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View the outside of the Galveston convention center and
the Convention Center Ballroom where you will be dancing
See the official page of Galveston, Texas
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Hard to Leave the Balinese |
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In the smooth swinging era of the ‘40s and ‘50s, the Balinese Room (formerly located at 2107 Seawall Blvd.) was legendary as the Gulf Coast’s premier nightspot. Operated by Sam and Rose Maceo, the swanky club was situated at the end of a 75-foot pier over the Gulf. Many famous performers appeared on its celebrated stage – Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Sophie Tucker, the Marx brothers and Houston oilmen like Diamond Jim Walker and Glenn McCarthy were regulars. The Texas Rangers tried repeatedly to bust the gambling at the Balinese, but by the time they’d made their way through the six heavy glass doors and down the long length of the pier (dubbed “Ranger Run”), all the gaming tables had been converted to backgammon, the slot machines folded into the wall like Murphy beds, and the chips stashed in the kitchen (where one suitcase-full was once inadvertently roasted in the oven). The band was even known to strike up “The Eyes of Texas” in “honor” of the Rangers; when all patrons rose to express their Texan patriotism, it further slowed the lawmakers’ progress. The Rangers finally had their way, shutting the Balinese down in 1957, along with all the other gambling establishments in Galveston. The fabled structure was destroyed during Hurricane Ike, September 2008. As ZZ Top sang: “Deep in the South of Texas not so long ago / there on a crowded island in the Gulf of Mexico…And everybody knows it was hard to leave / And everybody knows it was down at the Balinese.” – Ann Walton Sieber
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Galveston is said to be the Ellis Island of the south. It was an entry point for thousands of people 50 years before Ellis Island opened. The Congress of the Republic of Texas made Galveston a port of entry in 1837 and appointed Gail Borden as Collector of Customs. The first customs house opened in Galveston in 1825.
Galveston is part Southern, part Texan, abloom with towering oleanders of every color and has more history and stories than cities 20 times its size. Part of what is entrancing about Galveston is that it is so much a town in its own right, and it always has been. Even today, many residents refer to is as “The Republic of Galveston Island” because it is so unlike the rest of Texas.
In 1528, when the first Europeans landed, Galveston
Island was home to Akokisa and Karankawa Indians who camped, fished and
hunted the swampy land and buried their dead here. The Spanish explorer
Cabeza de Vaca was shipwrecked on the Island and lived among the
Karankawa for several years as a medicine man and slave. In
the late
1600’s, French explorer Robert Cavelier La Salle claimed this area for
King Louis and named it St. Louis.
Galveston was named for Bernardo de Gálvez, a Spanish colonial governor and general. Gálvez sent Jose de Evia to chart the Gulf of Mexico from the Texas coast to New Orleans, and on July 23, 1786, de Evia charted an area near the mouth of a river and named it Galveston Bay. Later, the island and city took the same name. Bernardo de Gálvez died the same year, never setting foot on his namesake island.
How can you resist a town whose first known European settler is a pirate? The cultured and debonair privateer Jean Lafitte established the colony of Campeche on Galveston Island in 1817, numbering about 1,000 people at its peak. Lafitte was eventually forced to leave (burning his town behind him), and Galveston as we know it was founded by Michel Menard and Samuel May Williams, among others. The homes of these early island pioneers are still standing.
Everything is bigger in Texas and in the nineteenth century, everything in Texas was done first in Galveston. Incorporated in 1839, Galveston quickly became the most active port west of New Orleans and the largest city in the state. This exciting and sophisticated city built the state’s first post office, first opera house, first hospital, first golf course, first country club…the list goes on and on.
However, the flittering town was hit by one “first” that was devastating: on September 8, 1900, Galveston was battered by what stands as the most deadly natural disaster to strike this country, known 100 years later as the Great Storm. At the time of the 1900 Storm, Galveston had a population of 37,000 and was the fourth largest city in Texas following Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. One-third of the city was completely destroyed, more than 3,600 buildings. More than 6,000 people were killed - so many, in fact, that the bodies were too numerous for conventional burials. At first, they were weighted and buried at sea; later they washed ashore. From that point on they were burned on funeral pyres all over the city. The 1900 Storm looms large in the island's collective memory as Galveston families pass down stories of survival and loss. For the complete dramatic story, the film the Great Storm (shown daily at Pier 21 Theatre in the Strand district) is well worth seeing.
Those who stayed were more determined than ever to persevere, and they raised the entire level of the city by eight feet, 17 feet at the Seawall, slanting the ground so water would run off into the bay. (Interesting note: The engineer responsible for this remarkable feat was Henry Martyn Robert, who also developed Robert’s Rules of Order.) The grade raising was so successful that when another hurricane as ferocious as the 1900 storm swept down on Galveston in 1915, the city was safe and only eight people were killed.
Tragedy struck once again September 13, 2008, as Hurricane Ike made landfall on the east end of Galveston Island, leaving behind the damage of 100 mph winds and a storm surge estimated between 17 and 20 feet. The Island continues its journey of recovery and rediscovery.
The Beaches
It's said that there are three elixirs that heal the soul; tears, sweat, and saltwater. Although you can find both sweat and tears in Galveston's gallant past, we'd suggest heading to the beach for a good dose of saltwater to wash away your worries. Galveston County daily News president and publisher, Dolph Tillotson, calls it the Causeway Cure - "stress evaportating at the top of the Causeway with that first scent of saltwater."
Bathers can enjoy the balmy Gulf waters seven months of the year, from April to October. Indeed, the Island is almost always temperate, with winter temperatures averaging 57° F and those of summer averaging only 81° F, thanks to the moderating influence of the constant breeze provided by the Gulf of Mexico. You'll even see some folks donning wet suits for winter surfing. And no matter what time of the year, fresh air, beach walks, and seashell searching are always in season.
Galveston Island offers 32 miles of beach. When headed to the surf and sand, your first decision is east, west, or seawall. Make this decision early if you're driving from Houston, as you need to turn off the causeway at 61st Street if you plan to head to West Beach. For East Beach and the Seawall, continue straight, as the freeway from Houston turns into Broadway, Galveston's main street, essentially cutting down the center of the Island to dead end at the Gulf.
The Seawall
In the aftermath of the Great Storm of 1900, city leaders decided that if the city was to be rebuilt, it needed strong protection from the sea. To that end, the city built a seawall seven miles long and 17 feet high and began a tremendous project to raise the grade of the entire town. The project was completed in 1962, and the total cost of the seawall was $14,497,399. Today, the seawall stretches for more than 54,790 feet and protects one-third of Galveston’s ocean-front.
During the grade raising, homes were jacked up, and dredges poured four to six feet of sand beneath them. Structures that could not be raised, such as 1859 Ashton Villa at 23rd Street and Broadway, had fill poured around their foundations. Residents used elevated wooden sidewalks to walk through town during the eight years it took to complete the raising of the 500 city blocks.
Building the seawall saved the city from both the devastation of future hurricanes and from being a memory of Texas history. Galveston quickly gained recognition across the country for the efficiency and determination it displayed while building the seawall. The engineering feat was noted as an example of how a city should respond after a disaster such as the 1900 hurricane.
Historic Galveston
Galveston’s Historical Society, which began in 1871, was revived in 1954 with the incorporation of the Galveston Historical Foundation. The Galveston Historical Foundation celebrated its 135th anniversary in 2006 and continues its ongoing effort to preserve Galveston’s history, historic homes and landmarks.
Galveston boasts four districts on the National Register of Historic Places: The Strand National Historic Landmark District, East End National Historic Landmark District, Silk Stocking District and Central Business District. It is home to three National Historic Landmarks: Tall Ship Elissa, East End and The Strand. There are approximately 1,500 historic buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
One of the most popular of these landmark districts is The Strand National Historic Landmark District, formerly known as the “Wall Street of the Southwest” and now home to a host of shops, antique stores, restaurants and art galleries. The Strand is one of the largest and best-preserved concentrations of Victorian, iron-front commercial architecture in the country. Galveston Island has a number museums and historic homes open to the public for tours.
Galveston Today
Galveston's temperate weather generally allows visitors to enjoy the beautiful outdoors year-round. The Island offers wonderful Gulf beaches, golf, fishing, birding, volleyball and horseback riding.
Galveston Island is home to Texas' first nourished or replenished beach that continues to be one of its primary attractions. Beach and umbrella concessionaires provide their services along the new beach, an area that is designated by City Council as an alcohol-free beach area.
Galveston is also one of the top locations for birding in the United States. The Island is a central location for novice and expert birders, offering a wide variety of species. Water and shore birds are common on the Island throughout the year while rare species are spotted during fall and spring migration. In fact, three/fourths of all North American species travel through Galveston during fall and spring migration.
Galveston offers 32 miles of relaxing beaches, superb restaurants, top resort hotels, marvelous downtown shopping, numerous antique stores, incredible art galleries, fabulous entertainment and one of the largest and well-preserved concentrations of Victorian architecture in the country.
Galveston is a small romantic island tucked deep within the heart of south Texas possessing all the charm of a small southern town and just 40 minutes south of the fourth largest city in the United States. At 32 miles long and two and a half miles wide, most residents can't remember the last time they visited the mainland and, if circumstances permitted, they would never leave.
The Island has seen its share of calamities, yet the worst natural disaster in U.S. history could not erase the tranquility of a Galveston sunset.
From soft sandy beaches to famous 19th century architecture, the island is surrounded with incredible history and unique beauty.
