podcasts and Education.
What is the most popular episode on Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.?
The episode title 'The Great Storm of 1900: Rebroadcast' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.?
The average episode length on Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All. is 15 minutes.
How often are episodes of Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All. released?
Episodes of Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All. are typically released every 3 days, 10 hours.
When was the first episode of Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All.?
The first episode of Galveston Unscripted | Free. Texas History. For All. was released on Jul 1, 2021.
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