Historical and Cultural Importance of the Galveston Bay Estuary By: Nicole Ekstrom Texas A&M Galveston

Galveston Bay Estuary 600 mi 2 17 miles wide and 30 miles long 4-6 ft average depth Trinity and San Jacinto rivers Habitats include: marshes, mud and sand flats, seagrass beds, oyster reefs, open bay bottoms and open bay water Image from: Google

Formation of Galveston Bay

Early Inhabitants – Karankawa Indians Nomadic Arrived 1400’s, extinct by 1840 Known as “people who walk on the water” Left midden sites of shell debris at camps –(Cartwright, 1991; Texas Beyond History 2009) Image from: hread.php?t=380&page=2 Image from: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Drawing by Hal Story (from Newcomb 1984, courtesy of University of Texas Press) Painting by Frank Weir

Explorers, Pirates, and Settlers 1528: Cabeza de Vaca shipwrecked 1600’s: Pirates used the Island as a rendezvous point 1786: Jose de Evia, under Bernardo de Galvez, names Galveston Bay and Island 1817: Jean Lafitte’s colony at Laffite’s Grove May explorers spoke of “Three Trees” –( Kleiner; Cartwright 1991; Galveston.com; Winningham, 2010 ) Image from: Image from: Errol Lincoln Uys. A Novel of America. thousand_12.html Geoff Winningham Traveling the Shore of the Spanish Sea: The Gulf Coast of Texas and Mexico

The Rise of Galveston Bay 1825: Port of Galveston was established 1839: Galveston incorporated. The port exported 70% of the nation's cotton, along with large amounts of cattle, rice and other commodities. Early 1800’s: Fish, shellfish, lumber, clay, harvested from bay. Cattle ranches formed. Shipping done by sailing vessels. Late 1800’s: Dredged channels created, shell midden harvested for railroads, overharvesting of oysters from cold shipping, steam boats increased exports. –(Lester and Gonzales, 2002; Port of Galveston, 2009) Image from: US Navy Image from: Wallisville Heritage Park

1900’s Industrialization 1900 storm: Sept. 8, deaths Commerce diverted to Texas City 1903: Goose Creek Oil Field 1908: First oil refinery built in TC 1917: Houston Ship Channel 1918: 22 Industries along HSC 1929: Eight refineries 1930’s: Deepening and widening of HSC WWI&II: Factories producing aviation fuel, synthetic rubber, and ships Post WWII: Shrimping becomes major industry 1970’s: Galveston Bay "the most polluted body of water in the U.S.“ –(GBEP, 1993; GBEP, 2002)

Modern Times Port of Houston: 785,000 jobs $118 billion of statewide economic impact ( POHA 2009 ) $400 million wholesale commercial fishing industry (FOGISP) $2 billion Texas saltwater sport fishing industry (FOGISP) >2,600 Materials and Chemical companies in Houston (Manta 2010) >1,300 Transporation and shipping companies (Manta 2010) Over $4.2 billion were generated into the Texas economy by travel related activities in the Galveston Bay watershed area (GBIC) Image from: Eric W. Pohl Maritime Texas Blog. ager-of-the-seas Image from: REUTERS/David J.Phillip/Pool Image from: Bahia Mar Charters

Literature Cited Cartwright, G Galveston a history of the island. Pp Diana J. Kleiner, "GALVESTON COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online ( accessed January 13, Friends of Galveston Island State Park. Driving Tour Points of Interest: Galveston Island State Park. Galveston Bay Estuary Program State of the Bay. Chapters 1-3 and 4-5. Galveston Bay Estuary Program The History of Galveston Bay Resource Utilization. Pp Galveston Bay Information Center. Bay Facts. Galveston.com. Island History. Manta Media Inc Transportation and Shipping Companies and Materials and Chemicals. Port of Galveston. History of the Port of Galveston Port of Houston Authority Texas Beyond History Native peoples of the coastal prairies and marshes in early historic times. University of Texas Austin. Winningham, G Traveling the Shore of the Spanish Sea: The Gulf Coast of Texas and Mexico. Part 2: Galveston Island to Port Lavaca