Incorporated in 1839, Galveston quickly became the most active port west of New Orleans and the largest city in the state.
On September 8, 1900, Galveston was battered by what stands as the most deadly natural disaster to strike this country, still called the Great Storm more than 100 years later. More than 6,000 people were killed of the town’s 37,000, almost one in six. One-third of the city's buildings were completely destroyed. Many survivors fled the city without even packing their belongings. 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.
In the aftermath of the hurricane, 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 notoriety 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.
(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.
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