Coastal Visions: Images of Galveston County

Coastal 

Visions 

IMAGES OF 

GALVESTON 

COUNTY 

Photography by Robert Mihovil 

Text by Leslie Watts 

A publication of Galveston County

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HPNbooks publications, or information about producing your own book with us, please visit www.hpnbooks.com.

Coastal 

Visions 

IMAGES OF 

GALVESTON 

COUNTY 

Photography by Robert Mihovil 

Text by Leslie Watts 

A publication of Galveston County 

HPNbooks 

A division of Lammert Incorporated 

San Antonio, Texas

The tugboat Crosby Rambler pushes a barge on the Intracoastal 

Waterway that carries traffic from Brownsville, Texas, to southern Florida. 

This photograph was made from the bridge just north of High Island on 

Highway 124, the most northeastern point of Galveston County. 

First Edition 

Copyright © 2012 HPNbooks 

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission 

in writing from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to HPNbooks, 11535 Galm Road, Suite 101, San Antonio, Texas, 78254. Phone (800) 749-9790. 

ISBN: 9781935377825 

Library of Congress Card Catalog Number: 2012939449 

Coastal Visions: Images of Galveston County 

photography: Robert Mihovil 

narrative: Leslie Watts 

design: Glenda Tarazon Krouse 

contributing writer for sharing the heritage: Brenda Thompson 

HPNbooks 

president: Ron Lammert 

project managers: Joe Bowman 

Larry Sunderland 

administration: Donna M. Mata 

Melissa G. Quinn 

book sales: Dee Steidle 

production: Colin Hart 

Evelyn Hart 

Tony Quinn 

Omar Wright 

PRINTED IN MALAYSIA 

COASTAL VISIONS - Images of Galveston County 

2

4 Introduction 

5 Galveston County–Land and Water 

6 Chapter1 Rich Heritage 

28 Chapter2 Unified Community 

48 Chapter3 Vibrant Lifestyle 

70 Chapter4 Essential Enterprise 

92 Chapter5 Visionary Populace 

114 Galveston Partners 

193 Sponsors 

194 About the Photographer 

195 About the Author 

Contents 

3

Introduction 

Galveston County is as diverse as its people. From its earliest days, the land encompassed 

today by Galveston County has been central to the history of Texas. First inhabited by Native 

Americans as early as the 1500s, progressing to the swashbuckling days when pirates roamed 

the Island, Galveston County watched as Texas grew into an independent republic and later 

a state. The largest and most progressive community in Texas until the late 1800s, Galveston 

led the state in the development of commerce and culture, and the Port of Galveston was 

widely described as the “Queen of the Gulf”. 

Stretching from the nation’s fourth largest city of Houston’s outlying southern suburbs, 

to the Gulf’s sandy beaches and coastal waters, Galveston County offers a wide range of 

geography and lifestyles. Located adjacent to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the county is 

home to bustling industry including petrochemical, medical, technology, business, education, 

and tourism. Galveston has been known for almost 200 years for its natural deep water 

harbor which is home port for numerous cargo ships and cruise lines. It also encompasses 

historic neighborhoods, exclusive second-home enclaves, small fishing villages and quiet 

middle-class communities. Despite such diversity the character of the region is unified and 

shaped by the governance and public service shared by nearly three hundred thousand residents. 

Combining the fun benefits of a coastal community with a strong job-producing economy 

and educational opportunities, Galveston County is a great place to live, work and play. 

Year-round activities include indoor and outdoor sports, cultural events and performing arts. 

Colleges and universities, including branches of Texas A&M and the University of Texas, offer 

advanced degree and certification programs. With nationally recognized health care facilities, 

it also provides a wide range of medical services and medical education programs. 

In addition to full-time residents, vacationers from across the nation descend on Galveston 

County each year for recreation, relaxation and special events such as Mardi Gras and other 

festivals. Reminiscent of the heady days of the 1940s, construction is slated to be complete 

in May of 2012 for the new “Pleasure Pier” on Galveston’s Seawall. This will add additional 

shops, restaurants and rides to a county already packed with fun family activities. 

I hope you enjoy reading this book and seeing the pictures depicting life in Galveston 

County. This book may inspire you to pay a visit to Galveston County, and, once here, to stay 

and enjoy what Galveston County has to offer. 

Mark Henry 

Galveston County Judge 


4

A map of Galveston County shows the dramatic diversity of physical landmarks within the 

county boundaries. The county stretches from coastal plains in the north to low-lying 

barrier islands in the south. Nearly half the county area is comprised of water, 

primarily Galveston Bay. Through Galveston Bay runs the Houston Ship Channel. 

Along the dredged channel tanker ships, container ships and numerous barges 

navigate, carrying over 220 million tons of cargo annually. Most vessels enter 

the ship channel through Galveston Harbor pass, although many others enter 

by way of the Intracoastal Canal, which also runs through the county, in a 

northeast-southwest direction. The Port of Galveston and the Port of Texas City 

are both within the county boundaries. The Port of Galveston is the departure 

point for numerous cruise ships, while the Port of Texas City is designed to move 

petrochemicals to and from Texas City refineries. The main highway artery in the 

county is IH-45, which runs from Dallas to Galveston. In the northern part of Galveston 

County, growing communities are home to thousands of residents who work in Houston, 

as well as in Galveston County enterprises. Cattle ranches and other agricultural operations are located 

throughout the western part of Galveston County. Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula annually 

attract over 5 million visitors to the county, and provide location for thousands of second homes. The 

geographic diversity of Galveston County is reflected in the diverse population and economy of the county. 

Land & Water 

EAST BAY 

High 

Island 

Kemah 

Friendswood 

League City 

Bayview 

Bacliff 

Gilchrist 

45 

Dickinson 

San Leon 

GALVESTON BAY 

Bolivar Peninsula 

Algoa 

Santa Fe 

Alta Loma 

La Marque 

Texas City 

Port Bolivar 

Hitchcock 

Bayou Vista 

45 

Tiki Island 

WEST 

BAY 

Galveston Island 

Galveston 


County 

Galveston County–Land and Water 

5

Chapter 

1 

Set aside in 

1840-41 to provide 

a public burial place on 

Galveston Island, the Old 

City Cemetery was laid out 

on the far western edge of the 

populated area. Encompassing 

four city blocks, the land was 

divided into a complex of smaller 

cemeteries, some with specific 

religious and secular affiliations. 

This tombstone in the Episcopal 

area stretches upward toward puffy 

gray clouds and blue sky, and the 

surrounding ground area is covered 

with a blanket of bright yellow 

Coreopsis wild flowers. 


6

RICH 

Heritage 

Possibly Galveston Island’s most recognized building, the Bishop’s Palace, 

shown here at dusk, was constructed between the years of 1887 and 1892 as the 

private home of lawyer, investor, lobbyist and politician Walter Gresham and his family. Designed 

by well-known Galveston architect Nicholas Clayton, the home was purchased by the Roman Catholic 

Church in 1932 to be used as the official residence for the bishop, but reappointed as a “house museum” in 1963. 

Named among the top 100 such structures in North America by the American Institute of Architects, it is open for tours. 

Chapter 1 

7

lways, there is the sea. 

Ebbing and flowing, powerful 

and molding, it was laying 

the groundwork for the future of Galveston 

County long before humankind knew the 

world was round. 

Historians are unsure as to when and for 

how long the first Native American population 

groups made their homes on the area’s islands 

and coastal plains, but it is for certain that 

they, like today’s inhabitants, were drawn to 

the region’s beauty, climate and the abundant 

resources it provided. 

Although evidence suggests the existence 

of a 5,000-year-old Native American burial 

ground near Caplen on the county’s Bolivar 

Peninsula, experts agree that tribal groups 

such as the Karankawas surely had established 

a regular presence on Galveston Island during 

the sixteenth century. 


8

At about this same time on the other side 

of the globe, however, inhabitants of those 

distant lands had begun to experience 

growing curiosity about what lay beyond 

their own European horizons. Although 

explorers were sent out from several nations, 

it was Spain that by the sixteenth century 

was making great inroads into North and 

Central America, dispatching militia and 

missionaries to establish a foothold on the 

new lands they had found there. Of these 

early Spaniards, the one most connected 

with Galveston was Cabeza de Vaca—and, 

yes, this does translate as “head of (a) cow.” 

Opposite: Bill Silverberg plays the role of pirate Jean Lafitte in a performance of 

Pirates and Petticoats during the Jane Long Festival on Port Bolivar. 

Above: In a demonstration using blanks but real gun powder, members of the 

Orange County Regulators and The Single Action Shooting Society participate in a 

staged gun battle during the Jane Long Festival on Bolivar Peninsula. The event is held 

at Fort Travis Seashore Park and includes sharp shooters, cowboy poetry, bunker tours, 

food booths, longhorns, live music and the dramatic presentation Pirates and Petticoats. 

Chapter 1 

9


10

One of few survivors of a Spanish group 

exploring the upper Gulf of Mexico, de Vaca 

and his compatriots were blown ashore in 

1528 somewhere along the Karankawas’ 

coastal hunting ground. Although initially 

well-treated, the group was eventually 

imprisoned by the Karankawas for about 

six years before de Vaca made a successful 

escape southward to Mexico. Cabeza de Vaca 

had a lasting influence on the Karankawa’s 

sand bar, however, by providing what is 

thought to be some of the first known 

written accounts of the island and 

its inhabitants. 

As part of Spain’s continued interest in 

the new world, Bernardo de Galvez, a military 

hero who served during the 1780s as viceroy 

of Mexico, ordered a survey of the coastline 

of the Gulf of Mexico. In honor of his sponsor, 

navigator Jose de Evia gave the name 

Bahia de Galvez to the gulf’s largest bay, and 

the entire area—island, city and county— 

eventually became known as Galveston. 

As the nineteenth century dawned, vigorous 

westward expansion of the fledgling 

United States made it necessary to push a 

number of New Orleans undesirables a little 

further down the coast from that thriving 

port. As a result, Galveston soon became an 

attractive location for various freebooters, 

pirates and privateers trying to keep one step 

ahead of the law. The most notable of these 

was Jean Lafitte, who—after being chased out 

of Louisiana waters—moved his business 

interests westward and found Galveston the 

perfect setting for a new colony. 

Opposite: Anne Willis of Crystal Beach 

plays the “Spirit of Jane Long” in Pirates 

and Petticoats during the Jane Long 

Festival on the Bolivar Peninsula. Jane 

survived the winter of 1821 on Bolivar 

Point, during which time she gave birth 

to one of the first Anglo children to be 

born in what would later become Texas. 

According to a local historian, Jane helped 

plan the Texas Revolution and is called 

“The Mother of Texas” because of her 

strength and bravery. 

Above: Dr. James Long, portrayed by 

Sid Bouse, proposes marriage to his 

future wife, Jane, as played by Dr. Melanie 

Wallace, during the production of Pirates 

and Petticoats, an original dramatic 

presentation during the Jane Long Festival 

on Port Bolivar. 

Chapter 1 

11

Hope Leskowitz and brother, William, of Seabrook peep through 

the iron gates at the old Fort Travis bunker on the Bolivar Peninsula. 

Named Campeche, Lafitte’s fortified compound 

eventually boasted around 1,000 

inhabitants, and what is thought to be the 

site of Maison Rouge, Lafitte’s personal home, 

is easily located today by a historical marker 

on the island’s bay side, near the Port of 

Galveston. To the west, close to an area that 

archeologists believe was a Karankawa settlement, 

another historical marker tells how, on 

this site in 1821, the “freebooter” Jean Lafitte 

and his men fought the last Native Americans 

in the “Battle of the Three Trees,” after which 

both groups disappeared from the land 

known as Galveston. 

Opposite: A prickly pear cactus adds color to the vegetation 

growing atop a long abandoned Fort Travis bunker on the Bolivar Peninsula. 


12

Chapter 1 

13

Top: Re-enactors representing 

Union forces return fire during 

a re-enactment of the Civil 

War’s 1863 Battle of Galveston. 

The event included a living 

history encampment. 

Above: Played out on both land and sea, the 1863 Battle of Galveston ended with Confederate 

forces driving out the Union ships that had occupied Galveston’s harbor since October of 1862. 

The Confederate re-enactors shown here are all members of the nineteenth century Living History 

Association, 1st Texas Infantry, 8th Texas Calvary. Celebrating their “victory,” left to right, 

are Matte Schlageter, Ed Welch, Fred Anthamatten, Jeff Thompson and Mike Bringhurst. 


14

Top: Depicting a Confederate solider, a member of 

the nineteenth century Living History Association fires 

his flintlock rifle during a re-enactment of the Battle of 

Galveston. Galveston Historical Foundation marked 

the anniversary of the 1863 Civil War battle, the 

most important military event in Galveston’s history, 

with this dramatization on The Strand, located in 

Galveston Island’s historic downtown district. 

Right: David Smith portrays a Confederate soldier in the 

re-enactment of the Civil War’s 1863 Battle of Galveston. 

The event was sponsored by Galveston Historical 

Foundation to mark the anniversary of the most 

significant military encounter in Galveston history. 

Chapter 1 

15

The elegant Landes-McDonough Home, located on Galveston 

Island’s Postoffice Street, was built in 1887 for Henry A. Landes, 

a cotton trader, merchant and community leader. Landes became 

mayor of Galveston after the great Storm of 1900. Although the 

basement of the home was flooded during Hurricane Ike in 

2008, the main floors suffered relatively minor damage. 


16

The civilized world was on the move, 

however, and the continent’s western lands 

were in the crosshairs for many Americans 

and others seeking a better life. “GTT”— 

standing for “Gone to Texas”—was a wellknown 

term for many restless adventurers, 

and Galveston, with its natural deep-water 

harbor was an ideal point of entry for people, 

supplies, and new ambitions. 

Although Galveston entered the nineteenth 

century still under the control of Spain, its 

jurisdiction passed to Mexico in 1820, and 

Galveston, in 1825, was designated a provisional 

Mexican port of entry with a Mexican 

customs house. Things were changing quickly 

and following the Texas republic’s declaration 

of independence from Mexico in 1836, 

Galveston County received official recognition 

in 1838 as part of the new nation. 

Galveston’s first luxury hotel, the Tremont, 

was opened in 1839, and The Galveston News 

began publication in 1842. 

It was a time and land of opportunity, 

and—not unexpectedly—the prosperity 

being enjoyed on the island, which became 

known as the “Queen of the Gulf” because 

of its busy port and resulting luxurious 

lifestyle, also spurred the growth of new 

communities on the county’s mainland areas 

to the north. 

The Santa Fe Area Historical Foundation Depot 

Museum, as seen through early morning fog, 

takes on the mystery of yesteryear. 

The depot is located in Hitchcock. 

Chapter 1 

17

The inland areas of Galveston County were 

flourishing by the end of the nineteenth 

century. The Miller-Brautigam Home shown 

here holds the title of the oldest remaining 

house in the City of Sante Fe. Constructed 

in 1896 of cypress wood for Henry Miller, 

owner of the Alta Loma Lumber Company, 

it was purchased in 1930 by the Albert 

Brautigam family. In 1995 it became the 

home of Sante Fe Mayor Ralph Stenzel. 

Farmland for crops and livestock beckoned, 

along with deciduous trees and fresh 

water. For those making their way to and 

from the island port, there was a need for 

food, shelter and fresh supplies. Horses needed 

new shoes, wagons required constant 

repairs and surplus cargo had to be stored. 

As a plus, Galveston County’s more inland 

locations offered additional protection from 

the storms and “overflows” that often plagued 

the low-lying island city. 

Railroads soon were being built as an 

alternative to rough wagon trails, and these, 

too, encouraged communities to sprout up 

in support of the specialized needs of the 

new “iron horse.” Initially a Karanakawa 

community, then later named Butler’s Ranch 

after first resident George W. Butler, the 

area known today as League City was the 

chosen location in 1854 for the Galveston, 

Houston and Henderson Railroad. The town 

of Santa Fe took its name from a railroad line 

established in that area in 1877. 

During the Civil War soldiers traveling 

between Houston and Galveston enjoyed stopping 

off for buttermilk at a farming community 

about half way between the two points. 

Known then as Buttermilk Station, this later 

became the City of La Marque. Friendswood 

was so named by a group of Quakers—officially 

known as the Society of Friends—who 

arrived by train in that area in 1895. 


18

To the east of Galveston Island, the Bolivar 

Peninsula, with gulf access on three sides and 

a mainland connection to the north, attracted 

its own special group of early settlers. In 

1815 the peninsula had been accessed and 

named for Simon Bolivar by explorer Henry 

Perry. A few years later Dr. James Long of 

Natchez, who had his own plans for the area’s 

development, established Fort Las Casas on 

the peninsula. As a result of Long’s wife, Jane, 

giving birth to a daughter there in December 

of 1821, Bolivar is often credited with being 

the birthplace of the first Anglo child to be 

born in Texas, and Jane is frequently referred 

to as the “Mother of Texas,” although this title 

may also be a result of her alleged participation 

in the planning of the Texas Revolution. 

The peninsula’s subsequent development 

on its southern point included an early 

settlement established in 1893 that became 

known as Port Bolivar. The peninsula also 

became known for its production of food 

crops and long-fiber “sea island” cotton, and 

later served as the location for Galveston’s 

second Fort Travis, with construction beginning 

in 1898 and ending in 1943. The first 

drilling for oil in Galveston County also 

began on the peninsula’s High Island in 1901. 

The sturdy Victorian-era Frank B. Davison 

Home was constructed of cypress in 

1895-97 for Frank B. and Florence Haven 

Davison. Davison was a prominent civic 

leader and pioneer in Texas City. Open for 

tours, the home is located in the historic 

area of Texas City and is one of a number 

of community museums paying tribute 

to Galveston County’s early mainland 

settlers and their contributions to the area’s 

future development. 

Chapter 1 

19

The reverse silhouette of a 

longhorn is featured in this 

metal work sculpture by 

John Barber. It can be seen 

in one of the windows 

of the Butler Longhorn 

Museum in the League City 

Historical District. 


20

Opposite, bottom: Photographed from the third floor, looking toward the stage and box 

seats, the interior of The Grand 1894 Opera House provides insight into the levels of 

sophistication and luxury that existed on Galveston Island in the late nineteenth century. 

At the time of its construction, The Grand included a hotel and shops in addition to its 

luxurious 1,500-seat theater and large stage area. Painstakingly restored, it today hosts 

world-class and local theatrical productions year round. 

Above: A full-mount longhorn named Classic Ace is on display at the Butler Longhorn 

Museum in the League City Historical District. Named for Milby Butler, the museum 

tells the story of Butler’s role in supporting the amazing comeback of the Texas longhorn. 

Chapter 1 

21


22

Opposite, top: Located in a replica of the first house built in Friendswood, 

the Friendswood Heritage Museum is operated by the Friendswood Historical 

Society and dedicated to “preserving and portraying our unique history.” 

Friendswood was founded as a Quaker colony in 1895 by the F. J. Brown and 

T. H. Lewis families in search of their “promised land.” The museum’s exterior 

replicates the original 1895 house built by Frank J. Brown upon his arrival 

in the area. 

Opposite, bottom: Historian and author Joycina Day Baker enjoys a quiet 

moment in the parlor of the Friendswood Heritage Museum, where she is shown 

holding a book she published on Friendswood history. The museum is housed in 

a replica of the Frank J. Brown home, the first house built in Friendswood. 

Above: This barn at the Friendswood Heritage Museum is a reconstructed 

replica made of 100-year old lumber reclaimed from cotton warehouses 

originally located on Galveston Island. The machinery shown under the barn’s 

overhang is a fig sprayer, such as those that would have been used to maintain 

fig trees during the community’s heyday as a major provider of fresh figs and 

other produce. 

Right: The organ at the Friendswood Heritage Museum is a 1906-era 

Mason & Hamlin pump organ from the original Quaker church in Friendswood. 

Chapter 1 

23

Above: Located on Skyline Drive near the Texas City Dike, the Half Moon Shoal 

Lighthouse replica serves as a landmark and museum in the Bay Street Park area. 

Right: The Saint Mary Mission Church is located on Highway 518 in League City. 

Constructed in 1910, the Gothic Revival structure was relocated and restored by 

parishioners in the late twentieth century. The Roman Catholic church was the 

social center of the community during its earliest history. 


24

Chapter 1 

25


26

As Galveston County entered the twentieth 

century, the success enjoyed by the Port of 

Galveston predictably gave rise to other shipping 

expansion, including further development 

of Port Bolivar and the founding of a 

new port in Texas City. 

The dredging of Galveston Bay to help 

maintain necessary depths and the building of 

a series of jetties created an awareness of yet 

additional options to improve water transport 

in the area. These improvements resulted in 

the eventual construction of today’s Gulf 

Intracoastal Waterway, a protected canal-style 

channel that stretches from Brownsville to 

Ft. Meyers, Florida. On a clear day, the view 

from the top of the canal’s bridge at Galveston 

County’s northernmost point offers a panorama 

of busy tug boats, flat coastal plains with 

grazing cattle and working oil wells—and, on 

the southern horizon, the sparkle of distant 

gulf waters crashing against a sandy shore. 

Today, the story of Galveston County is still 

a work-in-progress. Although the numerous 

cities, towns, villages and other populated 

places of the county have contributed their 

own special histories to the diverse tapestry 

of modern-day Galveston, their greater gift 

is a spirit of unity that is directed toward 

the county’s future and realizing the dreams 

of tomorrow. 

Opposite: A functioning windmill near 

Hitchcock is a scenic reminder of the 

importance of agrarian activities in 

Galveston County during the nineteenth and 

twentieth centuries. Located on land owned 

by Westwind Helicopters, Inc., the windmill 

still pumps water into a nearby pond. 

Above: The Gulf of Mexico is greeted by 

sand dunes and a picket fence at San Luis 

Pass on the southwestern end of 

Galveston Island. 

Chapter 1 

27

Chapter 

2 

Highland Bayou Park in La Marque 

offers a scenic venue for community gatherings, 

festivals and general recreational activities. 

The 230-acre site provides local families and corporations 

with playgrounds, fishing ponds, picnic tables and a boat ramp 

plus facilities for volleyball, tennis, basketball and horseshoes. 


28

UNIFIED 

Community 

The strong town-and-gown relationship between business and education in Galveston County 

is illustrated by the placement of many graduates in local area enterprises. Here, 

a graduate of Texas A&M University at Galveston talks on the radio as 

she pilots a tug boat into Pier 10 at the Port of Galveston. 

Chapter 2 

29

Above: Dedicated on May 30, 2010, to the men and women who served in the armed forces of the United States, this striking 16-foot wide flag sculpture 

made from aluminum is part of the Veterans’ Memorial in Friendswood. Located adjacent to the city hall, the sculpture rests on black marble with the words 

“honor,” “gratitude,” “respect” and “remembrance” engraved into its base. 

Opposite, top: Although the large flag sculpture at Friendswood’s Veteran’s Memorial is constructed of grayish aluminum, its highly polished surfaces reflect 

the vibrant colors of its surroundings. Here, its stars have taken on blue and yellow reflections from the sky and dormant grass. The sculpture recognizes the 

many military contributions made by Galveston County citizens. 

Opposite, bottom: Heading out to sea to harvest nature’s bounty is a community affair in Galveston County. Here, the shrimp boat Dying Breed is cheered 

by an enthusiastic crowd as it makes its way past the Kemah boardwalk during the community’s “Blessing of the Fleet,” an annual event each May. 


30


Insisting, cajoling, threatening, 

consoling, it is both boon and 

bane for those who make their homes and 

pursue their livelihoods on its coast. In 

Galveston County, the Gulf of Mexico and its 

authority over neighboring coastal land areas 

have created an invisible yet inseparable bond 

between the communities and peoples who 

live within reach of their power and influence. 

Encompassing almost 450 square miles, of 

which more than half are water, Galveston 

County by nature and nurture presents its 

own special challenges and rewards. In 

addition to some 400 miles of beachfront, 

there are bays and bayous, lagoons and lakes, 

playgrounds and parks to manage. Several 

hundred thousand permanent residents, 

representing a broad spectrum of income 

levels and lifestyles—plus a year-round influx 

of tourists numbering into the millions—also 

must be accommodated by the county’s 

infrastructure and public services. 

Chapter 2 

31

The Gottfried Moller Rain Water Pump Station, located on the Bay Street 

Extension in Texas City, is part of the community’s flood control and water 

management system. It is located near the levee on Dollar Bay near Moses 

Lake and incorporates an Archimedes’ principle screw-type design system. 


32

The act of balancing growing commerce 

and heavy industry with sensitive lifestyle 

and environmental issues—coupled with a 

growing awareness of the importance of 

community well-being—is today providing 

numerous opportunities for creative problem 

solving throughout the county. 

From pre-school to graduate school, 

educational programs for the county’s young 

people are being developed and finely tuned 

to ensure that the leaders of tomorrow will 

have the job skills needed to compete in the 

work force of the twenty-first century. 

Ensuring a quality lifestyle for the community 

is also of paramount importance to 

Galveston County leaders. Numerous public 

parks and recreational areas offer the county’s 

citizens a broad range of choices for leisure 

and fitness activities. Free concerts and 

cultural events entertain and educate, and 

area businesses regularly sponsor community-wide 

projects to enhance the local quality 

of life. A number of groups also have been 

formed to help protect the county’s diverse 

environment, and protected wildlife and 

nature preserves dot the county. 

Through special activities and memorials, 

citizens regularly join ranks to show their 

appreciation to the county’s military men 

and women. Various festivals, including the 

Blessing the Fleet in Kemah and the Bolivar 

Peninsula’s Crab Festival, provide an opportunity 

for local citizens to celebrate the 

importance and show their support of 

county economic drivers such as the seafood 

and fishing industries. 

Established in 1891 to provide training for 

future physicians, the University of Texas 

Medical Branch at Galveston has grown 

from a single school with 23 students and 

13 faculty members to a modern center of 

academic medicine and health science with 

more than 70 major buildings, 2,500 

students and 1,000 faculty members. 

Occupying 84 acres, UTMB includes four 

schools, three institutes for advanced study 

and a major medical library. It also 

maintains a network of hospitals and clinics 

offering a full range of primary and 

specialized medical care throughout the 

Gulf Coast area, and is affiliated with the 

adjacent Shriners Hospitals for Children— 

Galveston and other treatment and research 

facilities. This rooftop vantage point offers a 

view across Galveston Bay to the refineries 

of Texas City in the distance. 

Chapter 2 

33


34

Opposite: An ornate 

four-face clock is a 

popular landmark in 

Walter Hall Park in 

League City. The clock 

was produced by Electric 

Time of Medfield, 

Massachusetts, and was 

dedicated April 8, 1999. 

Above: Cindy Clement plays with her granddaughter Lacey Higgins during one of the free 

summer band concerts that take place weekly behind Ashton Villa on Galveston Island. 

The Tuesday evening Galveston Beach Band performances are among the island’s most 

beloved summer traditions. Offered free of charge, they regularly attract locals and visitors 

alike to enjoy musical selections that range from jazz, pops and big band sounds to show 

and patriotic tunes. Each concert also features a children’s parade, in which kids both young 

and old wave American flags as they “march” around the venue in time with the music. 

Left: John Tarver, 

popular saxophonist 

with the Galveston 

Beach Band, blows 

sweet and low during 

one of the group’s 

weekly summer 

concerts, offered 

free of charge each 

Tuesday evening 

behind Ashton Villa 

on Galveston Island. 

Chapter 2 

35

Located at Walter Hall Park in League City, the waterfall at Helen’s Garden is a favorite 

venue for nature lovers and area photographers. Named in honor of Helen Hall, wife of 

legendary League City business leader Walter Hall, the lush garden area is located in the 

heart of the community’s historical district and includes walking paths, benches, waterfalls, 

fountains and restrooms. Helen Hall is often referred to as the “matriarch” of League City and, 

as a civic leader in her own right, was a charter member of the local library board of trustees. 


36

With down-home entertainment and camaraderie, 

the Galveston County Fair and Rodeo 

spotlights the county’s support for agricultural, 

farming and ranching activities. Young and 

old delight in rodeo activities, midway attractions 

and various shows and competitions 

that involve livestock, music, art, barbeque 

and beauty queens. Established in 1938 the 

fair’s foundation is based on the county’s 

commitment to youth, education and agriculture, 

and proceeds go toward scholarships for 

high school seniors from Galveston County. 

Enriching and giving back to the community 

is an important part of the petrochemical 

industry’s mission throughout Galveston 

County. Here, Jose Ramirez plays on the 

colorful playground equipment at Carbide 

Park while his brother Elias Ramirez takes 

a snow cone break on the bottom of the 

park’s slide. 

Chapter 2 

37

Above: Championship horsemanship 

and rope handling take center stage before 

a large crown at the Galveston County 

Fair and Rodeo’s popular calf roping event 

in Hitchcock. Other activities during the 

fair include cook-offs, art and talent 

shows, livestock shows, auctions and 

beauty contests. 

Opposite, top: Bull riding events can send 

everyone scrambling for safety at the 

Galveston County Fair and Rodeo in 

Hitchcock, an annual celebration of the 

county’s farming, ranching and 

agrarian roots. 

As concerned citizens work together for 

the betterment of the county as a whole, 

major industries ranging from health care, 

education and tourism to shipping and 

petrochemical processing also work with 

county leaders to ensure that economic 

growth does not interfere with citizen 

well-being, and vice-versa. Further underlining 

the need for both cooperation in and 

coordination of any far-reaching effort is 

the area’s diversity in population groups 

and cultures. 

A recognition of the necessity of working 

together is not a new concept in Galveston. 

Tribal society was probably an ideal social 

arrangement for the area’s early habitation. 

Maintaining a unified community was a major 

factor in the ability of the Karankawa Indians 

to maintain life as they procured food and 

shelter under challenging circumstances. 

Similarly, the pirate groups that followed 

were also well aware that their strength lay in 

a communal loyalty to an identified leader, 

however questionable his trade. 

Opposite, bottom: Bull riding is always 

filled with excitement and sometimes 

unexpected results at the Galveston County 

Fair and Rodeo in Hitchcock. 


38

Chapter 2 

39


40 

Later, as Galveston evolved from a small 

trading post on an elongated sand bar at the 

edge of the nation’s frontier to a major center 

of organized—and civilized—commerce and 

culture, its needs changed as well. The sense 

of community that was earlier necessary 

to maintain life became key to the region’s 

prosperity during the mid-to-late nineteenth 

century. Unification for survival gave way to 

unification for destiny. 

Galveston’s emerging nineteenth century 

business leaders—the men who were creating 

the largest and most prosperous community 

in the newly formed Republic of Texas— 

well knew the importance of working together. 

It had been unification of purpose in the 

1830s that had allowed a group of relative 

newcomers to put together a consortium 

known as the Galveston City Company that 

purchased and platted almost 5,000 acres 

of island property. The resulting lots were 

quickly sold to aspiring Galvestonians 

and eventually became the basis for the City 

of Galveston. 

In 1843 city leaders took the idea of 

community unification even further in their 

establishment of an officially recognized and 

very active chamber of commerce. Even 

before Texas became a part of the United 

States, Galveston’s business community was 

busy encouraging like-minded citizens to 

join together in laying the groundwork for 

economic development.

Opposite, top: Young people concentrate on 

the action as they attempt to round up goats 

during the Goat Scramble event at the 

Galveston County Fair and Rodeo 

in Hitchcock. 

Opposite, middle: Tiny cowboys and 

cowgirls fill a trailer during the opening 

parade of the Galveston County Fair and 

Rodeo along Highway 6 in Hitchcock. The 

event places special emphasis on the 

participation of young people, and proceeds 

go toward scholarships for Galveston 

County high school seniors. 

Opposite, bottom: Andrew Harrity checks 

on his rabbit before the rabbit judging at the 


Hitchcock. Since 1938, the fair and rodeo 

has embraced a county-wide mission of 

promoting youth, education and agriculture. 

Above: Heidi McMillen of Sante Fe, with 

her face painted like a chipmunk, watches 

the rodeo action from a high rail during the 


Hitchcock, an annual county-wide event 

that is dedicated to serving Galveston 

County youth. 

Chapter 2 

41

Left: The Mutton Bustin’ 

competition requires a 

strong handhold at the 

Galveston County Fair 

and Rodeo in Hitchcock. 

The fair and rodeo 

provides scholarship 

funding for area high 

school seniors. 

Right: Ouch! This rider 

is tossed during the 

Mutton Bustin’ 

competition at the 

Galveston County Fair 

and Rodeo in Hitchcock. 

Founded in 1938, 

the fair and rodeo is 

dedicated to the youth 

of Galveston County. 

Although the Civil War slowed progress 

in Galveston just as it did throughout the rest 

of the nation, by the late 1860s, Galveston’s 

fortunes were once again on the upswing. 

The county’s commitment to taking care of 

its own was advanced further with the 

establishment of public schools for white 

and African-American students. In 1870, 

Galveston began publication of the first 

African-American newspaper in Texas. 

In 1890, in an unsurpassed gesture of 

altruism, private funding provided for the 

island’s John Sealy Hospital to be opened 

with a stated mission of ensuring that even 

the most needy citizens of Galveston could 

receive proper medical care. A nursing school 

was founded concurrently to help staff the 

hospital and, a year later, the first statesupported 

medical school was opened nearby. 

Today both these schools and the hospital 

are integral parts of this century’s University 

of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, which 

now includes two additional schools plus 

three institutes for advanced study, a major 

medical library and numerous clinics and 

patient care facilities. 

Progress was coming to mainland areas as 

well during the late nineteenth century. With 

the construction of railroads, bridges and businesses, 

the more northerly communities were 

realizing their own identities as integral parts 

of the Galveston County whole. In addition 

to the expansion of ranching and agricultural 

interests, they, too, were establishing schools, 

post offices, commercial ventures, and, of 

course, their own governmental groups and 

chambers of commerce. At the turn of the 

century, the discovery of oil in the area and 

the resultant growing importance of the 

petrochemical industry catalyzed mainland 

development and remains a major driving 

force in the county’s economy today. 

Additional progress came out of peril in 

the aftermath of the 1900 storm, when the 

need to quickly and efficiently rebuild 

supported the establishment of the nation’s 

first commissioner form of government for 

the City of Galveston. The efficiency of this 

organizational plan was such that by 1920, 

some 500 U.S. cities had adopted it. 

As the necessity for cooperative efforts not 

only within but between communities became 

more and more evident, the Galveston County 

Commissioners Court was established to 

manage the administrative aspects of the 

county as a whole. Forming a protective 

umbrella of centralization for a number of 

vital services, including the judicial system 

and health and emergency services, this 

group consists of sixteen elected officials and 

is headed by the county judge, who also is 

elected by Galveston citizens. 


42

Above: The Starship 2000 

ride holds appeal for young 

and old at the Galveston 

County Fair and Rodeo 

in Hitchcock. 

Right: Bootz Crash the 

Clown, also known as 

Mike Stultz of Dickinson, 

and Frank Schurwon of 

Texas City, members of 

the El Mina Shrine 

clowns group, entertain 

spectators during the 

Galveston County Fair and Rodeo’s 

opening parade on Highway 6 in Hitchcock. 

Chapter 2 

43

The most visible part of the county 

court’s work is emergency planning and 

services, including creating and updating 

the county’s plan for handling weather and 

environmental emergencies. A crucial element 

in this planning is designing the 

county’s evacuation procedures, a necessity 

in coastal communities that must always 

be aware of their proximity to the gulf and 

alert to the possibility of tropical storms 

and hurricanes. 

Other proactive measures, such as yearly 

county-wide hurricane preparedness meetings, 

were a vital factor in the county’s ability 

to ride out Hurricane Ike in 2008 with a 

remarkably low rate of injury and death, 

compared to previous similar storms. 

For those areas where city emergency 

and law enforcement services are not already 

provided, the county helps ensure citizen 

safety and well-being through the sheriff’s 

office and funding assistance for volunteer 

fire and emergency departments. 

Today, as in the past, each area of 

Galveston has its own special needs and 

goals, but there is growing awareness that all 

are part of an even greater whole. By working 

and playing together, sharing resources and 

building for a better tomorrow, the county’s 

citizens themselves, in cooperation with local 

governing bodies, are creating a structure for 

future growth and development, a Galveston 

County that will take them healthily and 

happily into the twenty-first century. 


44

Opposite: Water management is an 

important part of life in Galveston County. 

Here, the Hitchcock Diversionary Canal, 

as seen from an overpass on Second Street 

near the Galveston County public boat 

ramp, provides a scenic sunrise view as it 

functions to drain excess water from inland 

areas into the bay. 

Left: Here a brown pelican perches on the 

pilings of an old fishing pier on High Island. 

The area also is home to a rookery. 

Known nationally for their conservation 

efforts, the communities along the Bolivar 

Peninsula are widely recognized as a bird 

watchers’ paradise. 

Chapter 2 

45

A great Blue Heron reflects the fading light 

of a golden day at Pier 19 in Galveston. 


46

St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church on High Island is easily 

recognized by the multiple birdhouses on its property. One of the 

birdhouses has even been designed to look like the church. 

Nationally recognized as a bird watching paradise, the 

community is known for its preservation efforts. 

Chapter 2 

47

Chapter 

3 

Following a nice hit to center field, Damone Gasaway of the “Tsunami” 

team looks for the ball after he flies past third base. Third baseman Zach Gallagher of 

“Powerhouse” awaits the throw from the outfield. The game took place at a replica of Fenway Park 

at the Big League Dreams Sports Park in League City. The park also offers baseball and soccer facilities. 


48

VIBRANT 

Lifestyle 

The 1877 tall ship Elissa requires lots of tender, loving care. 

Here, she is being secured at Pier 21, next to the Texas Seaport Museum 

operated by Galveston Historical Foundation. Elissa is maintained by an enthusiastic 

volunteer corps, who learn the ancient crafts associated with her upkeep and also how to sail her. 

Chapter 3 

49


Energizing, entertaining and 

source of recreation and 

relaxation, it sets the tone for Galveston 

County’s vibrant lifestyle—a lifestyle that 

combines the inherent fun and benefits of 

living near the coast with a strong jobproducing 

economy, numerous educational 

opportunities and exemplary health care and 

public services. 

A belief in the superiority of Galveston 

County’s environment—coupled with gratitude 

for being so fortunate as to be allowed to live 

here as well—seems often to imbue its 

citizens with a spirit of pride and prosperity 

that is independent of many other earthly 

circumstances. Young, old, rich, poor, or 

in-between—the great majority of residents 

and visitors, for the most part, are just glad 

to be here. 


50

Opposite, bottom: Out at third! 

No. 7, Anthony Matamoras 

of the “All Out Sports 2” team 

is tagged out at third base by 

“Fo9ers” Thomas Shoppe 

during a baseball tournament at 

Big League Dreams Sports Park 

in League City. “All Out Sports 

2” beat the “Fo9ers,” and the 

game was played at a replica 

of Fenway Park. 

Right: Pow-wow on the mound— 

“Salinas” team players have a 

meeting on the pitcher’s mound 

during a baseball tournament 

against the “Rebels” at Big 

League Dreams Sports Park 

in League City. The game 

was played at replica of 

Wrigley Field. 

Below: Out at second! A player slides headfirst into second base, but not before being 

tagged out at a softball tournament at League City’s Big League Dreams Sports Park. 

The game was played at a replica of Fenway Park. 

Chapter 3 

51


52

Opposite, top: The annual Lone Star Motorcycle Rally is among 

the largest of such gatherings in the world. Each year, thousands 

of motorcyclists from throughout the nation rev up their engines 

and head to Galveston Island for a weekend of fun and frolic. 

Opposite, middle: Sponsored by the Lakewood Yacht Club, the 

Harvest Moon Regatta attracts several hundred participants each 

year. This photograph was taken under excellent weather conditions 

from Galveston Island’s Pleasure Pier on the Seawall. 

Opposite, bottom: Collin Carpenter of Texas City fires his Russianmade 

30-caliber Saiga at the Texas City Municipal Shooting Range. 

The all-weather facility includes 28 shooting stations for all legal 

caliber rifles, 11 stations for hand guns and separate areas for skeet 

and trap. It is one of very few legal and licensed outdoor gun ranges 

in the area, and concealed handgun certification also is offered. 

Above: Luis Armendariz of Friendswood wade fishes in the fog at sunrise 

along Skyline Drive in Texas City. Using salt water lures as he fishes for 

“reds,” he reports the area is known as a “very good fishing spot.” 

Chapter 3 

53

Those born on Galveston Island proudly 

hold forth collective bragging rights for 

their B.O.I or “born on the island” status. In 

defense, anyone new to the area—usually 

defined as having been an island resident for 

anything shorter than a lifetime—can make 

his or her own claim to being an I.B.C., 

or “islander by choice.” Citizens of the 

county’s mainland communities have similar 

pride in the unique attributes of their own 

hometowns. As a result, the competition 

between various communities as to who is 

“on top” during any particular week is 

often fierce, whether based on the recent 

accomplishments of a successful favorite 

son or daughter, the securing of a new 

commercial venture, the acquisition of a 

resident celebrity or the current rankings of 

rival high school football teams. 

Galveston County’s growing reputation as 

one of the state’s most desirable areas in 

which to live, work and play is supported by 

growing population numbers in several communities 

and a stream of new businesses. 

Offering a diversity of people, job and educational 

opportunities, housing and leisure 

activities, Galveston County is working 

toward offering something for everyone. 

The population itself includes roughnecks, 

poets, bankers, commercial fishermen, astronauts, 

accountants, cowboys (and cowgirls!), 

physicians, construction workers, ship captains, 

teachers and rocket scientists, and each 

brings his or her own unique experiences, 

ideas and talents to the mix. 

Educational and occupational diversity in 

the county is supported by several public 

school systems, a number of private and 

church-run schools, schools for special needs 

students and several colleges and universities 

that offer academic opportunities that range 

from two-year associate degrees and professional 

certifications to post-doctoral studies 

and cutting-edge research posts. 


54

Opposite: The Society of Friends Church in Friendswood was 

founded by Quakers who immigrated to the area in 1895. 

Above: Religion plays an important role in Galveston, and groups 

representing non-denominational beliefs as well as most major 

denominations meet regularly within the county. “Most sacred heart 

of Jesus, have mercy on us” is the inscription at the base of this 

impressive granite statue located on the front steps of the 

Queen of Peace Catholic Church in La Marque. 

Chapter 3 

55

A pair of horses off FM 159 in La Marque greet each 

other in early morning light. Galveston County offers many 

opportunities for horse lovers not only to enjoy riding but 

also to maintain horses on their own properties. 


56

Amarillo 

Red 

Above: Amarillo Red, a twenty-two-year-old Registered 

Texas Longhorn, grazes contentedly on ten acres of 

clover and lush grass in Sante Fe. The longhorn 

is one of the Stanley family’s many pets. 

Right: Texas Cowgirl, a twenty-three-year-old 

Registered Texas Longhorn, and Amarillo Red, 

(above), are two of the magnificent breed owned 

by Sharon and Larry Stanley of Sante Fe. 

The Stanley’s numerous pet animals also 

include dwarf ponies, a peacock, chickens, 

goats and an English Labrador. 

In addition to two main community colleges, 

the state’s two major universities—Texas A&M 

and The University of Texas—maintain extensive 

educational facilities in Galveston County, 

specializing, respectively, in maritime and 

marine science and in medicine, nursing and 

allied health science. A young person—without 

leaving the county—can learn how to 

weld or speak Chinese, but can also study to 

be a brain surgeon. 

Texas Cowgirl 

Continuing education and leisure learning 

courses are also popular and offer instruction 

in computer skills, performance and visual 

arts, foreign languages, construction, culinary 

and similar skills, plus dance and other physical 

activities such as yoga, tai chi and Pilates. 

Chapter 3 

57

Below: Hayley Vineyard, “Junior Miss Good Ole’ Days,” and Paige Molis, “Miss Good Ole’ Days,” wave from a lime green vintage automobile 

during the parade for Hitchcock’s annual Good Ole’ Days Festival. The event also includes barbeque, a talent show and other entertainment. 

Opposite, clockwise, starting at the top left: 

At left, “Little Miss Good Ole’ Days” contestant Harmoney Jennings wears a fluffy red tulle skirt and a black top with sparkles. 

The annual Hitchcock Good Ole’ Days Festival includes beauty pageants, entertainment, barbeque, a talent show and parade. 

Hannah Alvarez, a contestant for the title of “Tiny Miss Good Ole Days,” wears a blue and white flowered dress for her pageant appearance 

during the Hitchcock Good Ole’ Days Festival. The annual event is sponsored by the Hitchcock Chamber of Commerce. 

On stage, Allyssa Schattel, wearing a cowgirl hat and carrying a bouquet of yellow roses, competes for the title of “Little Miss Good Ole’ Days” 

during the Hitchcock Good Ole’ Days Festival. The popular annual event boasts a turnout larger than the population of the host city 

of Hitchcock itself. 


58

Chapter 3 

59

Right: Queen Victoria, as portrayed by 

Anne Boyd, plays a major role in the annual 

Dickens on The Strand festival held on 

Galveston Island each December. Here 

“her majesty” is showered with artificial 

snow as she greets her subjects during the 

Queen’s Parade as it passes in front of Old 

Galveston Square. Sponsored by Galveston 

Historical Foundation, the family-friendly 

festival has been named among the world’s 

top events of its type. 

Below: Pirates swagger down the historic Strand during the Queen’s Parade, a highlight of Galveston Island’s 

Dickens on The Strand, an annual event sponsored by Galveston Historical Foundation. Turning the city’s 

historic downtown area into a Victorian cityscape each December, the weekend festival offers several 

parades, ongoing free entertainment, street vendors, traditional foods, costume contests and numerous 

period-appropriate events. 

Real estate diversity throughout the county 

supports myriad choices in housing styles and 

prices. Multimillion dollar estates featuring 

the latest in construction technology, water 

front communities with adjacent boat docks, 

historic homes with hand-hewn architectural 

elements, modest first-home bungalows and 

easy-living retirement condominiums are all 

part of one of the nation’s healthiest and most 

reasonably priced real estate markets. There 

are also wide open spaces that allow their 

owners the opportunity to raise and ride 

horses, or indulge in such pets as longhorn 

steers, chickens, goats and peacocks. 

From baseball to Broadway-style musicals, 

diversity is also the name of the game when 

it comes to Galveston County’s opportunities 

to enjoy life and leisure. Year-round activities 

include indoor and outdoor sports, cultural 

events and performing arts. Again, the diversity 

is such that residents and visitors can attend 

a rodeo one night and an opera the next, or 

enjoy a morning touring an oil rig museum, 

an afternoon “on safari” in a wildlife park, and 

an evening of fine dining and dancing. 


60

Above: Christopher Read 

of League City portrays an 

1890s steamship captain 

as he participates in the 

“Sideburn Competition” 

during Galveston Island’s 

annual Dickens on 

The Strand festival. 

Left: Bret Bailey of Flower 

Mound, Texas, twirls his 

mustache on stage 

during the “Mustache 

Competition,” one of the 

many events featured as 

part of Galveston Island’s 

annual Dickens on 

The Strand festival. 

Chapter 3 

61

The area’s arts and events calendars include 

regular performances of the Galveston 

Symphony, amateur and professional theater, 

and other performance art productions that 

appeal to a wide range of audiences. Exhibits, 

lectures, concerts and spectator sports are 

offered in abundance even in the county’s 

smaller communities, and there is hardly a 

week that does not include a major fun-filled 

festival or activity, many of which support 

worthwhile charitable and civic projects. 

Galveston County’s special events range in 

mood from down-home casual to downtown 

fanciful, and many focus of themes celebrating 

the county’s history. For a half-century, 

Hitchcock’s Good Ole’ Days Festival has 

attracted residents and visitors alike to enjoy 

a weekend of revisiting its glorious past, and 

interest in the event has become such that 

the number of those attending is now larger 

than the population of Hitchcock itself. 

Galveston Island’s Dickens on The Strand 

holiday festival has been named one of the 

top events of its type in the world. On the 

first weekend of December, it transforms 

the island’s historic downtown area into a 

Victorian London cityscape with costumed 

re-enactors, parades, shopping and family 

activities, including ongoing street entertainment, 

period appropriate foods and wares, 

lectures, tours and events featuring the works 

of nineteenth century author Charles Dickens. 

Above: Real estate choices in Galveston County range from vintage Victorian styles to 

new, modern, upscale developments with all the trimmings. The two historic homes shown 

here are located on Galveston Island’s Postoffice Street and survived not only the 

Great Storm of 1900 but Hurricane Ike in 2008. 

Opposite: A stately black and white lighthouse lends nostalgic charm from its modern-day 

position on the south shore of Clear Lake. The 99-foot structure is situated on the tip of 

Beacon Island, a private island adjacent to the South Shore Harbour Marina, and was 

designed to intentionally resemble the lighthouse at Cape Canaveral, Florida. 


62

Chapter 3 

63


64

Outdoor activities also thrive in Galveston 

County’s coastal climate. The Texas City Dike 

attracts visitors and residents alike who 

want to try their luck “hooking a big one” 

off the world’s longest man-made fishing 

pier. Also in Texas City, an outdoor shooting 

range offers plenty of space to practice one’s 

marksmanship and also offers concealed 

handgun certification. 

Popular athletic activities include outdoor 

favorites such as hiking, jogging, bicycling, 

roller skating and skate boarding. Even 

water sports such as swimming, surfing and 

boating are possible during what might be 

considered an “off season” in other areas. 

Tennis, golf and fishing also enjoy year round 

popularity, with a number of tournaments 

and organized events. 

Team sports in almost all major categories 

—especially baseball, football, basketball 

and soccer—are local favorites on both the 

juvenile and adult levels. League City’s Big 

League Dreams Sports Park provides replicas 

of several well-known sports fields to provide 

an enhanced experience for those competing 

in tournament play there. 

Cutting-edge bands and music groups find 

Galveston audiences receptive to new ideas 

in music, especially during such events as the 

annual Lone Star Motorcycle Rally, but there 

is no shortage of choices for those with 

more traditional tastes. Churches, synagogues 

and other places of worship representing the 

world’s major beliefs also have found a welcoming 

home in Galveston County, and religion 

plays an important role in many citizens’ lives. 

Opposite: A modern Gulf Coast boating 

community, Waterford Harbor offers 

643 luxury floating docks, with extra wide 

piers on both sides of each slip. Surrounded 

by beautiful homes, the easily accessed 

marina is located on Clear Lake and 

linked to Galveston Bay. 

Above: Waterford Harbor in Kemah is 

known for its luxurious waterfront homes, 

floating docks and substantial bulkheads. 

The upscale boating community is located 

off FM 2094. 

Chapter 3 

65

Below: Caroline Pielop of Houston, still wearing her bright yellow and blue life vest, 

hugs her teddy bear from the dock at the Harborwalk Marina in Hitchcock. Her father, 

Stuart Pielop, and brother, Ben, watch from the boat Long Run following an afternoon of 

fishing at the north jetties. They caught one bull red. Pielop says he likes everything about 

Harborwalk, including the marina, floating docks, security, club house and restaurant. 

Opposite: The Suzy Q, a 38-foot sailboat owned by Richard Sherman, rests at her dock along 

West Shore Drive in Clear Lake Shores. The Watergate Marina is shown in the background. 


66

Boating figures predominantly in several 

other seasonal favorites, including community-sponsored 

boat parades, fleet blessings 

and the Lakewood Yacht Club’s annual 

Moonlight Regatta that traverses Galveston 

Bay each fall. Boat tours of the Port of 

Galveston give participants a chance to view 

waterfront areas that provided much of the 

impetus for Galveston’s founding, and the 

1877 “tall ship” Elissa, one of only three 

historic square-riggers that still sails, is 

open daily for tours and is always looking 

for volunteers to help maintain and learn to 

sail her. 

For those interested in other aspects of 

Galveston County’s past, there are numerous 

opportunities to explore the area’s rich history 

through self-guided and docent-led tours, 

museums and special events such as 

homes tours and historic re-enactments. 

Several local libraries maintain exhibits of 

historic photos and mementos, and the area 

additionally offers museums and exhibits 

dedicated to railroading, aviation and sailing 

as well as other significant aspects of the 

county’s early days. 

One of the most treasured aspects of life in 

Galveston County, however, is the opportunity 

it offers for sitting back and just relaxing. 

Yes, there are activities galore and a seemingly 

never-ending list of fun things to go and do 

and see, but there are also those times that 

seem perfect for doing nothing, which may 

be the most favorite pastime of all. 

Chapter 3 

67

Four colorful chairs 

wait for occupants on a 

West Shore Drive dock 

in Clear Lake Shores. 

The Watergate Marina is 

shown in the background. 


68

Above: This sunset scene looks out toward Tiki Island from 

Tiki Tom’s RV Park and Fishing Pier. Tiki Tom’s offers access to six acres 

of protected grassland, oyster reefs and four 250-foot piers. Located on 

Jones Lake on West Bay, just off I-45 at Tiki Island, the area also has 

a reputation for offering great bird watching opportunities. 

Chapter 3 

69

Chapter 

4 

Dolphins 

play in Galveston harbor near 

the bows of tugboats Andrew K. of Bay Houston 

Towing and The Judge of Suderman Young Towing. 


70

ESSENTIAL 

Enterprise 

Two tug boats guide a massive 

tanker toward the Port of Texas City. 

Chapter 4 

71

Above: An oil well pumps busily on High Island at sunrise. 

Although residents of the area were among the first in Galveston 

County to discover oil on their land, oil slicks had been noted on 

nearby Gulf of Mexico waters as early as the sixteenth century. 

Opposite: The ferry boat Robert H. Dedman heads out across 

Galveston Bay toward Bolivar Point at sunset. In the background 

is the shoreline of Pelican Island, and a Texas flag, located on 

another ferry passing close by, can be seen in the foreground. 

The free ferry service is operated by the Texas Department of 

Transportation and provides service between Galveston Island 

and the Bolivar Peninsula 24 hours a day. 


72

lways, there is the sea. Provider of transport, 

purveyor of food and fun, it and the land it embraces 

on the upper Texas coast offered both the compelling 

rationale and rich resources necessary for Galveston 

County’s founding and its future development. 

The role of the county’s coastal location has been—and will 

continue to be—central to the area’s development. Past and 

present economic drivers—including shipping and its ancillary 

services, petrochemical procurement and processing, seafood 

production and commerce, agriculture, insurance, education, 

health care and tourism—are all connected in some way to its 

favorable coastal location, climate and natural resources. 

Cotton transport by sea played a major role in Galveston’s 

early commercial development. Ships from its port ran the Union 

blockade during the Civil War in an effort to maintain the area’s 

strong hold on global cotton transport, and in 1873 a local Cotton 

Exchange was organized to further Galveston’s dominance in 

the cotton market. By 1900 the Port of Galveston was the leading 

U.S. port for the export of cotton and wheat. 

Chapter 4 

73


74

Opposite, top: A mechanic checks out an 

Era Helicopter at Scholes International 

Airport. The vehicle is especially designed 

for making emergency rescues in the Gulf of 

Mexico at distances of 150 miles-plus from 

shore. Scholes International Airport began 

service in 1931, and can today handle all 

types of planes up to a Boeing 767. It is a 

major staging point for air service to 

petrochemical rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Opposite, bottom: Scholes International 

Airport in Galveston is a major center for 

air service to the offshore energy industry. 

Here, a helicopter from PHI, Inc., fleet 

stands ready to continue the company’s role 

in serving customers’ offshore operations in 

the energy industry. 

Left: The control tower at Scholes 

International Airport on Galveston Island is 

equipped to handle a variety of air traffic. 

The 1,200-acre airport includes a newly 

renovated airport terminal, 24-hour fixed 

base operator, 24-hour weather service, 

24-hour ARFF station on field, navigational 

aid and precision approaches providing 

all-weather capabilities. With two 

6,001-by-150-foot runways, the airport 

is capable of accommodating all types of 

planes up to a Boeing 767. The facility 

began service as a municipal airport in 

March of 1931 on a 120-acre tract with 

two shell runways. In this photo, the streak 

of light in the background was made by a 

helicopter taking off from the airport. 

Chapter 4 

75

The ship Maritime Champion is loaded with grain at the automated Archer 

Daniels Midland Galveston Grain Elevator, located at the Port of Galveston. 


76

The need for an alternative to muddy 

wagon roads had been apparent from 

Galveston’s earliest days, and the Galveston, 

Houston and Henderson Railroad Company 

was chartered in 1853 to join Galveston with 

points north. More than 150 years later, rail 

transport remains essential to the county’s 

economic well-being as a vital part of servicing 

the area’s petrochemical refineries and 

transporting a variety of goods to and from 

local ports. 

Not even “King Cotton” could compare 

with oil, however. Although the first hint of 

possible petroleum deposits in the area 

occurred in 1543 when explorers on an offcourse 

Spanish ship noted an unusual sheen 

on the water near what is now High Island, 

it was 1901 before exploratory drilling was 

initiated in the area. Today, a large number of 

on- and off-shore wells operate throughout 

the area, but the county’s most notable connection 

with the petrochemical industry 

comes from the numerous refineries whose 

massive processing plants are major contributors 

to the local economy. 

Aviation also figures into Galveston 

County’s essential enterprise. Although much 

of its flight activity today centers around 

service to the petrochemical industry, Texas 

City became a national aviation leader in 

1913 when nine planes were assigned there 

as part of the nation’s First Aero Squadron, 

an event that is considered the birth of 

U.S. Air Force. Air mail service, provided by 

open cockpit bi-planes, was begun between 

Houston, Galveston and Dallas with the 

establishment of Contract Air Mail Route 21 

in 1928. 

Located in Santa Fe, Haak Vineyards and 

Winery is Galveston County’s first and only 

winery. Its illuminated, old-world style 

chapel, reception pavilion and scenic 

vineyard make is a popular site for special 

events, and it also hosts regular tours, 

wine tastings and other activities. 

Chapter 4 

77

Rail transport continues to be an essential part of the machinery that keeps 

Galveston County on the move. Here, Union Pacific locomotives are shown 

at the intersection of Highway 519 and Loop 197, with a petrochemical 

complex in the background. 


78

Today, Galveston Island’s Scholes 

International Airport serves as a major 

staging point for air service to the Gulf of 

Mexico’s petrochemical industry. Founded in 

1931, Scholes began service on a 120-acre 

tract of land boasting two shell runways. 

Today, the airport has grown to occupy 

1,200 acres and provides vital support for 

numerous local and non-local ventures. 

Equipped to handle a variety of air traffic, 

Scholes is used by a number of companies to 

handle fleet helicopters and private planes. 

Airport features include a newly renovated 

airport terminal, 24-hour fixed base operator, 

24-hour weather service, 24-hour ARFF station, 

highly technical navigational aids and 

precision approaches providing all-weather 

capabilities. With two 6,001-by-150-foot 

runways, Scholes can accommodate all types 

of planes up to a Boeing 767. 

Scholes is also a leader in its ability to 

support quick response to deep water 

emergencies. Today’s Era Helicopters located 

at Scholes can make emergency rescues in 

the Gulf of Mexico at distances of 150 

miles-plus from shore, and are setting new 

standards for prompt, safe rescue on the 

open seas. 

Railroading played an important role in the 

early development of Galveston County, 

and railroad depots dotted the mainland 

countryside. The 1902 Dickinson Railroad 

Museum shown here is open for tours. 

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Below: The petrochemical industry plays a vital role in Galveston County’s economy. 

Here a major refinery in Texas City is both illuminated against the night sky and reflected 

in the water at its base. 

Opposite: This aerial view of the Bollinger Shipyard in Texas City shows a petrochemical 

refinery complex in the background. Repair and support services for the ship, barge and rig 

industries are important parts of Galveston County’s diversified commercial enterprise. 


80

Chapter 4 

81

Luxury homes surround the yachts and sailboats tethered to South Shore Harbour Marina’s floating docks. 

Galveston’s proximity to the coast was a 

decisive factor in its selection in the 1880s 

as the site of the state’s first public medical 

school and later, in 1962, as the appropriate 

location for Texas A&M University at 

Galveston’s campus concentrating on maritime 

studies. Both schools are recognized 

today as leaders in their respective disciplines. 

UTMB, in particular, has grown from its 

initial one-building campus for 23 students 

and 13 faculty members to a modern 84-acre 

campus with more than 70 buildings, 2,500 

students, four schools and 1,000 faculty 

members. UTMB is additionally affiliated 

with the nation’s first Shriners hospital to 

specialize in the treatment of pediatric burns, 

and is the home of the state’s only and the 

nation’s largest Biosafety level 4 laboratory 

on an academic campus. 

UTMB also contributes to the local economy 

through its role as one of the largest 

employers in the Houston-Galveston area. 

Not only do its schools require their own 

administrative and other personnel, but a 

large network of patient care facilities 

throughout the county and beyond must be 

staffed on a variety of levels. 


82 

Yachts and sailboats line the floating 

docks at South Shore Harbour Marina.

As seen from above, a man and 

woman carry supplies to one of 

the numerous boats docked at 

South Shore Harbour’s floating dock 

complex that provides water craft 

shelter on all sides. 

Yachts line the floating docks at the South Shore Harbour Marina. 

The South Shore Harbour complex includes a resort, spa and conference center 

with 25,000 square feet of space that can accommodate a variety of meetings and gatherings. 

It is conveniently located only minutes from Houston’s Hobby Airport, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, 

the Kemah Boardwalk, the Big League Dreams Sports Park and historic League City. 

Chapter 4 

83

Land-lubbers and sailors alike appreciate the 

Topwater Grill’s nautical decorating theme 

and fresh seafood. Located in San Leon, 

the restaurant provides a docking area 

for those who choose to arrive by water. 


84

Tourism is also moving toward becoming a 

major economic driver in Galveston County. 

Building on a decades-long appreciation of 

the area’s coastal location, the county’s development 

as a regional recreational center, 

water wonderland and cruise ship port is 

moving into the arena of big business today. 

In contrast to the time when the arrival of 

a “pleasure ship” in Galveston was big news, 

today’s cruise ship industry is making the Port 

of Galveston one of the fastest growing cruise 

ports in the nation, and many of the today’s 

most modern vessels regularly line the docks 

alongside the port’s recently remodeled cruise 

ship terminal. Already either a home port or a 

seasonal port for several of today’s major 

cruise lines, the island is attracting even more 

cruise ship traffic each year as additional lines 

include it in their ports of call. 

At the other end of water travel enterprise 

is the free ferry service between Galveston and 

the Bolivar Peninsula. Considered part of the 

state highway system, the service is operated 

24 hours a day by the Texas Department of 

Transportation. Capable of accommodating 

motor vehicles as well as walk-on passengers, 

the ferry provides not only essential transport 

between the island and the peninsula, but 

offers an up-close view of the bay’s busy shipping 

channels, Pelican Island and the wreck of 

SS Selma. As a special treat, playful dolphins 

often display their own special form of entertainment 

as they frolic alongside the various 

vessels traversing Galveston’s open waters. 

Opposite, bottom: Sail or drive to 

The Topwater Grill in San Leon. 

Boaters can dock at the door of this 

restaurant known for its fresh seafood 

and a choice of al fresco or indoor dining. 

Above: The Galveston Island Convention 

Center at the San Luis Resort combines 

well appointed executive conference facilities 

with the amenities of a relaxing resort 

overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. 

Here, the two-story, 140,000-square-foot, 

multi-function property reflects its own 

image along the Galveston Seawall. 

Chapter 4 

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86

With so much opportunity for boating, it’s 

no surprise that the county is one of the 

nation’s leaders in pleasure craft ownership 

and offers numerous facilities for boaters. 

Private docks, public launching ramps and 

other maritime-centered facilities can be 

found throughout Galveston to service water 

craft ranging from solitary kayaks to luxurious 

yachts and speed boats. 

Floating docks and high-level surveillance 

and security are among the progressive 

features to be found at many area marinas as 

they seek to provide the latest in convenience 

and service. The surrounding residential 

communities also often include some of 

the county’s most exclusive and luxurious 

housing choices. 

Adding extra impetus to the area’s growing 

economy are several luxurious conference 

and resort centers, located on the mainland 

and on Galveston Island. Providing support 

for the county’s growing demand for largeoccupancy 

facilities to handle state, national 

and international conferences and meetings, 

these modern centers are capable of supporting 

all types of gatherings that can benefit from 

their high-tech amenities, professional service 

and warm hospitality in a resort setting. 

Other areas of county enterprise are 

similarly tapping into the visitor and tourism 

industry to attract guests from around the 

nation to local museums, parks and events 

that center on Galveston history or coastal 

activities. A plethora of festivals celebrate 

local produce and other foods, as well as 

the county’s diverse cultures and ethnic 

groups. The Blessing of the Fleet kicks off the 

shrimping season in several communities, 

and the Crab Festival is a major event on the 

Bolivar Peninsula. 

Opposite: The Texas Gulf Coast is known 

for its fresh seafood industry. Whether 

providing the “fruits of the sea” to 

restaurants across the nation or cooking 

it up in local eateries, Galveston County 

purveyors know that fresh is always 

best. This combination platter from 

Crazy Allen’s Swamp Shack in Kemah 

includes shrimp, crab, crawfish, 

gumbo and corn on the cob. 

Below: Supporting Galveston Island’s 

growing tourism industry, the “Wolfpack” 

is among Schlitterbahn Galveston Island 

Water Park’s most popular rides. Open 

year round, the family-owned facility 

provides water activities and 

recreation for all ages. 

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87

Below: Chasity Morris of San Antonio and daughter Rosslan, wearing ear 

plugs, enjoy one of the many concerts at the Texas Crab Festival in 

Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula. 

Bottom: A young festival 

participant walks on water 

while staying dry at the 

“Bubblee” attraction during 

the Texas Crab Festival 

in Crystal Beach on 

the Bolivar Peninsula. 

The activity features 

huge beach balls in which 

a person can stand. 

Once the ball is zipped up, 

walking on water without 

getting wet is just a step away. 


88

Galveston County’s numerous shopping 

options range from giant malls to small boutiques. 

There are several centers that feature 

nationally recognized up-scale stores, but 

there are also discount shopping opportunities 

throughout the area. Concurrent with the 

nation’s growing awareness of the importance 

of offering “walking city” environments for 

commercial enterprise, many Galveston communities 

are working to revitalize their original 

downtown areas to provide village-style 

venues that include restaurants, small shops, 

entertainment and other attractions in keeping 

with modern tastes. 

Left: The seafood industry is celebrated in 

many Galveston County festivals and 

events. Here, Eric Thomas enjoys a pony 

ride at the Texas Crab Festival, held at 

Gregory Park in Crystal Beach on the 

Bolivar Peninsula. The event includes a 

crab cook-off, crab races, volleyball and 

horseshow tournaments, a “crab legs” 

contest for people, and a “Weiner Dog 

Nationals” race for dachshunds. 

Below: Adults become kids again at the 

Texas Crab Festival in Crystal Beach on the 

Bolivar Peninsula. Here, April Bierbower of 

Spring, Texas, and friends enjoy a “train 

ride” in brightly colored plastic barrels, 

hooked together and pulled by a tractor. 

Chapter 4 

89

Above: The 130,000-ton cruise ship Magic, launched by Carnival Cruise Lines in 2011, sits alongside Texas Cruise Ship Terminal I at its home 

port on Galveston Island. One of the world’s newest cruise ships, the Magic has 1,845 staterooms. Pelican Island is shown in the background. 

Opposite: A mix of old and new can be seen in this rooftop view of historic downtown Galveston at dusk. Taken looking down Twenty-third Street 

toward the Port of Galveston, it shows the lights of the historic Tremont Hotel’s rooftop bar on the left, and the restored Washington Building 

is on the right. Center stage is the 3,690-passenger Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, Magic, docked at Texas Cruise Ship Terminal 1. 


90

Despite its growing urbanization, however, Galveston County 

continues to maintain many areas with large acreage dedicated to 

cattle raising, farming and other agricultural endeavors. Santa Fe’s 

Haak Vineyards, the county’s first and only vineyard and winery, 

offers not only quality beverages for sale, but tours, wine tastings, 

festive dinners and facilities for meetings, weddings and other 

special events. 

Galveston’s simpler lifestyle and less crowded roads are also a 

part of its appeal as a “bedroom community” to numerous 

Houston workers. Several of the county’s residential areas are 

among the fastest growing in the state, and League City and 

Friendswood in particular—located virtually on the south door 

step of NASA’S Johnson Space Center—have attracted many who 

have big-city jobs but, on a personal level, enjoy a closer-tonature, 

less congested way of daily life. 

Chapter 4 

91

Chapter 

5 

Galveston County is going places. 

Here, the new Galveston Causeway, 

a part of I-45, is shown as it links 

Galveston Island with the Galveston County 

mainland. The causeway was designed to include 

lighting both above and below the elevated span. 


92

VISIONARY 

Populace 

The design and testing of NASA’s Orion Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle is part of the ongoing work at Johnson Space Center, located 

only minutes from Galveston County’s League City and Friendswood communities. In addition to providing a look at the 

nation’s first interplanetary spacecraft designed to carry astronauts on long duration, deep space missions, this full-scale 

mock up of the Orion spacecraft serves as a vital test lab for navigation, rendezvous and docking operations. 

When paired with additional propulsion and life support systems, Orion will eventually be able to take 

humans to Mars. Software engineers at Lockheed Martins’ Space Exploration Development Lab in 

Houston work with NASA astronauts, spacesuit designers and aerospace engineers to test 

avionics, software and sensors in flight-like scenarios. The lab enables early testing and 

development for spacecraft systems and components, which will help reduce 

cost and risk during vehicle production and actual spaceflight. 

Chapter 5 

93


94

lways, there is the sea. Inspiring and 

empowering, it has drawn to its shores and coastal 

plains those in search of adventure, opportunity 

and advancement. Providing a temperate climate, 

ample food supplies and means of transport for commerce and 

travel, the coastal area known today as Galveston County has, 

from its earliest days, attracted people of vision. 

Early inhabitants braved a total unknown to establish their first 

settlements, and later immigrants liked what they already knew, 

but envisioned creating more. By the mid-nineteenth century, 

Galveston was nationally recognized for its many innovations 

and “firsts,” a tradition that is continuing today in many of the 

county’s twenty-first century endeavors. 

Among those whose dreams for Galveston have contributed to 

its present day position of leadership in academic medicine and 

related research are the visionary scientists and physicians who 

joined the state’s new medical school in 1891. Today the University 

of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston continues to draw illustrious 

faculty and researchers to Galveston, with international attention 

being focused on its study of rare diseases and their prevention. 

Opposite, top: An emu steps out in the early morning mist at the entrance of the Bayou 

Wildlife Park. “By living with the animals for the past thirty years, I’ve learned things 

not found in many books,” says Clint Wolston, owner and developer of the park. 

Opposite, bottom: White spotted deer are among the numerous wild animals that can 

be viewed at the Bayou Wildlife Park. The park includes more than eighty acres of 

woods and prairies and contains 

approximately 500 animals 

representing fifty different species 

from Africa, India, Asia, Australia 

and North and South America. 

Right: A large white rhino is one 

of the endangered species at Bayou 

Wildlife Park. Clint Wolston, 

owner of the park, is shown on 

a golf cart in the background. 

He has developed the eighty-acre 

park as a private animal reserve 

over the past thirty years. 

Chapter 5 

95

Left: The new 5,300 square foot 

Dickinson Independent School District 

Education Support Center is a 

Collaborative for High Performance 

Schools (CHPS) facility and is designed 

for high performance environments that 

are energy and resource efficient, healthy, 

comfortable, well lit, and that contain 

amenities needed for quality education. 

Below: The exterior of the Dickinson 

Independent School District Education 

Support Center is shown here. 


96

Located on Galveston Island, the Galveston 

National Laboratory at UTMB is home to 

the state’s only and the world’s largest biocontainment 

laboratory on an academic campus. 

The facility’s eight-story, high-security 

National Biocontainment Laboratory houses 

several Biosafety Level 4 research laboratories 

for exotic disease diagnosis and research. 

Within the high-tech facility, scientists are 

engaged in efforts to translate research ideas 

into products aimed at controlling emerging 

infectious diseases and defending society 

against bioterrorism. 

Galveston County also is recognized as a 

choice residential location for many who 

work in the nation’s nearby space industry 

at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Today, 

Galveston County—a land that was once 

explored by those who navigated by the stars 

—has become the home of many who in 

modern times are navigating to the stars. 

In their ongoing mission, NASA scientists 

are working on the Orion project to develop 

the nation’s first interplanetary spacecraft 

designed to carry astronauts on long duration, 

deep space missions. When paired with additional 

propulsion and life support systems, 

Orion will eventually be able to take humans 

to Mars. Providing a vital component for 

testing navigation, rendezvous and docking 

operations, the JSC lab supports the development 

of spacecraft systems and components 

that will help reduce cost and risk during 

vehicle production and actual spaceflight. 

Visionaries with architectural expertise 

were key to nineteenth century Galveston’s 

reputation for excellence in construction, and 

local developers today are continuing this 

ongoing quest for safe, sustainable housing 

that is pleasing to the eye and a pleasure 

to occupy. Combining carefully engineered 

infrastructure systems with modern technology 

and innovative materials, a number of 

county builders are achieving new levels of 

security, durability, economy and beauty in 

today’s homes and public buildings. 

Located on the campus of the University of 

Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, the 

Galveston National Laboratory at UTMB 

is an eight-story, high-security National 

Biocontainment Laboratory housing biosafety 

level 4 research laboratories for exotic 

disease diagnosis and research. The GNL is 

the largest biocontainment laboratory in 

the world on an academic campus. Within 

the high-tech facility, scientists are engaged 

in efforts to translate research ideas into 

products aimed at controlling emerging 

infectious diseases and defending society 

against bioterrorism. The GNL complements 

and enhances UTMB’s decades of prominence 

in biomedical research, and additionally 

provides a world renowned resource for 

training researchers in infectious diseases. 

The GNL provides specialized research 

capabilities to develop therapies, vaccines 

and diagnostic tests for naturally occurring 

emerging diseases as well as microbes that 

might be employed by terrorists. 

Chapter 5 

97

The Quaker City String Band, shown here on 

Ship’s Mechanic Row in Galveston Island’s entertainment district, 

traditionally performs in several of the city’s Mardi Gras parades, 

including “Z Krewe,” the “Children’s Parade” 

and the “Knights of Momus Grand Night Parade.” 


98

Above: The Quaker City String Band, which has 

performed in the Philadelphia Mummer’s Parade 

since 1931, plays a big part in Galveston Island’s 

annual Mardi Gras celebrations. Here, band 

members—wearing clown costumes to reflect a 

theme of “My Kind of Clown”—are being led by 

Jimmy Good as they perform in the Mardi Gras 

entertainment district at Old Galveston Square. 

Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” annually brings out 

revelers by the thousands who enjoy this traditional 

pre-Lenten celebration with parades, balls and other 

celebrations. Reinstated in 1985 as part of the plan 

to support the re-development of Galveston’s 

historic downtown district, the event has enjoyed 

spirited growth as part of Galveston’s commitment 

to the parallel and concurrent missions of historic 

preservation and encouraging new areas of tourism. 

Left: Two members of the Quaker City String Band 

wear huge, colorful clown heads as they perform 

with banjoes on Galveston Island’s 

Seawall during the Mardi Gras 

Chapter 5 

Children’s Parade. 

99

With their fancifully decorated and color coordinated umbrellas, Allison and Bob Brown 

were among the participants in the “Funky Uptown Umbrella Brigade” parade. The event 

took place during Galveston’s 2012 Mardi Gras and marked the continuation of an ongoing 

rivalry between Galveston supporters and a Romanian group to secure the Guinness World 

Record title for the largest choreographed umbrella dance on the globe. The Galveston event 

attracted 1,503 dancers in 2012, setting a new world record as they performed the hokey 

pokey in Galveston’s Victorian-era downtown entertainment district. 


100

Sustainability, conservation and the minimization 

of environmental costs in the county 

are being specifically addressed through 

such projects as the Dickinson Independent 

School Districts Education Support Center. 

Containing 5,300 square feet of space, 

the structure is a Collaborative for High 

Performance Schools (CHPS) facility and is 

designed to provide a high performance 

environment that is energy and resource 

efficient, healthy, comfortable, well lit, and 

that contains the amenities needed for 

quality education. 

Harkening back to the time when Galveston’s 

successful nineteenth century business leaders 

provided incentives for overall economic 

development, today’s community leaders 

similarly seek to provide a catalyst for 

Galveston and its economic well-being. 

Among Galveston’s modern visionaries 

are descendants of early Galveston business 

magnate William L. Moody. Using the family’s 

vast resources acquired from cotton trading 

and transport, railroads, insurance and 

investments, Moody’s son William L. Moody, 

Jr., granddaughter Mary Moody Northen 

and other family members later established 

the Moody Foundation and Mary Moody 

Northen Incorporated. Today, these organizations 

provide generous continuing support 

for numerous Galveston area initiatives 

related to education, environmental issues, 

historic preservation and health care, 

especially research on traumatic brain injury. 

This night view of The Strand Historic 

Landmark District on Galveston Island 

illustrates the successful realization of 

Galveston leaders’ vision to restore and 

rejuvenate the city’s downtown area. 

Where buildings stood dilapidated and 

empty only a few decades earlier, residents 

and tourists alike now enjoy a vibrant 

downtown filled with opportunities for 

shopping, sightseeing, dining and 

entertainment as well as a 

horse and buggy ride. 

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101

Above: Alongside Offatts Bayou on Galveston 

Island, a brown pelican is silhouetted against a soft 

background showing a solitary sailboat and Moody 

Garden’s Rainforest Pyramid. One of the island’s 

most popular attractions, Moody Gardens includes 

a multi-acre resort complex and numerous 

educational and recreational attractions. 

Right: Completed in 1895, the 2,800-square-foot 

Moody Mansion was the home of William L. 

Moody, Jr., and his family. Based initially on 

cotton, the financial empire established by Moody 

grew to include banking, ranching, insurance and 

hotels. Mr. Moody purchased the house just after 

the 1900 storm, and members of the Moody 

family went on celebrate more than eighty 

Christmas seasons there. Containing many of the 

Moody family’s furnishings and personal effects, 

the four-story structure has been fully restored, 

and visitors can tour numerous areas that depict 

the elegant life of a powerful Galveston family. 

Opposite: As seen from Eagle Point in 

San Leon, the rising sun illuminates a handful 

of broken shoreline pilings as they jut out into 

the water. The distant ship on the horizon is 

heading out to sea. 


102

Chapter 5 

103

Incorporating advanced technology and 

materials, Beachtown on Galveston Island’s 

East End combines traditional style with 

easy maintenance in a pedestrian-friendly 

community that includes individual homes 

and townhomes. 

The eponymous Moody Gardens, which 

had its inception in providing care and rehabilitative 

therapy for those suffering from 

brain injury, has grown to include a nationally 

recognized center for education, recreation 

and large meetings of all types. Among the 

most popular destinations in the Houston- 

Galveston area, the complex includes a 

luxurious hotel and convention center, lush 

gardens, aquarium and rainforest pyramids, 

MG3D, 4D and Ridefilm theaters, exhibits 

and venues in which visitors can observe 

live animals—including penguins—in re-creations 

of their natural habitats, a fresh water 

“beach” and rides on a life-size steamboat. 

Another Galveston visionary whose early 

altruistic work continues to benefit Galveston 

today was Harris Kempner. Originally from 

Poland, Kempner made his way from New 

York to Galveston, from where he expanded 

his business interests throughout Texas 

and established another of the state’s great 

nineteenth century fortunes. Today, descendants 

of the original Kempner family and 

others work through the Harris and Eliza 

Kempner Fund to improve the general 

welfare of the community, especially in 

those areas concerned with securing and 

maintaining equal rights and promoting 

programs of education and healthcare. 


104

Proudly waving in the late afternoon light, 

a large American flag displays its colors in 

front of the Bolivar Lighthouse base. 

Visionaries in Galveston also include those 

who are dedicated to helping the county realize 

the future financial potential of rediscovering 

its past. Through special events and the rehabilitation 

of historic structures, local citizens 

throughout the county today are developing 

an emerging and profitable industry around 

the fast-growing business of historic tourism. 

Among those groups providing a major 

impetus for restoration efforts on Galveston 

Island is Mitchell Historic Properties, whose 

guidance is provided by members of the family 

of George Mitchell, a leader in the development 

of Texas energy and one of Galveston’s 

most prominent visionaries of modern times. 

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105

Screams 

of delight and terror 

fill the air as the Silver Bullet 

wooden roller coaster careens down 

its track at the Kemah Boardwalk. One of 

Galveston County’s most popular entertainment 

venues, the Kemah complex includes 

educational and entertainment 

options plus a variety of 

dining and shopping 

choices. 


106

This stunning lighthouse 

replica is a popular landmark 

in the Kemah Lighthouse 

District and signals that 

visitors are closing in on 

the area’s boardwalk, 

shops and restaurants. 

Chapter 5 

107

A chain-saw pelican carved 

from yellow pine is among 

the items available at the 

Eagles’ Nest in Kemah 

As a Galvestonian himself, Mitchell was 

among the first to see the economic potential of 

revitalizing his aging hometown and turning it 

into a unique destination for tourists and a 

viable commercial venture for the residents of 

his home community. Instrumental in the rescue, 

rebuilding and revitalization of Galveston’s 

historic downtown, Mitchell also was a catalyst 

in the reactivation of Galveston Island’s Mardi 

Gras celebration. Now celebrated in several 

additional communities, the pre-Lenten event 

each year attracts thousands of tourists and 

local residents alike, who participate in 

parades, balls, parties and other festivities. 

One island-based group known as the 

“Funky Uptown Umbrella Brigade” took the 

concept of visionary to a new level during 

Mardi Gras 2012, when 1,503 costumed 

revelers—dancing the “Hokey-Pokey” in 

unison—secured the Guiness World Record 

title for the largest choreographed umbrella 

dance in the world to date. 

Other Galveston County residents have 

realized such visionary goals as establishing an 

80-acre wildlife park that serves as a refuge for 

fifty different species of animals, or turning the 

sleepy, bay-side fishing village of Kemah into 

a giant wonderland of carnival-style amusements 

with a scenic boardwalk, restaurants 

and shops. It also includes an educational area 

that features a historic School House Museum. 

For historian A. Pat Daniels, the vision was 

more personal—to ensure that the SS Selma, a 

concrete World War I oil tanker, was accorded 

her rightful place in Galveston history. 

After striking a jetty in Tampico, Florida, only 

a year after its initial launch in 1919, the 

Selma was towed back to Galveston. Without 

knowledge of how to repair her, the government 

decided to scrap the unusual vessel, and 

she was taken to her final resting place near 

Pelican Island’s eastern shore, where she 

remains today. In 1992, however, she was 

purchased by Daniels, a former reporter and 

editor for the Houston Chronicle, the Houston 

Post and Galveston’s The Daily News. Thanks 

to his efforts, the Selma is now listed in the 

National Register of Historic Places, has been 

designated a state archeological landmark by 

the Texas Antiquities Committee and is recognized 

with a Texas Historical Commission’s 

Official Texas Historical Marker. 


108

Above: The School House Museum in the 

Kemah Lighthouse District occupies a 

vintage school building, originally located 

on Highway 146. Relocated to its present 

site, the structure has been restored as a 

museum and visitor center. 

Left: A whimsical painting of teacher and 

pupil adorn this plywood cutout in front of 

The School House Museum in the Kemah 

Lighthouse District. 

Chapter 5 

109

Among Galveston’s most visionary projects, 

the rescue and restoration of the 1877 

iron barque Elissa was one that focused 

international attention on the importance 

of maritime historic preservation. Here, the 

National Historic Landmark motors out to 

the Gulf of Mexico from the Bolivar Roads. 

The smoke through which she is moving is 

the result of a grass burn-off on the nearby 

Bolivar Peninsula 

Today, Galveston County’s continuing 

progressive leadership, professional opportunities 

and an enterprising yet relaxed way of 

life are in the forefront as its citizens focus on 

a future of continuing progress and prosperity. 

Known for their commitment to the 

celebration of diversity and the ability to 

embrace challenges as well as opportunity, 

the people of Galveston County maintain a 

“can-do” spirit that is constantly looking for 

paths to a better tomorrow. 

Hard-working, fun-loving, mindful of its 

past, supportive of its future—it is a county of 

peoples whose history of success is based on 

centuries dedicated to new beginnings and 

dynamic, innovative leadership. Like the forces 

of nature that through the ages have carved its 

beaches and bays and molded its coastal plains, 

the vision of Galveston County’s people is 

based on invention and re-invention—ebbing 

and flowing, reaching and growing—and the 

awareness that always, there is the sea. 


110

Kissed by the incoming tide at sunset, 

a Lightning Whelk shell is a treasured find 

on Galveston Island. 

Above: The SS Selma, a concrete World 

War I oil tanker, rests of the sandy bottom 

along Pelican Island’s eastern shore. After 

striking a jetty in Tampico, Florida, only a 

year after its initial launch in 1919, the 

Selma was towed back to Galveston. 

Without knowledge of how to repair her, the 

government decided to scrap the vessel and 

she was taken to her final resting place 

where she remains today. In 1992, the SS 

Selma was purchased by historian A. Pat 

Daniels, a former reporter and editor for 

the Houston Chronicle, the Houston 

Post and Galveston’s The Daily News. 

Thanks to his efforts, the Selma now is 

listed in the National Register of Historic 

Places, has been designated a state 

archeological landmark by the Texas 

Antiquities Committee and is recognized 

with a Texas Historical Commission’s 

Official Texas Historical Marker. Despite 

her compelling history, she is best known 

today as marking the location of one of the 

area’s most popular fishing spots for 

flounder and trout. 

Chapter 5 

111


112

This view of historic downtown Galveston from the 

harbor shows architecture that spans the centuries 

while embracing a vision for the future. The high-rise 

American National Insurance Building stands in stark 

contrast to the 1877 tall ship Elissa at dock. 

Chapter 5 

113


114


Partners 

Profiles of businesses, 

organizations, and families that have 

contributed to the development and 

economic base of Galveston 

Quality of Life ...........................116 

The Marketplace ........................136 

Building a Greater Galveston .....162 

GALVESTON PARTNERS 

115

Quality of Life 


116

Healthcare providers, school districts, 

universities, and other institutions 

that contribute to the 

quality of life in Galveston 

The Grand 1894 Opera House......................................................118 

Moody Gardens ® ........................................................................120 

Moody Gardens ® Golf Course 

Moody Gardens ® Hotel ..........................................................121 

Texas City Independent School District .........................................122 

Texas A&M University at Galveston .............................................124 

College of the Mainland..............................................................126 

City of La Marque .....................................................................128 

Galveston College ......................................................................129 

City of League City....................................................................130 

Abundant Life Christian Center ...................................................131 

Beachtown ................................................................................132 

SCENIC GALVESTON, Inc...........................................................133 

City of Texas City......................................................................134 

Gulf Greyhound Park .................................................................135 

QUALITY OF LIFE 

117

THE 

GRAND 1894 

OPERA HOUSE 

Above: The exterior view of The Grand 

following Hurricane Ike renovations, 2009. 

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE OPERA HOUSE STAFF. 

Below: A view of the interior of The Grand 

1894 Opera House, orchestra level, 2010. 

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MARK BRITAIN. 

Although William Shakespeare held forth 

that “All the world’s a stage,” Galveston’s Grand 

1894 Opera House holds forth a stage for all 

the world. 

Surviving fire, flood, hurricanes, changing 

public taste and neglect, the historic landmark 

theatre has, for more than a century, 

welcomed a cast of performers and productions 

ranging from internationally renowned 

warblers to local tots in tap shoes. Young and 

old, professional and amateur, onstage and off, 

thousands have played both major and 

supporting roles in its colorful history. 

Following its opening on January 3, 1895, 

Anna Pavlova, William Jennings Bryan, 

Ignace Paderewski and Sarah Bernhardt were 

among those who graced The Grand’s stage 

during its early years. More recently, Tommy 

Tune, Bernadette Peters, Hal Holbrook, Willie 

Nelson and Itzhak Perlman have filled the 

house. Despite such star power, however, 

The Grand’s mission also traditionally has 

included serving its community as a performance 

venue for local graduations, recitals and 

other events. 

Constructed in a mere seven months and 

built at the behest of the local business 

community, The Grand complex originally 

included shops and a hotel in addition to the 

luxurious theater that boasted box seats, 

state-of-the-art acoustics, and a thirty-eight 

by thirty-six foot proscenium stage. 

Such “thespian temples” 

were considered a must for 

any self-respecting nineteenth 

century city of note, 

and served as a center of culture 

and civic activity. As 

Galveston in the late 1800s 

was the most prosperous 

and progressive city in the 

state, it had the ability—and 

some would say, the duty— 

to offer the best in theater 

facilities and entertainment. 

According to one historian, 

there was a saying that if a 

traveling stage production 

had not “played The Grand,” 

it had not played Texas. 

Yet, as with many great 

dramas, The Grand’s life 

has included both triumph 

and tragedy. Although today 

it holds the title of “The 

Official Opera House of the State of Texas,” the 

elegant structure was just over five years old 

when Galveston’s “Great Storm” of 1900 left 

it partially destroyed. Despite major damage, 

however, the importance of having a theatre in 

Galveston’s downtown area was such that 

crews went to work almost immediately, and 

The Grand reopened in slightly over a year. 

As the twentieth century progressed, a new 

threat emerged as motion pictures more and 

more supplanted traditional stage productions 


118

in popularity. Although such greats as Tex 

Ritter (with his horse), George M. Cohan and 

the Ziegfeld Follies continued to play “live” at 

The Grand for a number of years, sequential 

efforts to remodel it into a “movie house” 

during the first half of the 1900s resulted 

in the obliteration of many of its original 

features. As its usage evolved, The Grand’s 

ownership and management changed also, 

and over the years, it was renamed first the 

Martini Theater and then the State Theater. 

Falling into disrepair during the 1960s, 

the theater was closed in 1974. Recognizing 

that demolition was a possibility, a group of 

concerned citizens formed a grass-roots 

preservation effort, and purchased the property 

that same year. 

A first priority was to make the facility 

usable. After completing enough repair to 

prevent further deterioration and make it 

stageworthy—and despite dust, mold, limited 

seating and inadequate heating and air 

conditioning—the venue began offering a 

limited bill of entertainment while supporters 

set about raising money for what became a 

twelve year, $7 million restoration project. 

The Grand’s next decade was filled with 

painstaking research and hard work as 

preservation architect Killis P. Almond, FAIA, 

spearheaded the restoration project. Photos 

were studied, and original features discovered 

under layers of sheetrock and paint. A 

remnant found on a balcony floor was used 

as a pattern to weave replacement carpeting, 

and lost and damaged woodwork was 

replaced with vintage lumber from Virginia. 

On January 18, 1986, The Grand raised 

its new scenic curtain on a gala re-opening 

performance by Steve Lawrence and Eydie 

Gormé. Enthusiasm was such that the theater’s 

attendance and offerings quickly 

expanded. In 1989 a “Serious Fun” program 

was introduced for children, which grew to 

include The Grand Kids Festival. 

Marking its own centennial with a community-wide 

celebration on January 3, 1995, and 

the commemoration on September 9, 2000, of 

Galveston’s recovery after the 1900 storm, the 

dawn of The Grand’s second 100 years was 

bright with expanded programs and facilities. 

Annually, some 200 bookings attracted over 

100,000 patrons, of which it was estimated 

eighty percent came from “off the island.” 

In October 2007 a major capital campaign 

was introduced, which included a Sidewalk 

of Stars initiative, to help provide ongoing 

support. The Grand’s future seemed secure. 

Less than twelve months later, however, 

Hurricane Ike roared ashore, and along with 

much of Galveston Island, The Grand suffered 

major damages. In an outpouring of 

support, patrons and performers from near 

and far offered assistance and rearranged 

show dates. 

With Jerry Jeff Walker 

scheduled to perform at The 

Grand on January 3, 2009— 

an exact 114 years after The 

Grand’s inaugural opening— 

that became the target date 

for The Grand’s post-Ike 

debut. Amid a flurry of 

rebuilding that consumed 

the next ninety-two days, 

executive director Maureen 

Patton—in typical “the show 

must go on” style—told contractors, 

“We don’t have to be 

finished; we just have to be 

ready [to re-open].” Patton 

knew The Grand would serve 

a vital role in the healing of 

the Galveston community, 

and the quick re-opening 

brought needed visitors back 

to the Island, contributing to 

economic recovery as well. 

Today, The Grand is once 

again at the state’s cultural 

forefront as it shares the 

magic of live theatre with ever wider audiences. 

Even its beloved nine foot Steinway 

concert piano, which during Hurricane Ike 

was submerged in ten feet of sewage-contaminated 

salt water, has been given a new role to 

play. After its rescue from the flooded orchestra 

pit, the instrument’s inner golden harp 

was refinished and, under the gifted touch of 

Galveston metal artist John Weber, transformed 

into a sculptural masterpiece that 

today holds its own center stage as The 

Grand’s elegant conference room table. 

Maureen M. Patton, executive director of 

The Grand, seated at the Steinway piano 

conference table. The table was crafted from 

the remains of The Grand’s nine foot 

Steinway piano destroyed by Hurricane Ike. 

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF JOHN GLOWCZWSKI. 


119

MOODY 

GARDENS ® 

Above: Moody Gardens property. 

Below: Cotton-top Tamarins in the Moody 

Gardens Rainforest Pyramid. 

Visit a tropical rainforest. Explore four 

different oceans of the world. Attend a 

function or simply relax at the onsite AAA 

four-diamond rated hotel, convention center 

and spa. Play a round of golf at one of the 

most scenic courses in Texas. 

Relax on white sandy beaches and dip a 

toe in the crystal blue waters of a beautiful 

lagoon. Enjoy a film at the 3D, Ridefilm or 

4D Special FX theaters or go cruising on the 

Colonel Paddlewheel Boat. Choose from a 

variety of casual or fine dining options at one 

of Moody Gardens’ restaurants. 

And do it all in one place—Moody 

Gardens ® , one of Texas’ most popular and 

unique tourist destinations with more 

than two million visitors every year. 

Located on Galveston Island and 

saturated in botanical beauty, Moody 

Gardens ® is a 242-acre educational and 

leisure resort that truly has something 

for everyone. The most unique options 

are located inside three magnificent pyramids 

that punctuate the resort’s skyline. 

The centerpiece is the Rainforest 

Pyramid ® , ten stories of clear glass reaching 

skyward and home to a living tropical rainforest 

complete with crashing waterfalls, 

trees, caverns, flora and fauna. An amazing 

variety of wildlife and a new, dramatic 

tree-top canopy entrance and trail offers 

guests a “bird’s eye” view of this truly breathtaking 

experience. Free-roaming Cotton-top 

Tamarins, Saki Monkeys, Two-toed Sloths, 

exotic birds and butterflies are often just a few 

feet away. Other new exhibits get guests close 

to other endangered animals including an 

ocelot, frogs and many other reptiles and 

animals for a rainforest experience like no 

other. The new canopy entrance and tree-top 

trail is just one part of a massive $25 

million enhancement project, which 

was completed in the spring of 2011. 

Opened in 1999 with an original 

price tag of $50 million, the Moody 

Gardens Aquarium Pyramid ® is one 

of the largest and most fascinating 

aquariums in U.S. with 1.5 million 

gallons of water playing host to more 

than 10,000 marine animals ranging 

from penguins and seals to sharks and 

thousands of tropical fish. In addition 

to four exhibits representative of the 

four points on the compass—the 

North Pacific, South Pacific, South 

Atlantic and Caribbean—there are 

also tide pools, “touch tanks” and 

unique viewing opportunities as well as 

underwater classrooms and learning experiences 

for guests of all ages within the tenstory 

tall structure of blue glass. 

Other exciting attractions at Moody 

Gardens ® include the Discovery Pyramid ® 

where visitors can experience the mysteries 

of science through a myriad of interactive 

exhibits; an extraordinary 3D Theater with 

a giant six-story screen; a Ridefilm Theater; 

a man-made, but beautiful tropical beach 

surrounded by blue lagoons; the Colonel 

Paddlewheel Boat; a seasonal holiday ice 

skating rink; a seasonal Festival of Lights; 

and a full menu of unique dining and 

shopping opportunities. 

Moody Gardens ® began in the mid-1980s 

with a horse barn, a riding arena with a hippotherapy 

riding program for people with head 

injuries and an extraordinary vision to create 

an island tourist destination. Today Moody 

Gardens ® is one of the premier educational/ 

leisure facilities in the Southwest. It also provides 

horticultural therapy as well as education 

and employment for persons with a wide range 

of physical and emotional disabilities. 

For more information, call 800-582-4673 

or visit online at www.moodygardens.com. 


120

MOODY 

GARDENS ® 

GOLF COURSE 

Moody Gardens ® Golf Course is an above 

par golf course named by Golf Digest as one 

of America’s Top Ten Newly Renovated 

Courses and one of the Most Scenic and 

Best Outlying courses in the Houston area 

by Houstonchron.com Golf Guide. 

Formerly known as the Galveston 

Municipal Golf Course, the 2008 redesigned 

course is the inspired product of the 

renowned architects of Jacobsen Hardy 

Golf Course Design. The facelift represents 

a $16-million contribution to the city 

by Moody Gardens ® and the culmination 

of a vision to provide a first-class public 

golf course for residents and visitors. It is 

owned by the City and managed by 

Moody Gardens ® . 

Fully clad in Paspalum turf—a playing 

surface especially designed for seaside 

courses—Moody Gardens ® creates a tropical 

air with eighteen holes meandering through 

upland and lowland native areas as well 

as the natural wetlands habitat of beautiful 

Sydnor Bayou and perfectly accented with 

more than 500 palm trees. 

For more information or to schedule 

a tee time, call 409-683-GOLF or visit 

www.moodygardensgolf.com. 

Moody Gardens golf course. 

Moody Gardens ® Hotel, Spa and Convention 

Center does not just sit amidst the magic of 

Moody Gardens ® , it is an integral part of it. 

This AAA Four-Diamond hotel features 

428 spectacular guestrooms, two restaurants, 

bars, a spacious convention center, tropical 

pool, full service spa and many other 

amenities. The hotel is designed to perfectly 

mirror the botanical beauty of 

Moody Gardens ® . 

Among the finest accommodations 

on Galveston Island, each guestroom 

features stunning panoramic 

views and indulgent amenities. 

For those planning a meeting, convention, 

memorable wedding or 

other special event, the Hotel 

Convention Center includes more 

than 100,000 square feet of state-ofthe-art, 

custom-designed function 

space with a professional sales and 

catering staff to handle every detail. 

Speaking of catering, the hotel 

employs one of Galveston’s finest 

executive chefs and culinary teams 

serving event attendees, hotel guests and 

patrons of both Shearn’s Restaurant; an 

upscale AAA Four-Diamond dining experience, 

and The Terrace Restaurant, which 

offers delicious fare in a tropical setting is 

designed to bring the outside indoors. 

For more information, call 409-741-8484 or 

visit online at www.moodygardenshotel.com. 

MOODY 

GARDENS ® 

HOTEL 

Moody Gardens Hotel lobby. 


121

TEXAS CITY 

INDEPENDENT 

SCHOOL 

DISTRICT 

It may take a village to raise a child, but it 

also takes the whole community to educate one. 

Fortunately, the Texas City Independent 

School District (ISD) and its loyal community 

figured that out years ago. As a result, the 

school district made up of 30,000 residents 

and 5,500-plus students is not only fully 

accredited by the Texas Education Agency, but 

has also carried the Accountability Rating of 

“Texas Education Agency Recognized School 

District” and has consistently met Adequate 

Yearly Progress or AYP-requirements as 

defined by the United States’ federal No Child 

Left Behind Act. 

“Much of our school district’s success is 

due to the recognition that it takes a cooperative 

effort among educators, students, parents 

and the entire community to create a school 

system that works,” former Superintendent of 

Schools Bob Brundrett, Ph.D., said during a 

2011 interview. “And, time and time again, 

such a shared commitment has made a huge 

difference in the lives of our students.” 

A good example of this shared commitment 

came in November of 2007 when a 

committee of 125 community members diligently 

studied facilities, made suggestions and 

informed residents about the needs of the 

local school system. As a result, the people of 

Texas City overwhelmingly passed a school 

bond election for more than $122 million, 

which has paved the way for multiple 

improvements and additions to the school 

system from a brand new intermediate school 

and elementary school, both of which opened 

in August of 2009, to the Simpson Education 

Support Center and a new high school, which 

opened doors in 2011. 

In addition to the newly opened or planned 

schools, Texas City ISD includes a Pre-K Head 

Start Program and four elementary schools for 

students kindergarten through fourth grade— 

Heights Elementary, Kohfeldt Elementary, 

Northside Elementary and Roosevelt-Wilson 

Elementary. There is also Levi Fry Intermediate 

for students in grades five and six, Blocker 

Middle School for students in grades seven and 


122

eight, and Texas City High School for those in 

ninth through twelfth grade. Improvements 

have been plentiful for these existing system 

schools as well as the system’s technology 

infrastructure and athletics facilities all seeing 

complete renovations and major upgrades 

from the 2007 school bond. 

The school system has an assessed value of 

more than $3.5 billion and a trophy case 

teeming with local, state and national awards 

that have been bestowed upon its schools, 

students and staff throughout the years. 

Many of its graduates have gone on to write 

and direct world-renowned movies, play professional 

sports, lead military units and preside 

as judges in courts. They have become 

doctors, lawyers, business owners, mayors 

and teachers; and many have returned to 

Texas City to raise their own children who 

are now on their path to success. 

And, yet, those responsible for the Texas 

City ISD refuse to allow the system to rest on 

its laurels. 

“We are devoted to continuous improvement 

in every area of our school system and 

to our guiding principle, ‘Every Child Will 

Learn’,” Dr. Brundrett said. “It is in pursuit of 

this fundamental belief that we focus all of 

our efforts in preparing our individual students 

for their future by building relationships, 

making learning relevant and rigorous 

and developing each student’s unique talents 

and skills.” 

In addition to its regular curriculum-driven 

academic programs, Texas City ISD has a 

special Gifted and Talented Program available 

to develop the intellectual and creative 

potential in K-12 students who indicate a 

need to go beyond the regular curriculum. 

There are also programs and support for 

second-language learners, those who need 

extra academic assistance in order to succeed. 

Complementing these top-notch academic 

programs, the Texas City ISD additionally 

offers many extracurricular and co-curricular 

activities from clubs, job partnerships, 

fine arts, athletics, vocational skills programs, 

dance team or cheerleading to 

help motivate students to reach their 

potential. Additional opportunities are 

provided through The Foundation for 

the Future—a nonprofit, tax-exempt 

and independently registered community-based 

organization which promotes 

enrichment, innovation and excellence 

in education throughout the school system. 

With the steadfast belief that there 

is a strong correlation between the quality 

of life in a community and the quality of an 

educational system, the Foundation’s goal is to 

make up the difference in funds needed to provide 

an even higher quality of education to 

Texas City students and, in fact, to date has 

awarded more than $1 million in grants to 

teachers for innovative programs that enhance 

the educational environment. 

“Public schools have helped to create our 

community and will continue to be the 

backbone of the future work force as long as 

we ensure that they remain among the best in 

the nation,” said Foundation Executive 

Director Deborah Laine. “Come see what 

can happen when a community and school 

district work together.” 

For more information on the Texas City 

ISD, visit online at www.tcisd.org. 


123

TEXAS A&M 

UNIVERSITY AT 

GALVESTON 

Above: The 135-acre George Mitchell 

campus of Texas A&M University at 

Galveston on Pelican Island. 

Opposite, top: Marine Biology doctoral 

students Sarah Piwetz and Sylvia Bonizzoni 

survey the Galveston Ship Channel for 

dolphin activity. 

Opposite, bottom: Kathryn Perry, Texas 

A&M University at Galveston class of 

2011, serves at sea today as a Merchant 

Marine Officer. 

On the Gulf of Mexico coast near the 

Houston, Texas, ship channel, generations 

of a special campus community have 

gathered to teach and learn about the sea. 

This community, Texas A&M University at 

Galveston, has populated research laboratories 

and expeditions, marine and military 

vessels, boardrooms and classrooms of 

the world. 

With nearly 2,000 students, TAMUG is 

an integral branch of the internationallyacclaimed 

Texas A&M University. Celebrating 

its fiftieth anniversary, TAMUG proves its 

worth as a premier university for ocean and 

coastal studies. Its impact upon the State of 

Texas, coastal communities of Texas, the 

business, industries and enterprises of the 

entire U.S. Gulf of Mexico is far reaching. 

At its 130 acre campus on Pelican Island— 

adjacent to the Galveston ship channel 

near the mouth of Galveston Bay—TAMUG 

creates a small college atmosphere offering 

remarkable marine and maritime academic 

and research experiences. In addition to 

academic degrees, TAMUG offers outreach 

programs ranging from Sea Camp for 

school-aged students to Roads Scholars 

for seniors. 

This by-the-sea campus environment 

complements unique curricular offerings 

with nationally recognized and accredited 

programs. TAMUG provides ocean-oriented, 

four-year courses and graduate programs 

preparing students for excellence in business, 

oceanographic and physical sciences, biological 

sciences, engineering and transportation, 

administration and liberal arts. 

In recent years, TAMUG consistently 

ranked among the top ten public universities 

in Texas (in research grant dollars generated 

per full-time faculty researcher). 

Additionally, TAMUG is home to the Texas 

Maritime Academy, one of six state maritime 

academies in the United States and the 

only mariner-licensing program on the Gulf 

of Mexico. 

In fact the branch campus owes its existence 

to Galveston community’s desire to establish a 

U.S. maritime academy in Galveston. 

The academy provides students all the 

training required by federal law to obtain a 

U.S. Coast Guard unlimited tonnage license 

(deck/engine) in the Merchant Marine along 

with a bachelor’s and master’s degree from 

a tier one university. Other opportunities 

include the Strategic Sealift Officer Program 

(SSOP), in which qualified cadets attend 

Naval Reserve Officers Training Corp courses 

(NROTC), which lead to a commission in 

the Naval Reserves. These cadets are also 


124

eligible to receive $8,000 per year in student 

incentive program (SIP) funds. Inter-service 

transfers to other branches of the military are 

also possible. The Texas Maritime Academy 

Corps of Cadets also offers the naval Reserve 

Officers Training Corps (NROTC) for students 

who desire to receive an active duty 

commission in the Navy. 

At the heart of the academy and the entire 

learning community of TAMUG is respect 

for traditions, the sea and each other. In his 

book, Aggies by the Sea, Regents Professor 

Stephen Curley describes the spirit and 

traditions of TAMUG. 

“Texas A&M University at Galveston is of, 

for, and by the sea. It combines its love for all 

aspects of the ocean with the traditions of 

Texas A&M University to bind and define its 

extraordinary community of ‘Sea Aggies.’” 


125

COLLEGE OF 

THE MAINLAND 

Above: COM students walking on Eckert 

Lake trail. 

Below: Faculty and staff members. 

College of the Mainland has a firm grasp 

on the ABCs of higher education in Galveston 

County. At COM, one of the area’s fastest 

growing local colleges, A is for affordable, 

accessible and applicable programs; B is for 

a better and brighter futures; C is for 

community interaction and inspiration; D is 

for diverse campus and curriculum; and E is 

for “Education for Everyone.” 

From opening day on September 14, 1967, 

with 414 students meeting in a renovated high 

school, COM has grown to an annual enrollment 

of more than 4,000 credit and 10,000 

continuing education students who enjoy a 

modern, centrally-located main campus of 

approximately 120 acres in Texas City, plus a 

second smaller campus known as Learning 

Center-North County in League City. 

Students are the focus at COM, and the 

college is known for its progressive, proactive 

approach to higher education. Offering one of 

the state’s most affordable tuition structures, 

COM also provides financial assistance to 

qualified students through scholarships, 

grants and work-study programs. To ease 

scheduling difficulties, weekend and online 

courses are available in some areas of study. 

Even the enrollment center is designed for 

student convenience, and offers a “one-stopshopping” 

point of entry, with comfortable 

seating, a small play area for children, registration 

and cashier stations, and a dozen 

semi-private computer carrels for use by 

students during the enrollment process. 

Offering courses that range from fine arts 

and nursing to industrial arts and law enforcement, 

COM’s programs have garnered local, 

regional and international recognition. 

Accredited by the Southern Association of 

Colleges and Schools, COM is widely recognized 

for academic excellence. Its Process 

Technology Program is the first in the nation to 

offer an associate degree in PTEC and has been 

recognized by the state as setting the standard 

for all similar programs. The school’s Nursing 

and Allied Health Program graduates frequently 

score a 100 percent pass rate on national 

exams, and the Pharmacy Technician Program 

has recently received national accreditation. 

Programs holding state accreditation include 

Police and Fire Technology, Real Estate, 

Cosmetology, Nursing and Allied Health 

Education. COM’s Child Development Lab 

School was the first in Galveston County to 

receive national accreditation, and its Partners 

in Alternative Certification for Teachers 

Program provides a short-track option for 

those holding non-education degrees who 

want to become accredited educators. 

Additionally, qualified local high school students 

can “get a jump” on a career or further 

education through COM’s Dual Credit Program. 

Operating in cooperation with area school systems, 

this program allows teens to take courses 

for credit at COM during their high school 


126

years. As a result, a number of area young people 

have received their associate degrees or 

professional certifications from COM prior to 

their high school graduations. Those going on 

to four year colleges and universities have often 

found that the course work they completed at 

COM allows them to obtain advanced placement 

or enter at a second-year level. 

Older students often enroll at COM to 

complete requirements for deferred or second 

careers, or to help themselves move up in 

their current professions. Others just want to 

learn for learning’s sake by enhancing their 

knowledge in fields that have long interested 

them. One recent student had not been in a 

classroom for forty-two years before enrolling 

in COM’s Process Technology program, but 

two days after turning seventy-two—and with 

a grade point average of 3.7—he received his 

Associate of Applied Science degree. One of 

the nation’s oldest community college honors 

graduates, he was inducted into Phi Theta 

Kappa, the international honors society. 

COM also serves low-income, first-generation 

college-bound students through its TRiO 

Upward Bound Program. With funding provided 

by the U.S. Department of Education, 

TRiO combines a rigorous program of course 

work with special academic support and 

culturally enriching activities. This program’s 

success is affirmed by the number of 

participants who have gone on to 

enroll at community colleges and 

four-year universities. 

Just as COM attracts a diverse mix 

of students, it offers a diverse selection 

of courses, and also works with 

local business and industry to ensure 

that its programs are attuned to 

current employment opportunities. 

Nursing and healthcare programs are 

the most popular, but there are also 

courses for graphic arts and design, 

drafting, civilian firearms, security 

and loss prevention. For the business-minded, 

there are accounting, 

bookkeeping, and computer technology 

courses; languages offered 

include Spanish, Chinese, Arabic 

and even sign language. The industrial 

technology program features 

welding, machinist/millwright, electrical, 

air conditioning and heating. 

COM’s Risk Management Institute’s 

safety classes are available free of 

charge to employers, employees and 

the general public. For those who 

wish to study abroad, faculty-led 

tours are also open to the public, 

with participation on a credit or 

non-credit basis. 

COM’s bond with the central 

Galveston County area extends far 

beyond traditional education, however. 

Individually and collectively, 

its students, faculty and staff participate 

in a number of civic projects 

and charities. The pleasant, parklike 

campus serves as a recreational 

area for local citizens, and the 

school also provides a cultural center 

for the community with activities 

that include lectures, art exhibits, 

concerts and theatrical productions. In addition 

to continuing education courses, COM’s 

Senior Adult Program for those older than 

fifty-five offers field trips to local and out-oftown 

destinations, in addition to courses in 

computer skills, bridge, Spanish, art, line 

dancing, yoga, Pilates and tai-chi and water 

exercise classes at COM’s indoor, heated pool. 

Above: COM offers workforce training. 

Below: COM students in the 

Enrollment Center. 


127

CITY OF 

LA MARQUE 

Above: Highland Bayou Park. 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN RAMIREZ. 

Below: Gulf Greyhound Park, La Marque. 

Located at the geographic center of 

Galveston County, the City of La Marque is 

“right on the mark” when it comes to 

blending small city charm with modern 

convenience and life-style. 

La Marque’s favorable location has been 

apparent since its earliest days, when it was 

known as Buttermilk Station, a name taken 

from the Civil War practice of soldiers’ 

stopping off to purchase buttermilk on their 

marches between Galveston and Houston. 

With only six families in 1867 and an economy 

based on dairy products and agriculture, 

the town grew from 100 to 175 people during 

the 1890s and included several fruit farms, a 

Baptist church and a small school with fourteen 

students. It was during this time that the 

community, which also had become known as 

the Highlands for its location near Highland 

Bayou, was renamed La Marque by postmistress 

Madame St. Ambrose. By 1914, four 

railroads served the community, and the population 

had grown to 500. In the ensuing years 

of the twentieth century, business and commerce 

expanded to include over 300 businesses 

and a population of more than 14,000. 

Today, La Marque’s proximity to Houston’s 

Clear Lake region and the coastal cities of 

Galveston and Texas City provides a rare 

opportunity for its residents to enjoy the best 

of two worlds—a community where family 

life is prized and neighbors know one another’s 

names combined with easy access to 

employment and business opportunities. 

Known for its low cost of living, La 

Marque is ideal for business and residential 

investment. Much open acreage has modern 

infrastructure already in place for future 

development, and it is proximally located 

to major land, air, rail and sea routes that 

connect it to the world. A twenty-four acre 

retail plaza and the revitalized downtown 

area offer diverse shopping experiences 

and housing choices range from historic 

homes to new construction. Residents 

include young families with modest bungalows, 

couples with growing families and 

needing larger homes close to good schools 

and recreational facilities, and retirees who 

want a peaceful community with easily 

accessed medical care. 

Recognized also for educational excellence, 

La Marque students are served by 

several public school districts, private 

schools and academies. Higher education 

is provided by College of the Mainland, 

Galveston College and Texas A&M-Galveston. 

La Marque is not limited to all work and 

no play, however. Tourism in La Marque 

took a major leap in the 1990s with the 

construction of Gulf Greyhound Park, the 

world’s largest dog racing track. Additionally, 

Highland Bayou Park offers 230 acres 

dedicated to baseball, basketball, tennis, 

playground and pavilion facilities, a fishing 

pier, wetlands for bird watching and hiking, 

Other local favorites include horseback 

riding, camping and water sports. 


128

GALVESTON 

COLLEGE 

Many institutions of higher learning talk 

about being an educational beacon, but 

Galveston College has the lighthouse to prove it. 

From its earliest days in 1967, when it 

began classes with a single building—the 

refurbished St. Mary’s Orphanage—and a 

modest curriculum, the school has endeavored 

to be “a beacon of light, guiding lifelong 

learning” for local residents. Today, occupying 

a twelve acre complex and offering programs 

in many of the nation’s fastest growing 

academic disciplines, Galveston College also 

displays the historic cupola from Galveston’s 

South Jetty Lighthouse, on loan “for use in 

perpetuity” from the U.S. Coast Guard. 

Such affirmation has been a constant 

throughout Galveston College history. The 

announcement of its founding garnered 

front-page headlines in the December 1, 1966, 

Galveston County Daily News, and many of the 

school’s educational and athletic programs, as 

well as additions to the campus itself, reflect 

the mutually supportive relationship between 

the school and its home community. 

With a central focus on training for careers, 

not just jobs, and in keeping with its informal 

motto of “Go for it,” Galveston College offers 

numerous two-year degree programs and a 

variety of one-year programs and short-term 

certifications that can lead to career opportunities 

both on and off the island. 

Concentrating on such diverse areas as 

healthcare, information technology, business, 

culinary arts and technical training, the institution 

is dedicated to “building Galveston, one 

mind at a time,” and aggressively creates accessible 

learning opportunities to fulfill individual 

and community needs by providing highquality 

educational programs and services. In 

a departure from traditional curricula, an 

innovative two-year welding degree program is 

geared to local employment, and an associate’s 

degree program in industrial systems is helping 

resupply the local workforce in these areas. 

Aware of the importance of addressing the 

shifting economies of its home community, 

Galveston College also is a leader in distance 

education. It is one of the few colleges in the 

United States offering online courses in cutting-edge 

disciplines such as computerized 

tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. 

Members of the community join in college 

activities through public lectures and continuing 

education and leisure learning courses. 

School athletic teams, known as the 

“Whitecaps,” participate in numerous intercollegiate 

sports under the National Junior 

College Athletic Association and the Region 

XIV Athletic Conference. 

Supported by state funding, local taxes 

and tuition, Galveston College is one of the 

most affordable higher education opportunities 

in Texas. Additionally, the Galveston 

College Foundation has for more than a 

decade offered Universal Access, a “free 

tuition program” for local high school, homeschooled 

and GED graduates. For additional 

information visit www.gc.edu. 


129

CITY OF 

LEAGUE CITY 

Clockwise, starting from the top: 

A creekside view. 

Heads up. 

Helen’s Garden in League City’s 

Historic District. 

Boutique shopping in League City. 

The citizens and leadership of League City 

have every right to be proud. After all, the 

community they call home has been designated 

one of the 100 Best Small Cities in America 

and its burgeoning population is proof that it 

is deserving of this title. 

Encompassing fifty-five square miles in 

Galveston County, League City’s population 

growth over the past two decades has been 

nothing short of phenomenal. The population 

has risen four to six percent every year while 

growth for the rest of the state has averaged 

less than two percent annually. With a current 

population estimated at 83,500, the city is the 

largest in the county. 

Though it lies within the Houston metropolitan 

area, League City has much to offer in 

its own right. Aerospace, petrochemicals, 

healthcare, upscale commercial, boating and 

visitor attractions make up the majority of its 

economic base and household income levels 

and educational profiles are well above the 

Houston-area average. 

And, simply put, it is beautiful. League 

City is home to the luxurious South Shore 

Harbor Resort area with its yacht-filled marina. 

Its Main Street area is more like a city in a 

park—with majestic oaks lining both sides of 

the street and with gardens, ponds, bandstands 

and enchanting landscapes serving as a 

backdrop for the many historic homes which 

have been transformed into charming shops 

and eateries. The city’s northern border is 

accented by beautiful Clear Lake, which is not 

only the home of the nation’s third largest 

pleasure boat anchorage, but also provides 

access to Galveston Bay and the Gulf of 

Mexico. Moreover, the city is home to three 

beautiful golf courses and is in the midst of 

implementing a master plan that calls for 212 

miles of trails and pathways, which will not 

only improve mobility throughout the city, 

but will increase recreational opportunities 

for pedestrians and bicyclists alike. 

First settled nearly 200 years ago by 

Stephen F. Austin, League City actually gets its 

name from J. C. League who began acquiring 

land in the county in the late 1800s. He 

renamed his holdings League City in 1896, a 

name that stuck when the city was finally 

incorporated in 1962. 

Today’s League City is governed by a mayor 

and seven council members who join the city’s 

paid personnel in striving to provide the best 

services possible. 

“We are extremely proud of our city and 

look forward to continued growth as more and 

more people learn about our upscale neighborhoods, 

top-quality schools and recreational 

lifestyle,” said Mayor Tim Paulissen. “Home to 

rocket scientists and entrepreneurs, you could 

say we are where business meets pleasure.” 

For more about League City, please visit 

www.leaguecity.com. 


130

ABUNDANT LIFE 

CHRISTIAN 

CENTER 

More than a church, more than a school, 

more than a congregation, Abundant Life 

Christian Center embraces a Bible-based 

global mission. With one of the largest 

church memberships in Galveston County, 

ALCC’s focus is on “ministries that reach 

neighborhoods and nations.” 

ALCC’s rapid growth has taken it from a 

ten person meeting in Pastors Walter and 

Cindy Hallam’s home in 1985 to a current 

congregation of approximately 4,000 worshippers. 

Racing to stay ahead of its quickly 

increasing numbers, ALCC locations through 

the past twenty-five years have included a 

local motel, a funeral home, a refurbished 

grocery store and its first sanctuary, dedicated 

in 1987, that was capable of seating 500. 

Today, ALCC members enjoy a multi-acre 

complex in La Marque that offers an accredited 

kindergarten through grade twelve charter 

school, recreational areas that include a skate 

park and other activities, an Internet and coffee 

cafe, a book store and gift shop, numerous 

offices and meeting rooms, a children’s 

education area and a spacious, state-of-theart 

75,398 square-foot sanctuary, dedicated 

in 1994 and capable of seating 4,000. 

“People are the purpose” is a popular 

phrase at ALCC, and in addition to regular 

morning and evening services on Sunday 

(complete with valet parking) and one on 

Wednesday evening, there are in-house and 

outreach ministries operating throughout 

each and every day. Supporting its mission to 

serve as a “place of love and healing,” the 

congregation is active in providing food to 

the needy, transportation for those without 

rides to medical and other critical appointments, 

and ministerial support for all. 

In addition to men’s, women’s and the innovative 

“Joyzone” children’s ministry, ALCC 

provides music and audio/visual ministries, 

plus the Chosen Youth Ministry for young 

people and the Abundant Life Ministries of 

National Destiny Program (ALMOND). 

Of special importance to the congregation 

is Casa Angelina, an ALCC orphanage in 

Guatemala, named after Pastor Walter and 

Cindy Hallam’s middle daughter, Angela, who 

died in a plane crash in 2002. Dedicated to 

the Lord’s service, Angela was a gifted writer 

and musician, and today the orphanage carries 

on her work with dedication to serving 

young people through the provision of food, 

clothing, housing and education for approximately 

seventy impoverished street orphans. 

Reaching out at every opportunity, ALCC’s 

main campus hosts a number of live productions 

and dramatic presentations, including 

“Road to Emmaus,” an Easter drama based 

on scripture and initially conceptualized by 

Angela. Other annual events include the 

“Heartbreak Hotel-Hotel Hallelujah” and “Tour 

of Hell” multimedia presentations, and the 

Hallelujah Harvest event, held on October 31 

of each year. In addition to the onsite public 

charter school, Bible clubs and reading and 

recreational programs, ALCC’s youth activities 

include Vacation Bible School and an overnight 

camp in Columbus, Texas. With these events 

and ministries, Abundant Life Christian Center 

reaches thousands every week. 

Abundant Life Christian Church is located 

at 601 Delaney Road in La Marque and on the 

Internet at www.alcc.org. 


131

BEACHTOWN 

With a visionary’s gift for 

successfully bridging the gap 

between dream and reality, Tofigh 

Shirazi has created in Galveston’s 

Beachtown an oasis of common 

sense and uncommon beauty. 

Today, the “new urbanist” community 

on the island’s eastern 

shore is setting new standards 

for construction, aesthetics and 

sustainability in coastal living. 

Set adjacent to a 700 acre nature 

preserve and bounded on its 

southern shore by the Gulf of 

Mexico, the development has been 

described as a “distinctive, appealing…architectural 

gem” unlike 

any other on the Texas coast. 

Framed with graceful arches 

and double galleried porches, 

Beachtown homes overlook sun-kissed 

dunes, palm trees and pristine lagoons. 

Arranged in traditional-style “villages,” they 

are centered about a town square offering 

shops, recreational opportunities and other 

amenities. By incorporating architectural elements 

popular during Galveston’s Victoriaera 

“golden age,” the entire development has 

been meticulously designed to pay tribute to 

the island’s heritage, while also addressing 

environmental concerns, supporting modern 

lifestyle preferences and incorporating stateof-the-art 

building practices and materials. 

Planned by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co., 

the firm that created Florida’s Seaside and 

Rosemary Beach, the community was 

designed with tree-lined passage ways that 

connect the lagoons to the beach. Featuring 

the architecture of numerous New Urban 

Guild Architects, including Michael G. Imber, 

Steve Mouzon, Eric Brown and Eric Moser, 

Beachtown offers single family residences, 

townhomes and spacious lofts. 

In addition to being recognized with the 

Palladio Award for architectural excellence, 

Beachtown has been featured in the New York 

Times and Wall Street Journal. It also was 

selected to showcase a Coastal Living magazine 

“Idea House,” and featured in Texas Architect 

Magazine where it was noted for its “casual 

seaside luxury.” In the aftermath of Hurricane 

Ike in 2008, Beachtown was singled out by 

ABC news for its ability to ride out the storm 

with only minor damages. 

This level of storm resistance is of utmost 

importance to Shirazi. Set directly on the 

beach front, all Beachtown homes are built 

to meet or exceed the “Fortified…for Safer 

Living” standards as established by the 

Institute for Business and Home Safety and 

the most rigorous construction standards 

established for coastal communities. 

Incorporating impact-resistant glass, steel 

portals, and concrete pilings and beams such as 

those used in highway construction, the living 

areas of Beachtown’s homes rise some twenty 

plus feet above sea level and provide improved 

levels of safety, security and durability, 

As the “beloved place” Shirazi first visualized, 

Beachtown today truly is his dream 

come true—“a total environment, a place to 

enjoy a sustainable, simple life by the sea.” 

As a plus, nature herself seems to concur; 

Beachtown boasts the island’s only sandaccreting 

shoreline, with its beaches building 

at a rate of about three feet a year. 


132

SCENIC 

GALVESTON, 

INC. 

How many cities in America can boast a 

spectacular transportation approach traveling 

through natural and restored gateway wetlands? 

Galveston Island can! 

Mile after mile to and from Galveston, 

travelers on Interstate 45 pass 1,058 acres of 

picturesque and pristine marsh—a stunning 

estuarial corridor accented by 1.9 miles of 

shoreline and teeming with nature. 

But, this gateway has not always been 

quite so scenic. In fact, less than two decades 

ago, it was a proliferation of billboards, bait 

camps, levy walls, landfills and fireworks 

merchant stands, not to mention the soon-tobe 

home of an unsightly cabaret compound. 

“When we organized in 1992-93, our 

intertidal nursery wetlands were being 

environmentally and visually destroyed,” said 

Chairwoman Evangeline Whorton, referring 

to the all-volunteer nonprofit habitat 

conservation service organization—SCENIC 

GALVESTON, Inc.—which she founded 

along with vice chairman Richard Kirkpatrick 

shortly after attending an eye-opening 

Livable Communities Conference in Austin. 

From the start, the goal of SCENIC 

GALVESTON (SG) was to acquire, restore 

and perpetually protect this natural corridor. 

And, even though the group did not have 

money, it did have friends—friends like 

John M. O’Quinn whose $500,000 contribution 

matched a North America Wetlands 

Conservation Act grant and jumpstarted 

SG’s efforts. 

Over the years, SG acquired and restored 

thirteen owners’ parcels on both sides of I-45 

between Bayou Vista and the southern end of 

the Santé Fe Overpass and, in 2010, officially 

dedicated it the John M. O’Quinn Interstate 

45 Scenic Estuarial Corridor. Today, this 

corridor is not only a unique nursery ground 

preserve for wildlife, birds, aquatic species 

and disappearing coastal plant communities, 

it is also permanently deeded as a publicenjoyed 

conservation habitat appreciated by 

kayakers, canoers, photographers, fishermen, 

bird watchers, hikers, students and the like. 

It is also a catalyst for industry such as 

ecotourism, commercial and recreational 

fishing, shrimping, oystering, and vacation 

destination, just to name a few. 

But that is just part of the story. 

Today, with more than 900 volunteers, 

SG has raised 11 million dollars and acquired 

almost 3,000 acres. In 2001 it received Texas’ 

first Coastal Impact Assistance Program grant, 

allowing for the acquisition of 1,500 acres 

in the contiguous Virginia Point Peninsula 

Preserve (VPPP) to protect premiere wetlands, 

native prairies, and almost five miles of 

Galveston Bay shoreline. Another 350 acres is 

being added, which will permanently safeguard 

2,000 acres on VPPP that would have otherwise 

been lost to petrochemical development. 

As for the future, SG has its sights set on 

continuing to recover, restore, and protect the 

last remaining one percent of coastal Texas. 

Why? Because SG knows—as the group’s 

catchphrase coined years ago by a renowned 

environmentalist states—“Acre for acre, wetlands 

constitute the most ecological productive 

community our planet has to offer.” 

Above: The enchanting West Marsh of the 

John M. O’Quinn I-45 Scenic Estuarial 

Corridor invites millions of visitors to enjoy 

and work in the marshes at Mile Markers 

6-7 off Interstate 45 in Galveston County. 

Below: The O’Quinn Pavilion, a Carl 

Brunsting AIA design, is the focal meeting 

place at Reitan Point for hundreds of 

volunteers who participate regularly in 

cleaning and maintaining public 

non-intrusively used habitat conservation 

preserves owned by SCENIC GALVESTON. 


133

CITY OF 

TEXAS CITY 

City of major industry and an international 

shipping port—city of lush green parks, friendly 

neighborhoods and vibrant lifestyle—the 

City of Texas City embraces many identities. 

Officially incorporated in 1911, the City of 

Texas City traces its origins back to the 

1890s, when a group of investors saw the 

potential for a port on the north shore of 

Galveston Bay. Under the name of the Texas 

City Improvement Company, the group purchased 

10,000 acres of land and over the next 

two decades, the fledgling port community 

rapidly expanded. A railroad line was laid, 

and the port’s ship channel was deepened. 

Schools, churches and businesses soon 

opened, cotton and grain shipping gave rise 

to affiliated industries, and 1908 saw the 

start-up of the city’s first oil refinery. 

Trees and open spaces abound while 

numerous fountains and outdoor sculptures 

adorn many public venues. From its advantageous 

location on the northern edge of 

Galveston Bay, Texas City also enjoys a 

diversified economy that includes residential, 

commercial, environmental, retail, marine, 

healthcare, entertainment and tourism 

related businesses. 

With forty-four parks occupying 800 

acres, recreation facilities range from the 

world’s longest manmade fishing pier and 

a world-class natatorium to neighborhood 

tennis courts and splash parks. Other attractions 

include golf, boating and exploring 

wildlife sanctuaries. Heritage Square offers a 

glimpse into the area’s historic past, and at 

Bay Street Park, a F-100 Super Saber Jet sits 

alongside a vintage biplane replica in 

tribute to the area’s having served as the 

birthplace of U.S. military aviation. 

The park also contains a ship’s anchor, 

one of several exhibits commemorating a 

massive dock-side explosion that in 1947 

killed hundreds and leveled a major portion 

of the city. In tribute to the community’s 

resilience and ability to recover from 

that and other disasters, a statue of the 

mythological Phoenix—also known for its 

ability to “rise from the ashes”—dominates 

the convention center plaza. 

Left: Texas City Dike is a levee that extends 

five miles southeast into the mouth of 

Galveston Bay. 

Right: Phoenix Foundation located at Doyle 

Center Century Plaza. 

Since that time, Texas City has grown to 

become a center for many of the nation’s 

largest and most progressive petrochemical 

operations, but it is not a typical industrial 

community. Environmentally savvy, business 

friendly and extremely community-minded, 

it received the 1997 All-America City Award 

and also has been recognized by Money 

Magazine, Reader’s Digest, Food & Wine 

Magazine and the U.S. Conference of Mayors 

for its livability. 

Creating a better tomorrow has been a 

Texas City goal for more than a century, and 

today it is taking a leadership role in meeting 

the challenges of a changing world as it 

balances safety and environmental issues 

with commerce and community well-being. 

Inspired leadership and dedicated citizens 

have always made the difference in Texas 

City, and today this city by the bay is making 

a difference across the nation. 


134

GULF 

GREYHOUND 

PARK 

When a slim and sleek greyhound sprints 

across the finish line at Gulf Greyhound Park, 

he is not just crossing any finish line—he is 

crossing the finish line of the world’s largest 

greyhound racing operation. 

Indeed, since the sounds of the bugle 

summoned the first set of canine racers for 

the track’s debut race on November 10, 1992, 

more than ten million fans have enjoyed live 

greyhound races and pari-mutuel wagering 

opportunities at Gulf Greyhound Park and, 

in the first decade, have taken home more 

than $1.4 billion in prize money. 

Year round—rain or shine—they come to 

the $55 million complex, which is located on 

100 acres in La Marque, Texas, and features 

a four-level, 315,000 square foot, climatecontrolled 

facility as well as an expansive 

parking lot with 8,000-plus parking spaces. 

The track seats 6,600 with a total facility 

spectator capacity of 14,000 and there are 

318 teller windows as well as 1,100 closedcircuit 

televisions throughout the complex so 

that fans can monitor races, learning how to 

bet or watch a favorite sporting event. 

Dining options are also plentiful with a 

variety of food and beverages to meet every 

patron’s taste and budget. On the second level 

of the facility is a complete food court with 

a variety of menus as well as the Terrace 

Clubhouse that seats approximately 900 people 

for full-service dining before and during 

performances. The Clubhouse tables overlook 

the track, providing patrons with an excellent 

view of the races. Also, inside the Clubhouse 

is the Terrace Bar featuring all the amenities of 

a hometown bar with a big screen television 

and many other smaller televisions throughout 

as well as friendly tellers for placing bets 

or punching winning tickets. Reservations 

to the Terrace Clubhouse and Bar are recommended. 

In addition to the second-level offerings, 

there are numerous other concession 

and beverage areas throughout the facility. 

The track itself is a quarter mile made up 

of a sand composition surface with courses 

of 5/16ths, 3/8ths and 7/16ths of a mile. 

Fourteen kennels are located on the grounds 

with each capable of housing up to sixty-two 

greyhounds and equipped with hot water 

supplies, whirlpool, central heat, heat alarm 

and fire alarm systems, plus twenty-four hour 

security. The park is owned and managed 

by Gulf Greyhound Partners, Ltd., a Texas 

controlled partnership. 

Gulf Greyhound Park is open seven days a 

week with simulcast races on Mondays and 

Tuesdays and live racing Wednesday through 

Sunday. The park is located once block west 

of 1-45 South at Exit 15, 30 miles south of 

Houston and just 15 miles north of Galveston. 

For more information, call 1-800-ASK-2WIN 

or visit online at www.gulfgreyhound.com. 

Above: And they’re off! 

Below: Down the stretch to the finish line! 


135

The Marketplace 


136

Galveston’s retail and commercial 

establishments offer an 

impressive variety of choices 

ERF Wireless, Inc. .....................................................................138 

Kleen Supply Company ...............................................................140 

Hygeia Enviro-Clean, Inc............................................................142 

AMOCO Federal Credit Union .....................................................144 

Matthews, Inc. ..........................................................................146 

The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd....................................................148 

J&J Telecommunications..............................................................150 

Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce .................................152 

HomeTown Bank, N.A. ................................................................154 

A-1 Fire Equipment Co. ..............................................................155 

Galveston Chamber of Commerce..................................................156 

Texas First Bank .......................................................................157 

Better Business Bureau ...............................................................158 

ROBCO Facility Services.............................................................159 

GIA Insurance...........................................................................160 

Leslie Watts..............................................................................161 

Mihovil Photography ..................................................................162 

THE MARKETPLACE 

137

ERF WIRELESS, 

INC. 

Right: ERF Wireless coverage—Texas region. 

Whether a banker, teacher or business owner 

behind a desk somewhere in rural Kansas, a 

rancher living in the vast plains of Oklahoma or 

a worker moving to yet another oil drilling site 

in the most remote location of Texas, everyone 

needs to stay connected these days. 

But for many living and working in the 

more rural and sparsely populated areas of 

America, staying connected has not always 

been easy. ERF Wireless, Inc., of League City, 

Texas, in Galveston County is quietly going 

about a business model that is changing that 

situation for many Americans. 

ERF Wireless, Inc., is a public company, founded 

by ex-NASA manager Dr. H. Dean Cubley 

in 2004. ERF Wireless provides 

wireless broadband communications 

products and services on a 

nationwide basis to enterprise, 

commercial and retail users and 

focuses on vertical markets such 

as regional banks, the oil and gas 

industry, education, healthcare, 

enterprise, and residential customers 

located in areas that have 

limited services. 

“Cable or telephone-line DSL, 

it is not a viable option for those 

who work and live in the most 

rural un-served areas of our country 

or for those whose business 

requires them to frequently move about,” said 

ERF Wireless founder and chief executive officer 

Dr. H. Dean Cubley. “We fully understand 

the need in rural America for quality broadband 

communications and at ERF Wireless 

we are confident that wireless broadband 

technology is not only viable, but is the most 

logical solution in these situations.” 

Indeed, ERF Wireless firmly believes 

that for rural America wireless broadband 

has already become the “third pipe” as 

both an alternative and extension to DSL 

and cable modem. In many cases, 

this is a superior alternative 

because it is not only versatile, 

it is also less expensive than a 

wired solution, faster to implement 

and fully configurable for 

one or more applications. 

This is where ERF Wireless—one 

of America’s largest wireless Internet 

service providers (WISPs)—enters. 

“Our company has already 

developed an extensive wide-area 

wireless broadband network in 

North America and Canada by a 

combination of acquiring, constructing and 

contracting for our wireless broadband 

network coverage,” said Cubley, adding that 

his company as of 2011 is already actively 

working in five states including Texas, 

Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, and New 

Mexico, and already has wireless network 

coverage available in Colorado, Wyoming, 

Arkansas, and Alberta, Canada. 

While ERF Wireless has many thousands 

of residential and commercial customers 

within the rural wireless broadband network 

coverage, the heart of their business strategy 

is to utilize these networks, in addition, to 

service the more profitable vertical markets. 


138

In some vertical markets, such as the company’s 

largest—the rural needs of the oil and 

gas industry—Cubley says that wireless 

broadband is really the only logical solution 

for meeting modern digital communications 

needs. Previously VSAT satellite terminals had 

been the norm for this market but modern 

drilling and exploration software utilized by 

the oil and gas companies has made the VSAT 

solution unacceptable due to the inherent 

time delay (“latency”) of the VSAT. 

“The drilling would be over by the time a 

copper or fiber connection was laid,” he said. 

“These “nomadic” operations simply cannot 

go to the local telephone company and get 

service that supports the way they operate. 

We can literally follow them wherever they go 

and can be at a new site in a matter of hours.” 

To provide the wireless broadband service to 

these rural oil and gas locations ERF Wireless 

has formed a wholly owned 

Energy Broadband (“EBI”) 

subsidiary company. EBI utilizes 

a large fleet of mobile 

broadband trailers (“MBT”) 

that contain erectable fiftyfoot 

towers that are utilized 

to connect back to ERF 

Wireless’ extensive broadband 

network coverage to 

complete the connection. 

When the oil and gas customer 

needs the circuit established, EBI can 

respond within a matter of hours. When it 

comes time to move to the next drill location, 

EBI folds the tower down and moves right 

along with the drilling crew. 

Another example of a vertical market in 

which ERF Wireless has found great success 

is the regional banking industry. Employing 

leading-edge wireless broadband technology 

and its proprietary CryptoVue ® Network 

Security Appliance, ERF Wireless has established 

in these very rural locations an extremely 

competitive advantage and is the nation’s 

leading provider for secure wireless networks 

in the regional banking industry. To date, our 

regional bank customers have replaced expensive 

T1 telephone networks by 

utilizing our CryptoVue security 

appliance together with wireless 

networks that we designed and 

built. These banks are now connected 

across three states at more than 

one hundred banking locations. 

Another vertical market, initiated 

in 2011, in which ERF Wireless 

is very active is the rural education 

sector, which is in areas within or 

near locations where ERF Wireless 

already has network coverage. 

These educational applications have 

many things in common with the regional 

banking application because they are in 

extremely rural settings, but need the advantages 

of broadband connectivity just as their 

more urban counterparts. ERF Wireless can 

effectively provide a quality wireless broadband 

solution in many of these school districts 

and has already implemented many of 

these educational networks to date. 

In addition to the company’s headquarters 

there are regional offices in Pampa, Lubbock, 

Odessa, Justin, and Plains, Texas. 

For more information on ERF Wireless, visit 

www.erfwireless.com or www.erfwireless.net. 

Above: Energy Broadband provides wireless 

broadband directly to the remote 

customer locations. 

Below: ERF Wireless BranchNet wireless 

network for regional banks. 


139

KLEEN SUPPLY 

COMPANY 

Below: Carlos Peña and his father, Mario 

Peña, founder of Kleen Supply Company, 

August 1988. 

Bottom: Loyal staff works on orders and 

keeping up with customers’ needs. Left to 

right: Russ O’Connor, Frank Macaluso, 

Johnny de los Santos, Rafael Galindo, 

Berta Peña, Diane Peña and Carlos Peña. 

The happy, cartoon-like octopus over the 

front entry has his tentacles full. Sporting 

mops, brushes, sponges, a bucket and broom, 

he is a one busy guy, but not nearly as busy as 

the real-life owner inside. 

Carlos Peña, of Kleen Supply Company in 

Galveston, is a man of many missions, a fact 

quickly apparent with a brief look around his 

large store. In addition to row after row of 

industrial cleaning equipment, supplies and 

related items, and a special shop featuring 

pool and patio products, Peña’s office area is 

that of a hands-on executive, but one with 

strong family and some unusual community 

and international ties. 

Evidence of his many projects are, as anticipated, 

arranged across his desk, and a shelf 

displays photos of his wife, children, grandson 

and other family members and friends. Then 

there are photos of Peña participating in 

various community events, and a photo from 

London when he visited 

with the Archbishop of 

Canterbury and a photo of 

Peña meeting with Pope 

Benedict XVI at the Vatican 

in Rome. 

Now the Pope and the 

Archbishop have very little 

to do with Kleen Supply, 

but Peña’s life has much 

to do with all three, as well 

as the presiding Bishop of 

the Evangelical Lutheran 

Church in America. As one 

of Galveston’s most civic-minded business 

leaders, he has also become one of its most 

altruistic, and today not only manages the 

largest cleaning supply business in Galveston 

County, but also is in his second term as vice 

president of the ELCA and is on the board of 

the World Council of Churches, a position that 

takes him literally all over the world. 

Kleen Supply’s mission statement—“To 

provide the best service and care possible”— 

could also be a defining statement for Peña’s 

mission in life, both personal and public. 

Described as a person who has an “eye for 

possibility,” he is deeply committed to his 

company, his community and his church, and 

whether he is trying to find the best product 

for a challenging cleaning project, presiding 

over a local civic group, or meeting with 

world religious leaders in Geneva, his focus is 

on “service” and “care.” 

That “eye for possibility” trait could also be 

said of Peña’s father, Mario, who founded 

Kleen Supply in the family’s Galveston garage 

in August of 1971, the same year the younger 

Peña was graduating from Galveston’s Ball 

High School. Since that time, the business has 

grown from several pallets of merchandise on 

a garage floor to the current cleaning-supply 

emporium of 26,000 square feet. 

Although his father often said, “Once you 

work for yourself, you’ll never work for anyone 

else,” Peña did not immediately join the 

family business. In love with the trombone 

and equipped with a degree in music education 

from the University of Houston, he spent 

three years as a band director in Galveston 

schools before joining Kleen Supply in 1979. 

During that same time frame, a romance 

also emerged between Peña and an attractive 

U of H coed named Diane, also from 

Galveston. They both laugh as they recount 

how the relationship began. It was during the 

Lenten season and she needed a ride to her 

Lutheran church for Wednesday vespers. She 

asked him—as a casual acquaintance with a 

car—to drive her. He agreed, though he still 

jests about whether it was divine intervention 

or because he knew that the event would be 

followed by a covered dish supper. Whatever 

the cause, he soon joined her church and her, 

and they were married in 1978. 


140

Today, the Peñas jointly run the multimillion 

dollar Kleen Supply business, with the 

help of a small but long-term staff. “We have 

loyal employees and loyal customers,” says 

Diane, adding that the fact that many of their 

employees have been with them for more 

than fifteen years—and include his mother 

and her father, who still work on a part 

time basis—is illustrative of the stability and 

family spirit of Kleen Supply. 

Herself a teacher and then a school administrator 

for many years, Diane retired from 

her career at about the same time that Peña 

was first elected to the ELCA vice presidential 

post during the group’s 2003 Churchwide 

Assembly in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Assuming heavy responsibility was not 

new to Peña. A director of Texas First Bank 

and a member of numerous University of 

Texas Medical Branch and civic boards, he has 

served as president of Galveston Historical 

Foundation and on the Gulf Coast Regional 

Governing Board of Christus Health. He also 

has received the Young Lawyers Association of 

Galveston Liberty Bell Award and been named 

a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow. 

Recognizing, however, that this new “job,” 

the ELCA’s highest ranking lay position, 

would require an enhanced level of commitment 

and extensive travel, the couple decided 

that she would stay in Galveston and tend to 

the daily needs of the business while he took 

on what they both saw as a larger calling. 

“This is the way God has chosen to use me 

at this point in my life,” says Peña, citing the 

fact that owning his own business is a major 

factor in allowing him the freedom to accept 

such a demanding position. He quotes his 

father again, saying, “Put the time into your 

own business, and you’ll do well and have the 

ability to do other things.” 

In addition to specific duties such as 

chairing the ECLA executive committee and 

board of directors, Peña also has ad hoc 

responsibilities assigned by the church’s 

bishop. “When the bishop calls and says, 

‘I need for you to go to Jerusalem, or Indonesia 

or Ramala or Istanbul,’ I go,” he says. 

Meanwhile, back at the store, there are 

orders to be placed and deliveries to be made. 

Although the emphasis is on cleaning and 

paper products—toilet tissue being the most 

popular item—Kleen Supply’s inventory is 

diverse and includes pesticides, safety and 

emergency equipment, coffee, condiments 

and wholesale concession and food items— 

even candy and snow-cone syrup. “If there’s 

a demand, we carry it,” laughs Diane. 

Above: Kleen Supply Company, May 2011. 

Below: Experienced warehouse crew gathers 

orders for prompt delivery. Left to right: 

Jessie Hernandez, Richard Hernandez, 

Rafael Galindo, and Eddie Perez. 


141

HYGEIA 

ENVIRO-CLEAN, 

INC. 

Left to right: Dolores Cuchia with founder 

and father Anthony J. Cuchia, Sr. 

Cleanliness can mean the difference 

between a productive and apathetic workplace; 

between a fruitful and listless learning 

environment or, for that matter, any other 

place that people choose to live their lives 

each and every day. It can mean the difference 

between sickness and health, even the difference 

between life and death and is the very 

reason the people of Hygeia Enviro-Clean, 

Inc. take their jobs so seriously. 

On any given day, anyone who lives or 

works within the 100 mile or so radius 

encircling Hygeia’s home-base will very likely 

come into contact with the services and 

products it provides. The company’s figurative 

fingerprints are everywhere—from inside 

the janitor’s mop bucket, public restrooms, 

restaurants, shopping malls, retail stores, 

schools, churches and industrial plants to 

inside a myriad of medical facilities. 

A six-plus decade family business now 

headquartered in neighboring Houston, it is 

a major distributor of commercial and industrial 

cleaning supplies and equipment. It 

employs approximately thirty people, each 

one fully dedicated to exceeding customers’ 

expectations by delivering excellent customer 

service and quality products which help 

clients not only create a healthier and safer 

environment for today, but one which is 

sustainable well into the future. 

“We strive to contribute to the success 

of our customers and to always provide not 

only the top of the line maintenance supplies 

and equipment, but to also support those 

customers with on-going knowledge of new 

and improved products, equipment and 

methods,” Vincent Leone, Sr., owner, president 

and CEO, said in a recent interview. 

An example of Hygeia Enviro-Clean’s 

constant quest for the latest products and 

innovations to benefit its clients came about 

recently when many institutional clients were 

faced with new environmental standards and 

certifications, which forced them to search 

for more maintainable alternatives to the 

harsh, synthetic hand soaps and sanitizers 

they were using. Hygeia provided these 

clients with a worthy alternative when it 

teamed up with a flourishing skin care 

company that had developed high-quality 

hand hygiene products that blend environmentalism 

with infection prevention. 

Located at 11314 Windfern Road in 

Houston, Hygeia Enviro-Clean’s headquarters 

includes a large warehouse distribution center, 

a retail showroom, a training center as 

well as management and sales offices, all 

housed in a modern 12,500 square foot 

facility built in 2005. This facility’s warehouse 

is stocked with the most requested products 

so that customers may purchase onsite or 

order for delivery by either phone or the 

company’s website at www.hygeiaec.com. 

Perhaps, however, the most unique aspect 

of the facility is the Hygeia Training Academy, 

a specially designed and equipped training 

center where clients can learn the latest in 

products and techniques. The training center 

has fully functional demonstration fixtures 

and six different types of flooring, all ideal for 

practicing the correct application of the latest 

commercial cleaning and floor care products. 

In addition to the Houston headquarters, 

the company also has a division with offices 

in Beaumont. This division continues to promote 

public awareness of maintaining the 

environment utilizing the present and ongoing 

development of cleaning supplies and 

equipment. The Beaumont offices and warehouse 

distribution center are located at 7550 

College Street in Beaumont and serves the 


142

“Golden Triangle”—Beaumont, Orange and 

Port Arthur—with deliveries as far as Lufkin, 

a radius of more than one hundred miles. 

Enviro-Clean was founded as Hygeia 

Chemical Company in Galveston in 1944 by 

Anthony J. Cuchia, Sr. Cuchia ran the company, 

growing it from little more than a dream 

into a thriving company with offices in two 

cities—Galveston and Beaumont. It was a 

family business from the start with all of 

Cuchia’s children affiliated with the company 

at one time or another. In fact, eldest daughter 

Dolores worked for years as her father’s 

secretary and office manager. A second 

daughter, Toni, took charge of the Beaumont 

branch after it was opened in 1961 and, in 

later years, yet another daughter, Patti, also 

managed the Beaumont operation. 

Even after the senior Cuchia died unexpectedly 

in 1965 and the business was 

divided into two separate corporations— 

Hygeia Chemical Company, Inc. of Galveston 

and Hygeia Chemical Company Inc. of 

Beaumont—both remained in the family. The 

founder’s son, A. J. Cuchia, Jr., took over the 

Galveston operation following his graduation 

from Texas A&M University and still operates 

it under the name of Hygeia Chemical 

Company today. Dolores and husband, 

Vincent Leone, Sr., purchased the Beaumont 

division, eventually changing the name to 

Hygeia Enviro-Clean, Inc. Leone remains at 

Enviro-Clean’s helm. 

“It is our commitment and goal to continue 

what Mr. Cuchia, Sr., started in 1944,” 

Leone said. “A company dedicated to providing 

outstanding products and service and to 

remain committed to environmental sustainability—past, 

present and future.” 

For more information on Hygeia Enviro- 

Clean, Inc., visit online at .www.hygeiaec.com. 

President and CEO Vincent Leone, Sr. 


143

AMOCO 

FEDERAL 

CREDIT UNION 

Whether borrowing or saving, playing or 

graying, AMOCO Federal Credit Union 

stands ready to help its members reach their 

financial goals with personally attuned programs 

to address modern-day lifestyles. 

Whatever the need—a new or better car, a 

starter or larger home, an improved education, 

a long-awaited vacation or secure retirement—AMOCO 

FCU’s mission is “to serve 

and satisfy” its members. 

Throughout its more than seventy year history, 

the organization has built a reputation 

for providing strong, long-term monetary 

guidance and vigilant management of its 

members’ resources. Begun in 1937 as the 

Pan-Am Employees Federal Credit Union, its 

certificate of organization was signed by 

William J. Myers, then governor of the Farm 

Credit Administration that played a major 

role in President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 

New Deal to help the struggling 

nation recover from the 1929 stock 

market crash and the subsequent Great 

Depression and Dust Bowl disasters. 

Inaugurated with 169 members and 

$28,000 in assets, the Pan-Am Employees 

FCU was dedicated initially to serving 

the financial needs of employees of the 

Pan American Refining Corporation of 

Texas City and even had its offices located 

within the refinery complex. A 1947 

expansion, however, opened the credit 

union to include employees of Amoco 

Chemicals in Texas City and Amoco (Pan 

American) subsidiary. Changing its name 


144

in 1955 to Amoco Federal Credit Union to 

correspond with the new name of its sponsor 

company, Amoco Oil Refinery, the credit 

union grew during the post WWII years to 

include 3,100 members and $2.6 million in 

assets in 1957. 

With the merger of British Petroleum and 

Amoco Oil in 1998 to form BP Amoco and a 

subsequent decision in 2004 to call the company 

BP, the credit union made the choice to 

maintain the Amoco name because it represented 

stability and familiarity in the community. 

The one change that was made was to 

redesign the name so that it became the 

acronym AMOCO FCU, standing for A 

Member Owned Cooperative Organization 

Federal Credit Union. 

Although financial challenges—and the 

credit union’s name—may have changed over 

time, AMOCO FCU today remains steadfast 

in its ability and dedication to helping members 

manage their financial lives and build for 

the future while providing for the present. 

One of the largest and most progressive credit 

unions in the Houston/Galveston area, 

it today lists assets of more than $540 million 

and includes a diversified membership 

consisting of more than 300 local sponsor 

companies and 62,000 members. 

Offering a full range of financial products 

including checking and savings accounts, 

loans, credit cards, investments, insurance 

and financial planning, AMOCO FCU 

additionally seeks to educate its members of 

all ages about sensible money management 

and to help improve individual financial 

conditions and foster financial literacy in 

the community-at-large. Dedicating financial 

resources as well as the time and talents of its 

staff, AMOCO FCU sponsors programs such 

as A-Zone Accounts for members under twenty-two 

years of age, and BALANCE, a program 

designed to help members acquire financial 

control of their daily lives. For members fiftyfive 

and over, it offers the Platinum Club that 

meets quarterly and offers group travel events. 

In one of its most innovative programs and 

the first such event in the Houston area, 

AMOCO FCU in 2009 initiated an “Earn or 

Burn Challenge” with a grand prize of $20,000. 

Selecting four families out of 200 applicants 

from its membership, the credit union set up a 

reality-show format to follow the “contestants” 

as they worked toward specific financial goals 

over a ten month period. Each family was 

assigned a “coach” and charged with the challenge 

of improving its financial health and creating 

new spending and saving habits. Progress 

was monitored on a monthly basis, and a blog 

set up to allow others to observe how each 

family was addressing its challenges over the 

contest period. 

At the end of the contest, although there 

was only one grand prize winner, all the families 

felt they had “won” in that they all had 

achieved significant financial improvement 

and had developed important skills for better 

life-long understanding and control of the 

financial aspects of their lives. 

Such support on a one-to-one basis is a 

major key to AMOCO FCU’s growth. The 

satisfaction and loyalty of members and the 

commitment of its employees and volunteers 

have been apparent throughout its history. 

Functioning as a financially healthy institution 

during even unstable economic times, it 

was a one-branch credit union until 2005, 

when the decision was made to open a second 

branch in Bay Colony. Within the first six 

months of that branch opening, 1,000 new 

members joined AMOCO FCU and the tellers 

performed approximately 250,000 transactions. 

Four more new branches opened in the 

next four years, and, going back to the original 

idea of offering onsite services for refinery 

workers, a one employee “microbranch” was 

opened in 2007 at the BP refinery. 

Through donations, sponsorships and volunteerism, 

AMOCO FCU and its representatives 

and employees actively participate in a 

diverse array of civic and charitable organizations. 

Active with all nine local chambers of 

commerce, it has formed additional partnerships 

with nonprofit groups and participates 

in numerous programs and events each year 

that focus on community, health and wellness, 

youth, education, and other select groups. 

It also partners with other area credit unions 

through the Gulf Coast and Houston Chapter 

of Credit Unions, and is recognized as a leader 

in the credit union community for its support 

of the Children’s Miracle Network. 


145

MATTHEWS, INC. 

Above: James A. “Jimmy” Matthews, Sr. 

The story of Matthews, Inc., is more than 

just a story about a fuel and tire service. It is 

the story of a true family business—a story of 

a son and a grandson who continue to build 

on the legacy started by family patriarch, 

James A. “Jimmy” Matthews, Sr., nearly seven 

decades ago. 

An extremely hard working man, the senior 

Matthews started Matthews, Inc., in 1942 

as a full-service fuel and tire station selling 

Republic Oil. From the start, the foundation 

he laid for his business was the same foundation 

of honesty and integrity that he lived by. 

He was also careful to follow the guidelines 

established by the industry organizations 

which he so proudly served—organizations 

such as the Texas Service Stations Association 

and Texas Association of Petroleum Retailers 

for which he served as regional vice president 

and president, respectively. 

The industry’s code of ethics was his code 

of ethics as he committed himself to creating 

a service station where integrity meant more 

than profit; where honesty meant more than 

volume; and where honor was the watchword 

in sales and service. What is more, he 

instilled each of these beliefs and principals 

in every one of his employees as well as in 

the two generations of Matthews’ men— 

James A. “Ossie” Matthews, Jr., and James A. 

“Trey” Matthews III—who would eventually 

take over the business. 

Ossie grew up working with his father 

down at the shop. Back in the 1940s and 

1950s, the company was not only a service 

station, but was also a paint and body shop. 

Ossie learned all facets of the business from 

his dad and was thrilled when his own son, 

Trey, showed an interest in the business as 

well. Trey started working down at the shop 

after school and on weekends when he was 

just fifteen years old and had the wonderful 

opportunity to work with 

both his father and his 

grandfather for many years. 

He is next in line to take 

over the business once Ossie 

retires, just as Ossie did 

when his father retired. 

Indeed, today, Ossie and 

Trey proudly continue to 

carry the torch passed to 

them by the senior Matthews 

and can be found daily at the 

facilities of Matthews, Inc., 

located at 531 Texas Avenue, 

where the company has been 

located since 1945. It is here 

that they succeed in keeping 

up the family tradition of 

honest, reliable tire sales and 


146

services to a host of customers 

every day, some of them being 

third generation themselves. 

In addition to commercial and 

retail tire sales and service, 

Matthews, Inc., also offers a variety 

of other services to include 

countywide road service calls, 

wholesale fuel sales and deliveries, 

a gas station and more. To 

provide these services, the company 

employs seven of the most 

dedicated, loyal, hardworking 

and skilled employees as well as a 

fleet of four vehicles—two tire service repair 

trucks and two fuel delivery trucks. The trucks 

and teams are steadily on the go repairing and 

replacing tires all around Texas City and the 

Galveston County area, including inside many 

of the area’s oil refinery plants, some days all 

day long. The company specializes in Cooper 

Tires and Hankook Tires. 

The Matthews, Inc., station is also constantly 

busy during operation hours with cars 

and trucks needing fuel or tires; with one of 

the most unique features being the station’s 

full-service gas pumps. While most stations 

have long given way to the self-service pump, 

Matthews, Inc., has offered full service since 

the day it went into business in 1942. 

“Many of our customers are companies that 

come to us to fill up their company vehicles, 

but we also still have a lot of personal 

accounts that still come in as well. Some are 

the elderly or disabled or just customers 

who have been using our full-service pumps 

forever,” said Ossie. “And as long as 

there is a need for full-service at the gas 

pump, we will be providing it.” 

In addition to caring about its customers, 

the owners and employees of 

Matthews, Inc. also truly care about the 

community in which they live and work, 

actively giving back by sponsoring 

various organization and events including 

sports teams, cook-off teams, Texas 

City Independent School District events 

and Texas City-La Marque Chamber of 

Commerce events, just to name a few. 

“If anyone ever wonders what it takes 

to withstand the test of time, we think 

that we have found the answer. At least 

at Matthews, Inc., we feel the secret to 

our success is simple—knowing our 

customers on a first name basis and 

always putting them first,” Ossie said. 

“That’s the way dad started the business 

almost seventy years ago and that’s the 

way it will always be done as long as we 

are around.” 

For more information on Matthews, 

Inc., call (409) 945-0277. 

Left to right, James A. “Ossie” Matthews, Jr., 

and James A. “Trey” Matthews III. 


147

THE LAW FIRM OF 

ALTON C. TODD 

Above: Alton C. Todd. 

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF IMAGING STUDIOS. 

Below: The Todd children, left to right, 

Jeff Todd, Kamilah Todd, Seth Park, 

Kari Todd, Mike Todd, Jennifer Evans 

and Matt Todd. 

Cows, pizza parlors, railroads and 

refineries—whatever a client’s concern, The 

Law Firm of Alton C. Todd, located in 

Friendswood, upholds the philosophy of 

“Your Case is Our Cause.” 

Named one of the Top Ten Texas Super 

Lawyers by Texas Monthly, Alton C. Todd, the 

son of a farmer and mail carrier, is known for 

his tenacity and success in the courtroom and 

also his willingness to take on cases that 

other attorneys might reject. 

“An attorney too big to try a small case 

is too small to try a big case,” says Todd, 

who was included in the 2008 Bar Register 

of Preeminent Lawyers, elected a fellow 

of the International Academy of Trial 

Lawyers in 2009, and included on the 

Best Lawyers in America’s list of the Top 100 

Lawyers of Texas. 

“Whatever a potential client’s situation is, 

I take his or her issues seriously because 

those issues are serious to that client,” adds 

Todd, who also was recognized by Texas 

Lawyer Magazine as the state’s Best Civil Trial 

Lawyer and The Personal Injury Lawyer for 

Serious Suits. 

The magazine also reported that Galveston 

lawyers overwhelmingly pick Todd as the 

“go-to” personal injury lawyer for really big 

suits, and a fellow attorney was quoted as 

saying “He’s a very, very good trial lawyer. His 

word is his bond.” 

Such accolades are matched only by Todd’s 

own enthusiasm for the practice of law. 

“I love going to work everyday,” he says. 

“This is a wonderful profession—it gives me 

the opportunity to help others and make a 

positive difference. It is my responsibility to 

present evidence in the best light possible for 

my clients, and I enjoy that challenge.” 

Additionally appreciative of the advantages 

offered to him by Galveston County, Todd 

says, “The practice of law here has given me 

a phenomenal opportunity that I could never 

have experienced elsewhere. In particular, 

I feel very strong and positive about the 

county as a whole, and especially about 

where we are in Friendswood today.” 

Todd’s climb to the top of the state’s legal 

roster was not an easy one. With a wife 

and young twin sons, Todd put himself 

through law school by working five nights 

a week and Saturdays on a freight shipping 

dock. He additionally served on the board 

of editors for the school’s law review 

journal, and during the summers, installed 

swimming pools. 

Although Todd initially intended to stay 

in the Dallas area, upon receipt of his doctor 

of jurisprudence degree from Southern 

Methodist University, he was intrigued by a 

job offer from an insurance defense firm on 

Galveston Island, and the young family—now 

with a fourth child on the way—relocated to 

the Gulf Coast in 1971, the same year he 

passed the Texas Bar. Remembering those 

early times, Todd jokes that his life then 

centered on “babies, state bar and boarding 

up.” Four years later, however, opportunity 

beckoned again, and Todd—now with five 

children—moved to Alvin, where he joined 

the practice of Wellborn, Britt and Brown. 

Later, drawing on his twenty-five years of 

experience in personal injury cases, Todd 

formed his own eponymous firm that was 

relocated to Friendswood in 2000. 

Today, The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd 

occupies the historic 1938 residence 

constructed for Friendswood founder Cecil 

Brown, and its offices provide both a tribute 

to the history of the area and a testimony 

to Todd’s ongoing commitment to the 

community. In addition to recognitions of 

Todd’s professional honors and the firm’s 

numerous civic activities, a museum-like 

gallery of historic photos shows the town 

during its formative years, including an early 

1900s post office, grocery store and other 

street scenes. Todd, himself, shares many 

values with the Brown family, especially those 

supporting hard work and education. 

From the Midwest, the Browns arrived in 

the area during the winter of 1895 and had 

the unusual experience of disembarking from 

their train just after the Texas Gulf Coast had 

experienced a rare and record-setting snow 

fall. The family soon identified suitable land 

and, despite having no actual money, was 

able to arrange satisfactory terms for the 

desired acreage with owner J. C. League, a 

founder of nearby League City. As members 

of the Religious Society of Friends—often 


148

eferred to as Quakers—the Browns named 

their new community Friendswood. 

Drained by four creeks, the area was 

favorable for farming, and Friendswood was 

soon known for its production of figs, 

Satsuma oranges and strawberries. The everindustrious 

Quakers also began preserving 

some of their figs, and thus became one of 

the first “factories” in the area. In addition, 

Brown set up a sawmill, and used timber 

felled during the 1900 hurricane to build 

Friendswood Academy, which graduated its 

first class in 1907. 

Today, Todd is likewise working to ensure 

that Friendswood’s twenty-first century 

young people also receive an exemplary 

education. Dedicated to the success of his 

community’s future citizens, he says, 

“Education is a big deal here—our students 

even compete nationally in academic 

decathlons. We realize that education is a 

vital investment in their—and our—futures, 

and the more knowledge they have, the more 

opportunities they will access.” 

Todd’s own children, too, are following 

their father’s example, accessing their own 

individual and sometimes unconventional 

roads to success. Currently, their choices 

range from one son’s joining his father’s firm 

in the practice of law to the youngest 

daughter’s combining university studies with 

serving as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. 

Left to right, Clint McGuire, Alton C. Todd, 

and Jeff Todd in front of The Brown House. 


149

J&J TELECOMMUNICATIONS 

When are good connections no longer 

“good” enough? When Galvestonian Eddie 

Janek and his J&J Telecommunications Inc. 

are poised to point the way to “great.” 

As founding owner of the island-based 

business communications leader, Janek is well 

acquainted with the importance of great connections. 

Widely recognized for its innovative 

high-tech and service-oriented operations, J&J 

is dedicated to ensuring that its customers 

experience only the best in equipment, the latest 

in cutting-edge software, and unparalleled 

personalized service and technical support. 

“Customer satisfaction is a major commitment 

at J&J,” says Janek. “In addition to 

offering optimal technology and service, we 

take a personal interest in our customers’ 

individual needs. We also believe that if a 

situation is ‘mission-critical,’ downtime is not 

an option, so we provide twenty-four hour 

emergency call-out services, seven days a 

week, and free loaner equipment.” 

Eric Froeschner, J&J’s global sales and 

marketing director, agrees saying, “Customers 

who outsource their IT service and support 

with J&J are assured of 100 percent quality 

and reliability. We are not satisfied until our 

customers are satisfied. Whether we’re building, 

supporting or administering a system— 

or developing a custom IT solution—J&J will 

find a way to do it better, faster and more 

cost-effectively.” 

J&J’s reputation as a leader in business 

communications was further reinforced in 

the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in 2008. Word 

quickly spread of how customers using J&J’s 

innovative connections were able to maintain 

communications before, during and after the 

storm made landfall. 

Crediting the power of a cutting-edge 

“hosted voice solution” with J&J’s ability to 

provide its customers with uninterrupted 

communication during Ike, J&J CEO Scott 

Kellogg points out that most local businesses 

using more traditional systems lost service 

during the storm. 

“By use of this system, J&J enabled its 

customers—one of which was Galveston’s 

largest insurance company—to maintain 

contact with their customers and employees 

throughout this major disaster,” says Kellogg. 

“It was a situation that brought numerous 

other businesses here to an abrupt halt for an 

extended period of time.” 

Aware that small to mid-sized companies 

have specific needs, Janek additionally notes 

that J&J Telecommunications is especially 

equipped to serve them. “Our engineers are 

the brightest and best in all areas of computer 

networks and IT solutions, from basic cabling 

and messaging to network security and 

collaborative workgroup solutions,” he says. 

“We also offer one of the most comprehensive 

and affordable support and maintenance 

packages in the industry and by choosing J&J, 

a business is getting customer service that 

caters to its specific requirements.” 


150

Janek points out that J&J technicians can 

be used to supplement a company’s existing 

support staff or, alternatively, J&J can take full 

responsibility for administering and managing 

a communications network. “It’s like having a 

complete support staff at a fraction of the cost 

of hiring full-time personnel,” he says. 

In the more than twenty-five years since Janek 

founded the company with his son Craig in 

1984, few areas of modern life have changed so 

dramatically as business communications. J&J’s 

own growth reflects this trend, and the company 

that initially served only Galveston provides 

services today throughout the United States. 

To maintain its edge on industry progress, 

J&J requires intensive initial training and ongoing 

continuing education for its design, installation 

and service staff. Janek, however, makes no 

apologies for the fact that today he leaves the 

high-tech and specialized areas to the young 

“whiz-kids” such as Scott and Bill Fennelly, 

J&J’s CFO, who have joined J&J in recent years. 

“The telecommunications industry is one 

that is constantly ‘pushing the envelope,’” 

Janek says. “It’s just good business on my 

part that I step back and let these young 

techno-gurus take the lead when it comes 

to mastering the ever more sophisticated 

demands of today’s cutting-edge technology.” 

What has not changed, however, is J&J’s 

philosophy on service. 

“New communications technology is only 

as good as the people who design the systems 

to meet an individual business’ specific 

needs, then install and maintain it,” Janek 

says. “It’s J&J’s time-honored commitment to 

service that more than anything else sets us 

apart from the others.” 

The importance Janek places on service 

has been reflected throughout his life, both 

personally and professionally. A teenager 

during the early 1940s, he attempted to enlist 

in the military at age fifteen, but his ruse was 

ultimately discovered and he was sent home. 

A year later, however, he succeeded in joining 

the Navy, and served in the South Pacific 

during World War II and later in Korea. 

In July 1946, Janek had the opportunity to 

twice witness the making of history with the 

testing of the atomic bomb in the Bikini Atoll 

of the Marshall Islands. He chuckles when he 

notes that in addition to being warned to close 

their eyes lest their eyesight be damaged, he 

and his fellow crew members had been cautioned 

that witnessing the blasts might make 

them sterile. Today, Janek—who earned some 

twenty military medals—notes that he is not 

blind and is also the father of three children. 

As a major civic leader, Janek’s role in the 

greater Galveston community also has been 

filled with history-making activities. A past 

Galveston County commissioner and former 

board member of several groups including the 

Galveston Airport Commission, Port of 

Galveston Wharves Board and Galveston 

Navigation District, Janek was appointed by 

Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2011 to the 

Board of Pilot Commissioners for Galveston 

County Ports. Janek additionally has been 

recognized with a special resolution for his 

numerous contributions to the County Judges 

and Commissioners Association of Texas. 


151

TEXAS CITY- 

LA MARQUE 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

Above: Local legislators at a business 

luncheon, including Representative 

Craig Eiland, Senator Mike Jackson, 

and Representative Larry Taylor. 

Below: The Texas City-La Marque Chamber 

of Commerce building. 

Bottom: Safety Council ribbon-cutting 

ceremony with local plant managers 

and businessmen. 

Imagine a complex of multiuse rooms— 

meeting rooms, conference rooms, sitting 

rooms, rooms with copying and communications 

equipment—each one proudly bearing 

the name of a vital area business. Imagine 

these rooms radiating like the spokes of a 

wheel off a central receiving area “hub” 

that buzzes with activity and friendly voices 

as area business leaders drop by regularly 

on official and nonofficial business. Imagine 

wall-to-wall display cases loaded with maps, 

brochures, driving guides, reference materials 

and background information on local life 

and leisure. Imagine clean rest rooms and 

hot coffee. 

If you can wrap your mind around all 

this, you are close to experiencing the reality 

of the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of 

Commerce, around which all things related 

to the well-being of these two coastal communities 

seem to revolve. 

Founded in 1969, the Texas City-La Marque 

Chamber of Commerce has much to show for 

its years of service. With a focus on improving 

its community’s economic development 

and quality of life, it has served as a defining 

and unifying force throughout the area’s 

development as a major economic and industrial 

player on the Texas Gulf Coast. Also 

drawing strength from its diversity, the 

organization’s membership reflects the area’s 

global interests and includes members from 

as far away as China. 

The group’s all-inclusive role is summed 

up in its mission statement: “The Texas City- 

La Marque Chamber of Commerce is an 

organization of businesses and individuals 

whose purpose it is to create a positive 

business environment, assist in economic 

development, support public and private 

institutions, promote tourism and community 

involvement and, in general, enhance the 

quality of life in our communities.” 

Acting as a catalyst for a number of organizations 

within the community, the chamber 

and/or its committees touch virtually every 

aspect of life in Texas City and La Marque. 

Whatever the concern—education, industry, 

business or the environment—it is almost 

guaranteed that there is a chamber group that 

is deeply and personally involved. 


152

The education committee works through 

local schools to provide scholarship opportunities 

and each year hosts a new teachers’ 

breakfast. Other area concerns and commitments 

are served through activities such as 

a speaker’s bureau, the annual “Trash Bash,” 

a Hurricane Forecast Luncheon and an 

industrial trade show. Other regular events 

include a golf tournament, shrimp boil, 

community picnic and “FunFest.” 

Reflecting its “Partners in Progress” motto, 

the organization has received unparalleled 

support from its community. 

Naming rights on rooms, 

and even chairs, and the 

donation of supplies and 

services have resulted in a 

building that is completely 

paid for today, leaving this 

chamber looking forward 

to a future of new growth, 

partnerships and collaboration 

in its continuing work 

to create a even better place 

to live, work and play. 

Clockwise, starting from top left: 

Texas City Dike. 

The Texas City vs. La Marque football 

game, “Battle By the Bay.” 

The Spirit of Texas City biplane at Bay 

Street Park. 

Halfmoon Shoal Lighthouse on Texas 

City Levee. 

The Delaney Cove subdivision in 

La Marque. 

The Davison Home, a historical home in 

Texas City. 

Children fishing on Texas City Dike. 


153

HOMETOWN 

BANK, N.A. 

Above: Friendswood downtown, 

601 South Friendswood Drive. 

Below: Galveston Main Bank, 

1801 Forty-fifth Street. 

Whether it is the home team, home cooking, 

or home, sweet home—there is no doubt 

that there is no place like home. For many 

Galveston County area residents, there is also 

no place like HomeTown Bank for handling 

their business and personal financial needs 

and services. 

Commencing operations on Galveston 

Island on June 12, 1966, under the name 

of Bank of Galveston, National Association, 

the bank was founded by a group of local 

business leaders who believed Galvestonians 

of the 1960s needed a bank more centrally 

located to residents living on the western part 

of the island. 

Changing its name to HomeTown Bank, 

National Association, in 1999 to better support 

the expansion of its services to mainland 

areas, HomeTown Bank has since opened a 

number of new offices 

and currently has 2 

banking locations on 

Galveston Island, 1 in 

League City, 1 in Alvin, 

and 2 in Friendswood. 

HomeTown Bank has 

enjoyed a long history 

of consistent leadership 

and profitable operations. 

Throughout its 

first half century of serving 

Galveston County, 

it has had only four 

chairmen and three 

presidents. A founding 

Director and long-time 

Chairman of the Board 

was Michael J. Gaido, Sr., 

a member of the restaurant 

and hotel family of 

the same name. Upon Gaido’s death in 1993, 

Jack Miller, of the Schreiber and Miller 

Furniture in Galveston and La Marque, 

served as chairman for many years before 

being succeeded by Michael J. Gaido, Jr. 

Other bank leadership has been provided by 

President Douglas Lee, who served more than 

twenty years before Jimmy Rasmussen was 

named to that position in 1989. 

Taking its name seriously is a full-time mission 

at HomeTown Bank. With a philosophy 

of hiring local people, serving local people 

and sharing its ownership among some 500 

shareholders, HomeTown Bank strives to 

welcome each customer like a member of the 

family, including hosting outreach social and 

community events several times a year. 

Through the provision of personalized, 

boots-on-the-ground service by real people, a 

neighbor-to-neighbor working environment 

has been created by HomeTown Bank, even 

during times of disaster. In the aftermath of 

Hurricane Ike and at a time of international 

financial crisis when larger, national banks 

were failing, HomeTown Bank was recognized 

in the Congressional Record of the 

111th Congress of the United States for the 

bank’s ability to provide immediate attention 

and emergency service to its home community 

through more than $6 million in bridge 

loans to local area business. 

Services provided by HomeTown Bank 

range from traditional checking and saving 

accounts to consumer and commercial lending; 

certificates of deposit, online banking 

and bill pay, Cash Management, Commercial 

Remote Deposit Capture, Debit MasterCard, 

and worldwide ATM access services. For 

additional information on HomeTown Bank, 

visit www.htbna.com on the Internet. 


154

When Hurricane Ike blew through 

Galveston Island in September 2008 bringing 

110-mph sustained winds and towering 

twenty-two foot waves, A-1 Fire Equipment 

Co., like the majority on the island, lost 

everything—everything, that is, but its will to 

survive and rebuild the very island on which 

the company was founded in 1967. 

“We lost both of our shops and our office,” 

said owner and operator Mark Priddy, who 

purchased the established fire equipment 

company in 2002 and merged it with his 

existing company, Galveston Fire and Safety. 

“But because our clients and neighbors come 

first, we chose to focus on helping them get 

back up and running.” 

Because they needed some place to work 

from immediately, Priddy purchased a facility 

in nearby La Marque and his team set out to 

help rebuild the island. They worked nonstop, 

seven days a week for more than a year 

making sure each of their clients had what 

they needed in the way of fire protection. 

Then, like today, they performed thousands 

of inspections and provided, serviced and 

installed everything from fire extinguishers, 

fire alarm systems, restaurant systems, 

marine fire systems and flame and gas detection 

systems to carbonic and hydrostatic 

testing systems as well as access control and 

closed circuit television. They worked on, 

restored and rebuilt structures to include 

businesses, government and school facilities, 

colleges and residential facilities and also 

installed systems on and inspected the boats 

of the U.S. Coast Guard as well as those that 

service the oil rigs off the coast. 

Today, A-1 Fire still operates from its office 

in La Marque and has earned its rightful designation 

as a household name on Galveston 

Island and all along the Texas coastline. It 

services 3,000-plus customers, many who 

have themselves or, who by carrying the 

torch of their forefathers, have laid the 

very foundation of the area, clients such as 

George Mitchell Properties, Landry’s Seafood, 

Port of Galveston, Moody Gardens, College 

of Mainland and Galveston Community 

College, just to name a few. 

In addition to its traditional services, the 

company has recently added a second division, 

A-1 Restaurant Services, which focuses 

on kitchen hood cleaning. The company 

employs a dozen skilled and dedicated associates 

and has annual revenues which consistently 

top $2 million. It is fully-licensed and 

certified with the State of Texas; an accredited 

member of the National Fire Protection 

Association; and a proud sponsor of the youth 

program at the annual Galveston County Fair. 

For more information, stop by the company’s 

office at 3202 Main Street in La Marque, call 

409-744-4438, or visit the company website at 

www.a-1fire.com. 

A-1 FIRE 

EQUIPMENT CO. 


155

GALVESTON 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

It is not just about ribbon cuttings with 

giant wooden scissors, nor the plaques, 

awards and framed news clippings that cover 

the walls at the Galveston Chamber of 

Commerce. The most distinguishing feature 

of Texas’ first—and oldest—chamber of 

commerce is its total understanding of the 

word “business.” 

Founded in 1845 the Galveston Chamber 

of Commerce was made official “by law” by 

the Eighth Congress of the Republic of 

Texas. Local business leaders whose names 

are attached to the official documents of 

that event include such historic notables as 

S. M. Williams, founder of the Texas Navy, 

and M. B. Menard, who later became a 

founder of Galveston itself. 

A similar pioneering 

spirit has since energized 

Galveston’s chamber for 

more than 160 years. 

Through natural disasters 

such as storms, fires and 

fever epidemics, through 

economic prosperity and 

down-turns, the Galveston 

Chamber of Commerce has 

played a vital and pivotal 

role in the unfolding commercial 

development of not 

only its home community, 

but the entire Gulf Coast 

region of the United States. 

From the beginning, 

Galveston’s leaders knew the importance of 

working together. With one of the best natural 

deepwater ports in the world, the island 

early on attracted shipping and maritime 

interests, and with shipping came businessmen, 

entrepreneurs, adventurers and workers 

of every description. 

With such diversity, however, there had to 

be consensus and a common ground for the 

men and women who were going to shape 

Texas history and commerce as it branched 

out over the remainder of the nineteenth century 

into banking, railroads, cattle and cotton. 

The Galveston Chamber of Commerce was 

specifically designed to provide this broad 

base for businesses of all types. With its 

guidance, the island city of the 1800s soon 

became known as “The Queen of the Gulf,” 

and for many decades was the most prosperous 

and progressive city in the state. Today, 

Galveston’s chamber—with its to-the-point 

mission “To Promote and Advocate for 

Business”—is still the unifying organization 

for local growth and development. 

Combining creative foresight with an ability 

to tap into innovative business ventures 

attuned to the world’s changing needs, 

Galveston’s twenty-first century chamber continues 

its dedication to building a strong local 

economy through more businesses, better 

businesses, and jobs with competitive salaries 

and fringe benefits. Additionally, its programs 

foster better schools, enhanced educational 

opportunities and a decrease in crime. 

Through commercial stimulation, the 

chamber is also paving the way for public 

programs and community amenities that 

enhance Galveston’s overall quality of life, 

contributing to not only increased resident 

satisfaction but the building of the tourism 

industry through growing numbers of conventions, 

meetings and vacationing visitors. 


156

Teaming up Lone Star State values with 

all-star employees and family-friendly service 

is a winning strategy at Texas First Bank. 

With a motto of “Helping Texans Build Texas” 

and headquartered in Texas City, Texas First 

Bank is Galveston County’s largest, locallyowned 

family of community banks. 

Initially founded in Hitchcock in 1962 as 

First State Bank, the organization was purchased 

in 1973 by an investor group headed by 

current Board Chairman Charles T. “Chuck” 

Doyle. Renamed Texas First Bank, the 

organization grew steadily under Doyle’s 

leadership and, by the end of the 

twentieth century, had established banking 

centers in all thirteen of Galveston 

County’s incorporated areas. Today, it 

includes twenty banking centers and 

has expanded into Brazoria, Chambers, 

Harris and Jefferson Counties, as well 

as offering additional services through 

Texas First Mortgage, Texas First SBA 

Lending, Texas First Investment Center, 

and the Rust-Ewing and Sullivan 

Insurance agencies. 

Steadfastly maintaining its conservative 

roots, Texas First Bank has solidly 

and profitably withstood world market 

fluctuations without losing its family 

focus. Deeply committed to customer 

service and satisfaction, it combines 

responsible management with innovative 

programs, such as online account 

opening, and was the first bank in Texas 

and the second bank in the nation to 

offer the VISA Extras program. Texas First Bank 

was voted Best of the Bay’s “Best Bank” and 

named among the area’s “Top Work Places” by 

the Houston Chronicle, and received Golden 

Eagle and Silver Eagle marketing awards from 

the Independent Bankers Association of Texas. 

In 2009 the Independent Community Bankers 

of America Magazine Independent Banker 

named Texas First Bank one of the topperforming 

banks in the country. 

A five-term mayor of Texas City and the 

Galveston County Daily News’ “Citizen of the 

Century,” in 2000, Doyle has been a major 

player in the development of the bank and of 

Texas City. The recipient of numerous honors, 

including IBAT’s “Chairman’s Award” and 

being named “Texas Banker of the Year,” he 

served as the first community banker on 

the Federal Advisory Council to the Board 

of Governors of the Federal Reserve in 

Washington, D.C., and was a director of the 

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. He also is 

known for his work with area youth, including 

playing a prominent role with the Boy 

Scouts and helping found the “LEADS” leadership 

program for area high schools with the 

Texas City ISD Foundation for the Future. 

Deeply committed to maintaining the 

altruistic and family nature of Texas First, 

Doyle today has three of his sons working 

with him, and, following their father’s lead, 

each is also heavily involved in civic affairs. 

Matthew is vice chairman of the bank’s 

board and currently Mayor of Texas City; 

Christopher is bank president/CEO and 

heads the Salvation Army advisory board; 

and Patrick is currently Galveston County 

Commissioner, serves as the bank’s legal 

counsel, and is active in Scouting. The threesome 

and their father also have given the 

Doyles the distinction of being the only family 

to have four members named among the 

Texas Jaycees’ “Outstanding Young Texans.” 

TEXAS FIRST 

BANK 

Left to right holding their Outstanding 

Young Texans awards are: Legal Counsel 

of Texas First Bank, Patrick Doyle; 

Chairman of the Board, Charles T. Doyle; 

Vice Chairman, Matthew T. Doyle; 

and President/CEO Christopher Doyle. 


157

BETTER 

BUSINESS 

BUREAU 

For going on nine decades, consumers and 

businesses in Galveston County have enjoyed 

the protection and assistance provided by the 

Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston 

and South Texas. 

Perhaps better known as simply the 

BBB, this bureau is one 

of a network of 110 private 

business organizations 

located throughout 

the United States and 

Canada. Like its sister 

organizations across the 

continent, it was born out 

of concern for the deceptive 

advertising practices 

prevalent during the early 

twentieth century and 

actually morphed from 

the existing Associated 

Advertising Clubs of 

America. History tells us, 

in fact, that it was during 

a meeting of this group, 

which was presided over 

by the club president and 

held at the Rice Hotel in downtown Houston, 

that the area BBB was officially founded on 

February 28, 1922. 

Today, this BBB serves a metropolitan area 

that encompasses Galveston and seventeen 

other Texas counties. It promotes mutual 

trust between more than 8,000 accredited 

businesses and a population that has grown 

from less than 300,000 when the BBB was 

first founded to more than six million today. 

The organization employs sixty people and 

has four offices in the region. 

According to the organization’s board of 

directors, which is made up of fifty members 

representing the counties it services, the 

BBB is in the business of creating and 

maintaining better business throughout its 

service area. It works diligently to create a 

trustworthy business community, which 

breeds success for both consumer and 

accredited businesses alike. 

Indeed, it is a simple, but successful 

premise. Because companies that are invited 

to join the BBB as Accredited Businesses 

must meet the BBB Standards for Trust and 

maintain all requirements of Accreditation, 

consumers can feel confident in patronizing 

BBB-accredited businesses. Likewise, when 

consumers feel more confident about a 

business, accredited businesses usually enjoy 

a growing customer base. 

Specifically, the BBB gathers and archives 

information about businesses and their 

reliability, whether accredited or not; alerts 

the public to fraud against consumers and 

businesses; provides information on ethical 

business practices, and acts as mutually 

trusted intermediaries between consumers 

and businesses to resolved disputes. Core 

services include business review reports, 

fraud prevention, charity accountability and 

effectiveness education, complaints and 

dispute resolution, consumer and business 

education, truth in advertising and wise 

giving charity reports. 

Additionally dues-paying Accredited 

Businesses can utilize a number of services 

to help improve their business from dispute 

handling and resolution, training, various 

advertising and marketing tools and a 

speakers bureau, just to name a few, as 

well as complete access to a host of valuable 

business information resources available only 

through the BBB. 

For more information, please visit online at 

www.bbbgalveston.org. 


158

When R. C. Williams founded ROBCO 

Facility Services in 1977, his office was the 

trunk of his car. 

Today, however, ROBCO has a headquarters 

office in Texas City and two satellite offices 

and is one of the premier facility management 

companies in Texas. ROBCO provides a wide 

range of services in six main areas—janitorial, 

lawn care, pest control, greenbelt mowing, box 

moves and ancillary service. The employee roster 

has grown from one to approximately 100. 

When asked what makes the company 

successful, the now retired founder who has 

since turned over the company to his son, 

Emery Williams II, is quick to tip his hat 

to the employees. “We feel that our greatest 

assets are our employees. Through hard 

work, good management and a working 

relationship based on commitment, we are 

able to maintain a consistent and highly 

trained workforce with high quality work 

performance,” the elder Williams said. 

The company is particularly proud of its 

stellar safety record. It has had no recordable 

incidents with the Occupational Safety and 

Hazard Association (OSHA) in almost a decade 

and has been recognized time and again by the 

committee that presents the Houston Business 

Round Table Safety Excellence Awards. 

“With quality and safety procedures 

second to none in the industry, our clients 

can trust us to work in their highest security 

and most restricted areas,” says Emery, who 

now serves as company president. 

ROBCO provides superior services both 

inside and out for facilities of all sizes and 

types—from commercial office buildings, 

industrial facilities, chemical plants and 

refineries to undeveloped and newly developed 

properties as well as recreational and 

school properties. Its client list includes 

well-known corporate citizens such as BP 

Refinery, Praxair Incorporated, First Choice, 

BP Amoco Chemical Company, Ineos Nova, 

LLC, Oxbrow Carbon and Minerals and 

BP Chemical, Inc., just to name a few. 

Indoors, the company’s janitorial service 

record is spotless and staff and management 

are constantly researching to identify the most 

efficient, cost-saving and green methods to 

perform cleaning services. 

Outdoors, ROBCO provides top-notch 

landscaping services to include design and 

complete lawn care and pest control treatments 

and maintenance to protect and bring 

out the aesthetics of offices and facilities alike. 

ROBCO’s Greenbelt Mowing division provides 

services such as tractor mowing, tree 

removal, weed and tree trimming, grading 

services, seasonal clean-up and maintenance. 

The Moving Division provides professional 

moving services for commercial clients. 

Additionally, the company is also equipped 

to provide an array of ad hoc services on 

demand such as pressure and steam washing 

and herbicide spraying. 

ROBCO Facility Services is located at 

428 Texas Avenue, Texas City, 77590. For 

more information, call 409-945-5539 or visit 

www.robcoservices.com. 

ROBCO FACILITY SERVICES 

R. C. Williams. 


159

GIA INSURANCE 

Above: Southeast corner of Market and 

Twenty-first Streets, 1893. 

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE ROSENBERG LIBRARY. 

A small collection of broken red bricks 

and mortar bears silent witness to the real 

business at Galveston Insurance Associates. 

Sharing display-case space with gleaming 

civic awards and vintage photos, the 

crumbled masonry from a long ago storm 

ravaged building is a somber reminder that 

human life, health and property must never 

be taken for granted. 

The oldest independent 

insurance agency in Galveston 

County and the largest on 

Galveston Island, GIA has 

shared more than 120 years of 

history with its home community. 

During that time, the 

company has dealt with fire, 

flood and storm. It has seen its 

clients through sickness and 

health and been there to provide 

security and support 

through many of life’s most 

major moments. 

As an Independent Insurance Agency, GIA 

is not limited to selecting policies from only 

one insurance provider, but has the ability to 

‘shop’ for competitive rates and provide 

individualized coverage through a variety of 

personal and business insurance products. 

Additionally, GIA’s long tenure in the insurance 

business provides extra assurance of dependable 

representation in that it has over the years 

cultivated favorable and stable relationships 

with a number of carefully chosen, reputable 

and financially sound insurance companies. 

From its offices today on Galveston Island 

and in Friendswood, Texas, GIA can help 

clients select insurance for nearly all personal 

and business interests, including farm and 

ranch coverage. In addition to life and health 

insurance for individuals, families, groups 

and employees, GIA offers homeowners, 

windstorm, flood, automobile, boat, yacht, 

motorcycle and other “valuable property” 

policies. Commercial coverage includes business 

and commercial property protection, 

plus liability, windstorm, flood, workers’ 

compensation, business vehicle and bonding 

policies. GIA can also assist with financial, 

business, retirement and estate planning. 

GIA’s history includes helping Galveston 

recover from numerous weather disasters. 

Founded in 1892 by Charles Rhodes Brown, 

one of the first presidents of the Independent 

Insurance Agents of Texas, the company had 

been in business only eight years when 

Galveston experienced the Great Storm of 

1900. Slightly over a century later, GIA once 

again played a leadership role in disaster recovery 

when Hurricane Ike struck in 2008. GIA’s 

president, Garry P. Kaufman, was president of 

the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas 

(IIAT) when Hurricane Ike made landfall. 

As the state’s largest writer of flood insurance 

and among the first agencies in Texas 

to have a website, www.gia-tx.com, GIA is 

committed to providing ongoing 

service in advance of, throughout 

and immediately after catastrophic 

events. In advance of Ike, 

it relocated computer servers, 

workstations and a management 

team inland to College Station, 

allowing GIA to be “online” and 

fielding calls from customers even 

as Ike was making landfall. The 

day following the storm, the company 

president was back on 

Galveston Island personally helping 

process client claims, and 

three days later, GIA’s mainland 

office reopened to provide assistance 

twelve hours a day to the 

neighboring community. 


160

A Galveston resident since the late 

1980s, journalist Leslie Watts currently 

pursues a freelance career in writing 

and editing—and sometimes helping 

others write and edit—books, articles, 

institutional publications, press releases, 

speeches, scripts, advertising and 

other materials. In addition to a 

journalism career that has included 

both print and broadcast communications, 

Watts has taught high school 

algebra and middle school English. 

Graduated with honors from 

Louisiana State University in Baton 

Rouge, Watts earned her bachelor’s 

degree in journalism, specializing in 

radio and television broadcast. She 

also has studied computer science at 

the University of Houston and worked 

on a Master of Science degree in 

mathematics at the University of 

New Orleans. 

Her career has included serving as 

director of continuity for WAFB-TV in 

Baton Rouge, where she helped organize 

programming and also wrote and produced 

news and feature stories, commercials and 

public service messages. 

She joined the Houston Chronicle as a food 

and wine writer and assistant to the food 

editor, and was later named senior fashion 

writer. During her almost ten years at the 

Chronicle, she produced several weekly 

columns, contributed general features to the 

newspaper’s lifestyle section, and assisted in 

the sports department during football season. 

She also provided coverage of figure skating 

events and personalities during Houston’s 

Olympics Festival. 

In anticipation of the 100th anniversary 

of the founding of the medical school at 

the University of Texas Medical Branch at 

Galveston, Watts was hired as the event’s 

Centennial Writer to oversee the writing and 

publication of materials related to the centennial 

celebration. In this role, she produced the 

centennial’s quarterly newsletter and authored 

numerous publications including two commemorative 

books, Century of Service and 

Centennial Reflections. Upon completion of 

the medical school’s anniversary celebration, 

she continued to write for the university 

and assisted with special projects for the 

UTMB president’s office and other upper-level 

administrative areas. 

Her freelance career has included serving 

as a contributing editor for Continental, the 

in-flight magazine for Continental Airlines, 

during which she for several years authored 

the airline’s monthly Cityside column on 

Houston, and also served as the Houston 

restaurant reviewer and features writer. Other 

publications in which her work has appeared 

range from the Journal of the American Medical 

Association and Texas Medicine to the Handbook 

of Texas and Liquor Store Magazine. 

Watts enjoys spending time with her four 

children and seven grandchildren, and is 

also an active volunteer. She has served on 

a number of Galveston boards related to 

church and civic activities, including the 

Grace Episcopal Church Foundation Board. 

She also has chaired Galveston Historical 

Foundation’s homes tour committee and 

preservation and conservation services 

committee, and continues to work with that 

organization’s Dickens on the Strand festival 

and other local and Houston-area projects. 

LESLIE WATTS 

Leslie Watts. 


161

MIHOVIL 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Freelance photographer Robert Mihovil. 

Photographer Robert Mihovil is a man 

of passion—passion for his family, passion 

for historic Galveston Island and passion 

for photography. 

Although his work has appeared in 

numerous local, national and international 

publications, his loyalty to his home 

community—and his affection for it as a 

favorite subject—has been paramount in 

his career. 

“I have always been proud to be a B.O.I.,” 

says Mihovil, referring to the “born on 

the island” acronym used by many native 

Galvestonians to ensure that everyone is 

aware of their island heritage. A fourth 

generation Galvestonian, Mihovil adds that 

he even has had the same phone number 

for fifty-three years and except for the time 

he spent earning a bachelor’s degree in 

journalism at the University of Texas main 

campus in Austin, he has been an island 

resident throughout his life. 

Many of his fellow citizens and professional 

acquaintances recognize that he could 

have set his sights on far-reaching fame, 

but Mihovil is adamant about his home 

community’s place at the center of his life. 

“I never aspired to be a world famous 

photographer,” he says. “I am perfectly 

satisfied and completely content being the 

big fish in our little island pond. I have a 

wife, family and friends who love me. I have 

an adult daughter who speaks to me and a 

photography career that I’m still passionate 

about after thirty-two years. Although I have 

opportunities to travel on many exciting 

assignments, I am very active in my neighborhood 

and community and I especially 

enjoy sharing with others my love and 

appreciation of Galveston.” 

Mihovil also admits to being a perfectionist, 

not only with regard to the technical 

aspects of his photography but with the 

selection of subjects and the locations in 

which he photographs them. 

In his preparation for gathering the images 

featured in Coastal Visions: Images of Galveston 

County, Mihovil contacted representatives of 

all the county’s chambers of commerce as 

well as local historians and civic leaders from 

throughout the area’s various communities. 

“It was important to me that Coastal Visions 

be truly representative of the county as 

a whole,” he says. “I wanted every area 

in the county to have input into the 

selection process of what really constitutes 

Galveston County’s vision and which 

subjects were truly representative of our 

coastal lifestyle.” 

Mihovil is happily married and has 

one daughter. 

He is a regular contributor for Coast 

Magazine, Guidry News and Texas Journey. His 

work also has appeared in Coastal Living, 

National Geographic, Newsweek, Offshore, 

People, Smithsonian, Texas Highways and 

Texas Monthly. The Austin-American Statesman, 

Boston Globe, Houston Chronicle, New York 

Times and USA Today have also published 

his work. 

His photographs have additionally 

been chosen for the covers of such 

publications as the Galveston Park Board 

of Trustees Visitor’s Guide, the Galveston 

Chamber of Commerce Directory and AT&T 

telephone directories distributed throughout 

the county. 

In addition to his own freelance career, 

Mihovil and his friend/photo assistant Carl 

Schutz host photography excursions for the 

Galveston Island Arts Academy. During these 

hands-on programs, they help participants 

set up their own digital cameras, provide 

instruction in basic photography skills, 

share photography tips and finish up with a 

photography “field trip.” 

Mihovil also teaches photography each 

summer at Sea Camp, an outreach program 

for students thirteen to eighteen years of 

age at Texas A&M Galveston. Remembering 

that his own interest in photography 

began at a similarly early age, he says “The 

first camera I ever owned, I won selling 

Worlds Finest Chocolate when I was twelve. 

I sold twenty-four cases to win the 

first prize, which was a stereo. I selected 

the second prize instead, however—a 

Kodak camera.” 

Mihovil Photography is located at 2402 

Church Street, Galveston Island, Texas 77550. 

For additional information please go to his 

online web gallery at www.mihovil.com. 


162

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MIHOVIL PHOTOGRAPHY. 


163

Building a 

Greater Galveston 


164

Galveston’s real estate developers, 

construction companies, 

heavy industries, and manufacturers 

provide the economic foundation 

of the region 

Mitchell Historic Properties ........................................................166 

BP Texas City Refinery ...............................................................170 

BP Texas City Chemicals.............................................................171 

Galveston County Economic Alliance.............................................172 

United Way Galveston County Mainland........................................173 

Ocean Star Museum ..................................................................174 

Gulf Copper..............................................................................176 

CenterPoint Energy....................................................................178 

First Choice Power ....................................................................180 

HDR, Inc..................................................................................182 

Port of Galveston ......................................................................184 

Hitchcock Industrial Development Corporation ...............................186 

Blimp Base Interests, Inc. ...........................................................187 

Prudential Premier Properties–Beach or Bay ..................................188 

Marathon Petroleum Corporation .................................................189 

Valero Refinery .........................................................................190 

Galveston-Texas City Pilots.........................................................191 

Dow Texas City Operations .........................................................192 

BUILDING A GREATER GALVESTON 

165

MITCHELL 

HISTORIC 

PROPERTIES 

Above: Young George Mitchell in knickers. 

Below: George and Cynthia Mitchell pictured 

at the former Wentletrap Restaurant. 

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE ROSENBERG LIBRARY, 

GALVESTON, TEXAS. 

Probably few people enjoying the late 

1920s Galveston beachfront paid much attention 

to a small boy gathering shells—shells he 

later would sell to a local merchant but this 

appreciation of Galveston’s natural beauty 

combined with a talent for entrepreneurship 

came early for George Mitchell. 

Most likely, not many more noticed the 

same boy at age twelve as he spent his 

summer biking through Galveston’s neighborhoods, 

identifying the many different 

varieties of Oleanders, the island’s official 

flower, to be found across the city. This 

youthful desire to honor his island heritage 

blended with a commitment to its preservation 

also forecast George Mitchell’s most 

daring adult mission. 

Today, as founder of Mitchell Historic 

Properties, George is recognized as having 

taken on an unparalleled adult role as a leader 

in the rescue of Galveston’s historic architecture, 

the preservation of the island’s heritage, 

and the rebirth of his home community as a 

center of business and tourism. 

The internationally recognized geologist, 

engineer, oilman, businessman, developer, 

philanthropist and preservationist has been 

not only a catalyst but a major player in the 

rehabilitation of Galveston’s nineteenth and 

early twentieth century downtown and its 

resultant elevation to the status of The Strand 

National Historic Landmark District, as 

designated by the National Park Service. 

With investment in the Galveston 

community totaling more than $175 

million, MHP administers the operations 

and preservation of more than 

one-fourth of the buildings on The 

Strand and the adjacent Pier 21 area, 

and oversees some twenty historic 

buildings and three hotels. 

Where fifty years ago there stood 

entire city blocks of dilapidated and 

sometimes abandoned Victorian- and 

Edwardian-era buildings, there is today 

a bustling downtown with sparkling 

retail emporiums, art galleries, offices, 

residences and restaurants. Because of 

George and other similar visionaries, 

today’s tourists and locals alike can 

leisurely stroll Galveston’s charming 

historic downtown as they shop, work, dine 

and play. Some are even fortunate enough to 

now call it home. 

The man behind much of this Galveston 

renaissance—George Phydias Mitchell—was 

born in 1919 to Savvas Paraskevopoulos and 

Katina Eleftherion. Savvas had emigrated 

from Greece in 1901, and while working on a 

railroad crew was faced with a company paymaster 

who complained of his employee’s 

multi-syllabic Greek last name. Savvas solved 

the problem by adopting the Irish paymaster’s 

own name—Mike Mitchell—and then passed 

the last part on to his own progeny. 

After moving to Galveston, where George 

was born, the family lived above their small 

dry cleaning shop in a Galveston neighborhood 

referred to as the “League of Nations” 

because of its diverse racial and ethnic 

composition. Hardworking but unschooled, 

George’s parents stressed the importance 

of education to all four of their children, 

and, following his graduation in 1935 from 

Galveston’s Ball High School, George had 

planned to enter Rice University in preparation 

for medical school. At age sixteen, however, 

he was declared too young for admission 

to Rice, so he decided to mark time by 

working with his brother Johnny in the oil 

fields that were sprouting up all over Texas. 

In the heady atmosphere of the burgeoning 

petrochemical industry, a career in medicine 

was soon set aside, and George headed off to 

Texas A&M to study geology and petroleum 

engineering. Working his way through college 

by operating a laundry concession, waiting 

tables, and selling candy, stationery and book 

cases that he made himself—and also finding 

time to captain the university’s tennis team—he 

graduated in 1940 at the top of his class. 

The next decade was filled with momentous 

events for the aspiring young entrepreneur. 

On Thanksgiving Day 1941, during a train ride 

returning to Houston after a football game, 

George met Cynthia Woods, who became 

the love of his life. The couple married on 

Halloween 1943 and began a life-long partnership 

in which they not only raised ten children 

but also became one of the region’s most 

significant couples, widely recognized for their 

civic leadership. 


166

Following service during World War II as a 

captain with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

George began his petroleum engineering career 

in earnest. He led a gas exploration “wildcatting” 

operation that in 1952 hit one of the largest 

strikes in history, laying the foundation for what 

would eventually become Mitchell Energy and 

Development Corporation, one of the nation’s 

premier independent energy companies. 

Above: Hotel Galvez & Spa is the only 

historic beachfront hotel on the Texas Gulf 

Coast. In preparation for the hotel’s 100th 

anniversary, all Gulf facing windows will be 

replaced with operable, divided light 

windows reminiscent of the hotels 

original design. 

Left: The Tremont House is located in 

historic downtown Galveston and is a 

wonderful example of adaptive use of a 

historic building. 

Despite the demands of a busy professional 

life, which came to include the development 

of The Woodlands, a planned community 

north of Houston, George made sure his growing 

family made time and space for regular 

visits to Galveston south of Houston. It was a 

favorite place to come and relax, a place where 

George could indulge in his passion for fishing 

and where the children learned to share their 

parents’ appreciation of and commitment to 

the island. 

The Mitchells also began to direct their 

attention toward providing a solid foundation 

for Galveston’s future economic growth 

through the development of the western part 

of the island, but were additionally concerned 

about the continuing deterioration of numerous 

architectural treasures on the east end. 

In particular, they saw the widespread blight 

that threatened the historic downtown. 

In 1972, on a visit to Charleston, South 

Carolina. George learned of an innovative 

program that included a buying-and-selling 

“revolving fund” program that was being used 

to help temporarily rescue historic structures 

from the wrecking ball and stabilize them until 

a suitable permanent owner could be found to 

continue the structure’s restoration. 

Below: The Hutchings-Sealy Building is 

situated on the corner of Strand and 

Twenty-fourth Street in the heart of historic 

downtown Galveston. The building offers 

retail space on the first floor as well as office 

space on the second and third floors. 


167

Left: Old Galveston Square is a high-traffic 

retail location in the center of historic 

downtown Galveston. The building offers 

highly visible retail space on the first floor 

as well as retail/office space on the second 

and third floors. 

Right: The Thomas Jefferson League 

Building on The Strand. 

A group from Galveston Historical 

Foundation was dispatched to study the 

Charleston program and, with the support of 

several local foundations and others, a 

similar fund was established for the island. 

The Mitchells purchased the 1871 Thomas 

Jefferson League Building on The Strand in 

1976, and with its renovation, opened the 

upscale Wentletrap Restaurant. 

In 1982, George shared in a speech to the 

island’s Rotary Club a major plan for his home 

town that included increasing year-round 

tourism, developing additional residential areas 

on the island’s west end and revitalizing the 

entire downtown area. His personal goals 

included the opening of two hotels, a marina 

and upscale condominiums, and establishing a 

trolley line to run from downtown to the beach. 

The first hotel, the San Luis Resort and 

Condos, was new construction, but was built 

on historic property that had served as Fort 

Crockett during World War II. The land came 

with elevated military bunkers and vintage 

gun emplacements, which were left intact and 

can be seen today still strategically overlooking 

the Gulf with the magnificent San Luis 

complex sitting high on the hill above them. 

The second hotel was The Tremont House, 

which occupies the 1879 Leon and H. Blum 

Building in the historic downtown area. 

Constructed more than a century earlier, the 

building like much of downtown Galveston 

had fallen into severe disrepair at the time of 

the Mitchells’ purchase. 

With his typical visionary approach and 

perseverance, however, George personally 

oversaw its transformation from a massive 

but shabby commercial warehouse into the 

119-room Tremont House, one of the Texas 

Gulf Coast’s most charming and luxurious 

historic hotels and the first of any significance 

in Galveston’s downtown area in six decades. 

With fanfare such as the city had not seen in 

years, the hotel’s opening in February 1985 

was accompanied by the Mitchells’ revival of 

Galveston’s traditional Mardi Gras celebration, 

complete with a gala parade, costumed revelers 

and a formal ball. 

Another rescue effort took on mythological 

aspects. As Hurricane Alicia left Galveston 

in its wake in 1983, it also left the 

Washington Building—constructed in 1873 

as the Washington Hotel—almost totally in 

ashes, the result of an electrical fire sparked 

by the storm. The Mitchells had already 

purchased the building and plans had been 

drawn up for its rehabilitation, but all that 

was left were portions of two walls, one of 

which had to be supported by a lumber brace 

to keep it from falling. 

In typical Mitchell fashion, the rehabilitation 

program, which now included rebuilding 

as well, went forward, and what emerged was 

a charming reinforced concrete-framed replication 

of the original building to house retail 

areas, offices and the city’s oldest law firm. 

The space in back of the Washington was 

reconfigured to include a park-like courtyard 

that fronted a bakery and coffee shop aptly 

named The Phoenix, and which for many 

years after was a favorite early morning stop 

for George, who would quietly drop in, 

inconspicuously take a table in the corner and 

visit with a close friend or two over coffee. 


168

The Mitchells have not limited 

themselves to saving only Galveston 

buildings. The badly deteriorated 1877 

“Tall Ship” Elissa had initially been slated 

for the City of San Francisco, but 

George and other community leaders 

were able to negotiate a deal to bring 

her to Galveston instead, where today, 

gloriously restored, she serves as the 

main attraction at the Texas Seaport 

Museum and is one of three National 

Historic Landmarks in Galveston. 

George also followed through on his 

1982 vision to create a trolley line, 

whose vintage-like vehicles offered 

regular passenger service across the island 

from Pier 21 on the bay to the beachfront on 

the gulf until they were severely damaged 

by Hurricane Ike in 2008. Also a part of the 

George’s plan to strengthen the link between 

Galveston’s harbor and The Strand, the Pier 21 

complex includes the Harbor House Hotel & 

Marina, constructed in 1993, in addition to a 

theater, shops and restaurants. 

Although they cannot claim the BOI 

(“Born on the Island”) status of their father, 

the children of George and Cynthia Mitchell 

seem to share much of their parents’ commitment 

to the island. Son Grant Mitchell has 

turned his cinematic talents to the production 

of several multimedia presentations on the 

island’s history, including The Great Storm and 

The Pirate Island of Jean Lafitte, both of which 

are shown at Pier 21’s Great Storm Theater. 

Daughter Sheridan Mitchell Lorenz has joined 

her parents in civic projects such as the 

development of a local affordable housing 

initiative known as The Oaks, and applied 

her expertise in architectural preservation and 

interior decoration to the accurate restoration 

and refurbishment of the 1911 Hotel Galvez. 

Additionally, the Mitchells’ granddaughter 

Lori Mitchell currently oversees design choices 

for all the family’s Galveston properties 

with the same care and attention to detail 

shown by her grandmother and aunt. 

It was at Cynthia’s encouragement—she is 

reported to have said to her husband, “If you 

really care about Galveston, you will buy that 

hotel”—that George in 1992 purchased the 

Galvez for $3 million. The initial rehabilitation 

that followed totaled around another $20 

million, but few grand hotels of the past have 

been so painstakingly researched and meticulously 

rebuilt to their earlier splendor. Photos 

from its premiere years, when the Galvez was 

known as the “Queen of the Gulf,” were carefully 

examined by Sheridan and her mother, 

and later modifications removed and earlier 

design elements restored. Even the paint colors 

of the original lobby were replicated to create 

an oasis of spacious, palm-shaded vistas connected 

by “tea and cream” columns and arches. 

There was yet another great challenge coming, 

however. When Hurricane Ike struck in 

September 2008, destroying much of the 

rehabilitation efforts of the past half century, 

MHP was again a leader in the recovery and 

rebuilding of the historic district. Launching a 

massive clean-up and restoration program, 

the organization commandeered an army of 

workers to address the damages, and following 

the example of George and other stalwart 

islanders, much of Galveston quickly and 

heroically rebounded. 

The following year, when the “Spirit of 

Galveston” award was presented to George by 

the Galveston Chamber of Commerce, many 

felt he should receive a “Heart of Galveston” 

tribute as well, for that is what he had truly 

given. And indeed, as the evening unfolded 

and his many contributions throughout the 

years were being extolled, one could catch a 

glimpse every now and then of the young 

George with his shy, boyish smile, and totally, 

unabashedly still head-over-heels in love with 

his island home. 

Due to high demand for waterfront property 

for dining, retail and entertainment, the 

Pier 21 complex provides a destination 

along the pier. Pier 21 offers retail space. 


169

BP TEXAS CITY 

REFINERY 

Above: West Plant. 

Below: Board operator, Cynthia Cappa. 

Workers at the BP Texas City Refinery 

have been producing vital transportation 

fuels for the American marketplace since 

1934. Originally the site was owned by 

Pan Am, and later Amoco before that 

company merged with BP in 1998. 

As the third largest refinery in the United 

States and BP’s largest refinery worldwide, 

the Texas City plant has a crude capacity of 

475,000 barrels per day. The refinery can produce 

up to 3 percent of the U.S. gas supply. 

During 12 hours of normal production, 

the Refinery’s workers 

can produce 21 million gallons 

of gasoline, enough to fill up 80 

miles of a 36-inch pipeline. 

Locally, the refinery is the 

largest private sector employer 

and taxpayer in Galveston 

County. The site’s 2,000 plus 

workers are proud to provide 

a variety of fuels, chemical 

feedstock and other refined 

petroleum products for customers 

across the country. 

Less than ten years after 

its construction, the refinery’s 

workers made a lasting impact 

on history. During World War II, 

U.S. Government funds resulted 

in the construction of three new 

units at the facility, where its 

workers produced vital jet fuel 

for American and Allied forces. 

The site saw continued growth following 

the war to keep up with post-war demands. 

By the 1960s, the plant had the capacity 

to produce 240,000 barrels of crude a day. 

During the next decade, a waste water 

facility was built as part of a modernization 

project. Further expansions and investments 

continued from the 1980s to 2000s aimed at 

improving capability, reducing emissions and 

producing a cleaner fuel. 

From 2005 to 2009, BP invested more 

than $1 billion and more than 60 million 

hours to renovate the 1,200-acre facility. 

Those renovations included major updates 

to 28 major process units, a rebuilt 27-mile 

steam system, new flare systems and a 62,000 

square feet employee services building. 

Located in south Texas City, the refinery has 

access to the world through the Port of Texas 

City and numerous pipelines. 

With a daily employee and contractor 

work force that can reach as high as 7,000, 

the site’s annual economic impact on the 

Texas economy from operating revenues 

and spin-off revenues totals more than 

$20 billion. 

BP works to be a good corporate neighbor 

with employees participating in numerous 

community services projects and has 

raised nearly $1 million annually for the 

United Way. The company’s Fabric of 

America program has enabled employees to 

give more than $1.1 million in contributions 

to local organizations. 


170

BP TEXAS CITY 

CHEMICALS 

The 300 workers of the BP Texas City 

Chemicals facility are proud to run the 

world’s largest production plant of both 

paraxylene and metaxylene. 

The 220-acre site includes four manufacturing 

process units—three paraxylene (PX) 

and one metaxylene (MX). The PX production 

capacity is 2.5 billion pounds per year 

and the MX production capacity stands at 

500 million pounds per year. 

The principal use for paraxylene is purified 

terephthalic acid (PTA) which is used primarily 

in making polyester for textile fibers and 

fabrics for various products such as bottles 

containing groceries and cleaning products, 

magnetic tapes, microfilms and containers. 

The PX output from BP Texas City 

Chemicals is primarily shipped to BP’s PTA 

plant in Cooper River, South Carolina, and 

then exported to facilities throughout 

Asia. PTA is the key raw material used to 

manufacture polyester fiber, resin and film. 

The main use of metaxylene is purified 

isophthalic acid (PIA) which is used to 

make soda bottles, fiberglass auto bodies, 

surf boards, snowmobile housings, outboard 

motor covers, industrial cooling fans and 

vaulting poles. 

The MX production at BP Texas City is 

under long-term sales contract to a third party 

in the United State for conversion into PIA. 

The Chemicals plant purchases most of 

its feed stocks directly from the adjacent 

BP Texas City Refinery. 

The chemical plant is located on the 

south side of Texas City and was acquired 

by BP in 1998 from Amoco along with the 

neighboring refinery. 

BP Texas City Chemicals implements a 

deepwater dock facility at the Port of Texas 

City which is leased from the Texas City 

Terminal Railway Port Authority. 

BP workers are proud to support local 

charitable and service organizations like the 

Salvation Army, the Galveston County Food 

Bank, Ronald McDonald House, D’Feet Breast 

Cancer, the Bay Area Council Boy Scouts, and 

school districts throughout Galveston County. 

On the next two pages, BP is proud to sponsor 

the presentations of the Galveston County 

Economic Alliance and United Way Galveston 

County Mainland. Both agencies have been 

excellent partners with BP Texas City in improving 

the quality of life for many citizens, families 

and businesses throughout Galveston County. 


171

GALVESTON 

COUNTY 

ECONOMIC 

ALLIANCE 

The Galveston County Economic Alliance 

was formed in February 1998 to provide 

economic development services for Galveston 

County. The current executive director is 

Don Gartman. The Alliance is a membership 

organization composed of cities, business, 

education and industry leaders in Galveston 

County. Its board of directors represents a 

wide cross section of the membership. 

The principal function of the Alliance is to 

facilitate the location and development of new 

business and industry into Galveston County. 

Since its inception, it has worked with many 

new businesses to create new jobs and inject 

capital into the local economy. The Alliance 

works very closely with city economic development 

entities to attract business that is 

consistent with the growth plan of the city. 

Galveston County boasts a wonderful variety 

of communities, from the tourist centered 

economy of Galveston Island, to the industrial 

base of Texas City, to the scientific and 

technical focus of Northern Galveston County. 

Each community is unique and has its own 

priorities for development. 

Galveston County is committed to creating 

an environment that encourages economic 

growth and the creation of jobs. It provides a 

well educated workforce, strong community 

support, excellent medical facilities through 

the University of Texas Medical Branch, and a 

wide variety of lifestyle experiences. More 

information about Galveston County cities 

and the Galveston County Economic Alliance 

may be found at www.gcea.us. 

Although its principal function is to facilitate 

the location of new business and industry 

into Galveston County, in 2005, the Alliance 

decided to extend its work to the support of 

small business development within Galveston 

County. It formed the Galveston County 

Economic Alliance Foundation for the primary 

purpose of raising the necessary match 

funding to bring the services of a Small 

Business Development Center to Galveston 

County. The Foundation entered into an 

agreement with the University of Houston to 

host the Galveston County Small Business 

Development Center, which saw its first client 

in 2006. Since that time, the Center has 

assisted in the formation of over 100 new 

businesses, the creation of over 400 new jobs, 

and the infusion of over $23,000,000 into the 

economy of Galveston County. The Center provides 

one-on-one business advice and counseling 

at no cost to the business owner, and 

a variety of training classes at very low cost. 

Visit www.gcsbdc.com for more information. 


172

UNITED WAY 

GALVESTON 

COUNTY 

MAINLAND 

There is a United Way in almost every large 

city across the United States and several other 

parts of the world. Each United Way is as different 

as the diverse communities it serves. 

The organization now known as United Way 

Galveston County Mainland has been serving 

the people of Galveston County’s mainland 

communities since 1955. Then, it was called 

United Fund. Now it is called United Way 

Galveston County Mainland. Then, and now, 

the mission is still the same: mobilizing the 

caring power of people to help one another. 

Each year, this United Way raises funds with 

the help of industrial and community advocates 

to support programs at local nonprofits 

and to provide direct community services. 

The United Way was born out of necessity. 

It was created by men and women of good 

will as an answer to the waste and frustration 

of many competing appeals for funds, numerous 

and incessant demands for volunteer time 

and the fragmentation of human services. 

In the early years of this organization, the 

campaign goal was about $200,000 for 11 social 

service agencies. The 2012 campaign goal was 

$2,324,000, which was designated to fund more 

than 60 programs that improve the health, 

income and education of people who live in 

Galveston County’s 13 mainland communities. 

Year after year, employees from the industrial 

plants and local business leaders give 

a portion of their wages to United Way 

Galveston County Mainland. The petrochemical 

businesses that call Texas City home have 

played an integral role in keeping the doors 

open for vital social service programs in 

Galveston County by supporting United Way. 

The support that this United Way has 

received from the industrial employees and 

contractors goes beyond financial donations. 

In 2012, United Way Galveston County 

Mainland had plant managers from every 

large plant in Texas City serving on their 

board of directors. These community leaders 

have been instrumental in improving the 

health, income and education of Galveston 

County by remaining proactive and steadfast 

in their commitment to United Way. 

United Way Galveston County Mainland is 

a local phenomenon that evolved gradually 

through community efforts to help people. It 

also served to coordinate the agency activity 

into a galvanizing force to strengthen the 

impact of the individual on his or her 

community. United Way Galveston County 

Mainland continues today, as they have in the 

past, to be actively involved in coordinating 

vital health and human services to provide 

maximum impact to the people who live and 

work in Galveston County. 

Below: Eagle Scout Will Roberts, Texas City 

Mayor Matt Doyle, and BP Texas City 

Plant Manager and Business Unit Leader. 


173

OCEAN STAR 

MUSEUM 

Above: Ocean Star Offshore Drilling 

Rig Museum. 

Below: Boy Scout Troop 266 working on 

Geology Badge activities. 

Ahoy! Welcome aboard the Ocean Star for 

a first-hand adventure aboard an offshore 

drilling rig. Whether charting a course for 

entertainment or education, visitors will find 

her ready to take them on a heady, industrialstrength 

voyage of discovery within a 

comfortable, modern museum setting. 

The only known facility of its type, the 

Ocean Star, a “jackup” drilling rig, offers the 

opportunity to physically enter the world of 

the offshore petrochemical industry. This 

great leviathan of the deep—deep water 

drilling, that is—is a marvel in technology, 

and although Ocean Star is now retired from 

active duty and permanently berthed at 

Galveston’s Pier 19—she still has many 

lessons to teach. 

Within the renovated three-story interior, 

complete with elevators, innovative exhibits 

illustrate the evolution of drilling and the 

petroleum industry from 2,000 B.C. to modern 

times. Technological advances in the 

exploration for, capture and transport of oil 

and gas are clearly illustrated in multi-media 

presentations, and, through interactive 

exhibits, visitors can experience what it is like 

to operate a cyberbase driller’s 

chair or mount a “Billy Pugh” 

personnel basket, the main 

method of transporting people 

and supplies from ships onto the 

rig itself. Visitors also will see a 

display of “pigs,” a pipeline 

cleaning device, and learn why 

these devices squeal. 

Detailed models of the ocean 

floor are a lesson in Gulf Coast 

ecology and geology, and exciting 

videos, photographs and intricate scale models 

of the various type of ships, drilling rigs, 

offshore production facilities and other 

equipment used to extract petroleum and 

natural gas products from under the sea 

dramatically illustrate the when, where, why 

and how of the North American drilling 

industry from the late nineteenth century to 

modern times. A Hall of Fame features industry 

pioneers, and an oil careers exhibit 

includes an interest profile survey and a 

hands-on, hats-on display of uniforms. 

Outdoors at the Ocean Star, metal gangways 

and decks rattle underfoot, and the heft 

and height of the rig’s decks and their onboard 

equipment are stunning. Standing on 

the drill floor, it is a 193-foot shot, straight 

up to the top of the derrick, and at her 

working weight of 5,096 tons, the Ocean Star 

was a formidable presence during her fifteen 

years of service in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Equipment on view ranges from seismic 

equipment, “Christmas trees” and a “monkey 

board” to the giant block-and-tackle system 

used to control the drill’s descent, drill bits, 

coring bits, power tongs, drill collars, a 

blow-out preventer, a helicopter and the 

all-important crane used to move men and 

material on and off the rig. 

Attracting approximately 40,000 visitors a 

year from across the nation and around the 

world, the Ocean Star is open year-round and 

has received enthusiastic reviews, including 

being listed as a “Must Visit” museum by Go 

Guides Destination, named “Best Museum in 

Galveston” by Islander magazine, and referenced 

as a point of interest by Newsweek and 

Corporate & Incentive Travel magazines. 


174

In addition to tours for the general public, 

the Ocean Star offers “on board” accredited 

teacher workshops and education supplies 

such as “Knowledge Boxes” and “Playing With 

Petroleum Kits” that are estimated to impact 

some 90,000 students annually. There are also 

Tour Plus Programs designed for students in 

grades three through twelfth, overnight programs, 

Boy Scout and Girl Scout badge workshops 

and monthly family day events. For 

those unable to visit the Ocean Star, a Mobile 

Offshore Learning Unit travels to schools 

throughout the state. The Ocean Star is additionally 

available for event rentals. 

The museum also depicts the ties between 

modern lifestyles and the need for petroleum 

through an exhibit of toys, shoes, cell phones, 

computers, deodorants, disposable diapers, 

household cleaners, paints, cosmetics and 

medicines that are all connected to off-shore 

oil and gas production. Transportation and 

climate control are also an integral part of 

today’s world, and although progress is being 

made in the development of alternative energy 

sources for these, it is estimated that fossil 

fuels will be needed to help power them for 

many decades yet to come. 

Oceanic and other exhibits illustrate the 

many steps taken to protect the environment 

during oil and gas exploration and extraction. 

Rig platforms are shown supporting the 

growth of coral and other marine life, and a 

video on the Texas coast’s Flower Garden 

Banks points out that it is recognized as one 

of the world’s healthiest reef systems despite 

the presence of some 400 oil and gas wells 

within a ten mile radius of the sanctuary. 

Safety and comfort are paramount concerns 

for personnel of offshore rigs, which 

operate under the auspices of the U.S. Coast 

Guard. The Ocean Star displays such specialized 

equipment as escape pods, some of 

which can hold up to twenty-eight men, 

a barometric treatment facility, and, for 

deep-water surveillance and construction, 

protective dive suits and remotely-operated 

under-sea vehicles. There are also exhibits to 

show how rig workers live on a daily basis in 

their floating home, with ship-style cabins, 

recreational areas and kitchens known for 

their exceptional food. During her working 

days, the Ocean Star had a 

crew of forty-nine, but 

today’s larger rigs may 

have as many as ninety 

workers on board that 

range from “rough necks” 

to computer specialists. 

The Offshore Energy 

Center, a nonprofit educational 

organization formed 

in 1989 and headquartered 

in Houston, is dedicated to 

expanding the awareness of 

the vast energy resources 

beneath the world’s oceans, 

and chronicling the unique heritage and 

technological accomplishments of the industry 

that discovers, produces and delivers these 

resources in a safe and environmentally 

responsible way. OEC receives no federal or 

state funding and is supported by the community 

and the industry. Special displays at the 

Ocean Star honor those individuals and companies 

who have provided major financial and 

in-kind donations to the museum, and the 

OEC additionally sponsors an annual fundraising 

gala and golf and fishing tournaments. 

Built in 1969 by the Bethlehem Steel Yard 

in Beaumont, Texas, the Ocean Star served off 

the Louisiana coast before being retired in 

1984. Acquired in 1995 by the OEC, she was 

refurbished, rebuilt, relocated in Galveston, 

and reopened as a museum in 1997. 

Top: Visitors pause their audio guided tour 

for a photo on the rig floor. 

Above: Children from Dickinson ISD on a 

guided tour during a field trip. 


175

GULF COPPER 

Gulf Copper is golden on the upper Texas 

coast. Specializing in ship and drilling rig 

repair and upgrades—and operating under 

the official name of Gulf Copper Drydock and 

Rig Repair—the progressive company has 

brought to Galveston County not only a new 

industry but also created much needed jobs 

and provided a major economic boost with 

the opening of its latest facility on Pelican 

Island in 2005. 

One of the leading rig repair companies in 

the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf Copper describes 

itself as “employee-owned, customer-driven.” 

According to Vice President Leonard Hale— 

who oversees Galveston operations—the 

company is dedicated to establishing itself as 

the long-term preferred provider of marine 

and industrial fabrication and repair services 

in all the markets it serves. 

“We intend to be our customers’ project 

partner and solution provider not just in 

the present but for months and years to 

come,” says Hale. “Through our programs of 

seeking continuous improvement in both 

productivity and the quality of our work, 

Gulf Copper is committed 

to building value for 

our customers, employee/ 

owners, vendors and the 

communities in which 

we operate. Individually 

and as a company, we are 

adamant about adhering 

to safe practices in the 

workplace, protection of 

the environment and 

ethical dealings with all 

our stakeholders.” 

Gulf Copper was founded in 1948 when 

three employees of Farmers Copper in 

Galveston moved to Port Arthur, Texas, to 

begin an independent enterprise dedicated 

to the fabrication and installation of copper 

piping aboard ships. 

When the original owners retired in 1979, 

the Port Arthur company was purchased by 

Morris Albright and Bill Picton, who expanded 

its operations to include full topside ship 

repair with a machining division. Over the 

years, Gulf Copper further diversified to service 

the commercial marine, offshore shipping, 

oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, 

construction and transportation industries. 

A second branch was opened in Corpus 

Christi in 1990, and since that time, Gulf 

Copper has grown to become an international 

leader in marine repair, and today operates 

additional locations in San Diego and Guam. 

In the first six years following the opening 

of the Pelican Island facility, the number of 

employees at that location grew from 150 to 

more than 800, of whom more than 500 have 

become shareholders through the company’s 

Employee Stock Ownership Plan. This plan 

was initiated in 1998 when Gulf Copper 

decided to further reward the numerous 

talented people on its payroll and initiated a 

program in which employees such as welders, 

fitters, machinists, electricians and laborers, 

among others, could share in the ownership 

of the company. 

With some 3,000 feet of quayside space 

and dry-docking capabilities for most jack-up 

drilling rigs as well as smaller semi-submersibles, 

Gulf Copper’s Galveston facility is 

widely recognized for its diversity and ability 


176

to provide a broad range of services for its 

customers, including fabrication, blasting, 

painting, machining, mechanical, electrical, 

scaffolding and other marine-related work. 

Additional areas of Gulf Copper specialization 

include modification, reclassification, 

topside repairs, installation, staging, sea fastening 

and modular fabrication. It also provides 

support for the surveying, repairing, 

retrofitting, maintenance and general services 

of offshore vessels, including jack-ups, semisubmersibles, 

barges, MSVs and others. 

With deepwater facilities in both Port 

Arthur and Galveston, Gulf Copper is advantageously 

located to the U.S. Gulf Continental 

Shelf and the U.S. Gulf Deepwater Oil Fields. 

As a dynamic local hub for some of the most 

demanding repair in the maritime industry, 

the company is able to support a client list 

that includes major and independent offshore 

drilling rig contractors, offshore oil and gas 

operating and service companies, national oil 

companies, major U.S. commercial ship operators 

and the U.S. government and military. 

Such diversity offers its own challenges, 

however. “We know that every customer and 

every job is unique,” says Hale, “Gulf Copper 

has the manpower and expertise to devise a 

solution that fits a wide range of requirements, 

and our highly trained staff will listen 

to a customer’s needs and create a solution 

that is tailored to a specific project.” 

Partnership with the community also is an 

important focus for Gulf Copper. In addition 

to being known for its generous corporate 

donations, it participates in local fund drives 

and sponsorships within its home communities. 

Following Hurricane Ike in 2008, it 

provided extensive repair services and materials 

at cost for Galveston’s severely damaged 

Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and 

Museum. Upholding its mission as a major 

supporter of activities that involve a community’s 

youth or those in need, Gulf Copper’s 

activities in these areas include the Salvation 

Army’s Red Kettle Drive, the Southeast Texas 

Food Bank, Toys for Tots; Cell Phones for 

Soldiers and Newspapers in the Schools. 

It is also a major supporter of the Galveston 

Seafarers Center, a nonprofit, multidenominational 

organization aimed at serving the needs 

of the men and women 

who live and work at 

sea. “The welfare of the 

seafarer and his or her 

care while in port is 

important to us,” says 

Hale. “By providing 

these workers who are 

far from home with 

much needed amenities 

such as reading 

materials, news outlets, 

and phone services 

with international 

capabilities, we can 

provide a sense of welcome and comfort.” 

Gulf Copper additionally participates in the 

work of the ARC Center of Southeast Texas, 

a branch of the oldest and largest nonprofit 

volunteer organization in the state committed 

to creating opportunities for people with 

intellectual and developmental challenges. 

The most poignant of Gulf Copper’s volunteer 

activities, however, is its participation in 

the Mary Madeline Project to provide comfort 

and support to grieving families who have 

suffered the death of a baby. Founded in 

memory of Madeline Marie Erickson, who 

died at the age of seven weeks, this nonprofit 

organization provides infant-size burial gowns 

and blankets to local hospitals. 

For additional information on Gulf Copper, 

visit www.gulfcopper.com. 


177

CENTERPOINT 

ENERGY 

Below: In December 2008, CenterPoint 

Energy received approval from the Public 

Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to 

deploy more than 2 million smart meters 

across its electric service territory in and 

around Houston. Electric smart meters are 

part of Energy InSight SM , CenterPoint 

Energy’s system of integrated smart 

technologies, designed to give consumers 

more control over their energy consumption 

while improving electric reliability and 

power restoration. The company continues 

to work toward a bright electric future 

with the implementation of a self-healing 

intelligent grid that will use smart meters, 

power line sensors, remote switches and 

other automated equipment to improve 

power reliability and restoration in 

central Houston. 

For CenterPoint Energy, “Always There ® ” is 

more than a slogan, it is a pledge. Rain or 

shine, sleet or snow, more than 8,800 

CenterPoint Energy employees understand 

the necessity of reliable energy delivery. 

Headquartered in Houston, CenterPoint 

Energy, Inc., is a domestic energy delivery 

company that includes electric transmission 

& distribution, natural gas distribution, competitive 

natural gas sales and services, interstate 

pipelines and field services operations. 

CenterPoint Energy and its predecessors 

have long been dedicated to the Galveston 

community. A leading energy delivery company 

with more than 2 million electric end-use 

customers in its 5,000 square mile service territory, 

the company’s electric business powers 

more than 64,000 customers in Galveston 

County. From the very first flip of a switch, 

which turned on electric lights in Galveston 

in the late 1800s, the island has undeniably 

had its share of devastating storms. From the 

Hurricane of 1900, which holds the record 

for the deadliest hurricane in U.S. history, to 

Hurricane Carla in 1961, Hurricane Alicia in 

1983 and Hurricane Ike in 2008, CenterPoint 

Energy has been true to its pledge of being 

“Always There ® .” Ike, the third costliest hurricane 

to ever make landfall in the U.S. at that 

time, caused great destruction and wiped out 

electrical power for more than 2.1 million 

customers. It was the largest power outage in 

both company and state history. CenterPoint 

Energy employees and more than 11,000 

linemen and tree trimmers from across North 

America worked day and night, restoring 

power to all who were capable of receiving it 

in just eighteen days. 

Though it has a proud past, CenterPoint 

Energy is also investing in leading-edge technology 

for a new energy future. The company 

is installing and building an intelligent grid. 

Smart meters will promote energy conservation 

and give consumers the ability to better 

monitor and manage their electric use. With 

intelligent grid communication equipment, 

the company will have the ability to reroute 

power around problems automatically, thus 

minimizing service disruptions, which will 

result in fewer and shorter outages. 

In Galveston County, CenterPoint Energy 

has also been providing safe, reliable natural 

gas service since the 1920s. In its six-state 

natural gas service territory, the company has 

more than 107,000 miles of main and service 


178

lines, and delivers natural gas to more than 

3.2 million residential, commercial and 

industrial customers, about 57,000 of which 

are in Galveston County. Natural gas is 

domestically abundant with enough resources 

and proven reserve to satisfy current demands 

for 100 years. It also offers more savings, 

greater comfort and less impact on the environment. 

CenterPoint Energy’s natural gas 

distribution business is also making intelligent 

investments by installing remote electronic 

transmitters on customers’ existing 

natural gas meters enabling the company to 

read meters remotely, virtually eliminating the 

need for a meter reader to enter a customer’s 

yard. This technology could also serve as a 

foundation to provide on-demand gas usage 

information to consumers, and to shut-off gas 

meters automatically when gas leaks or unsafe 

levels of carbon monoxide are detected. 

CenterPoint Energy and its employees are 

not only “Always There ® ” for our communities 

after a storm, but daily. Giving graciously 

of both time and money, employees log 

hundreds of thousands of hours volunteering 

for worthwhile causes, and join the company 

in financially supporting charitable causes 

such as United Way, Habitat for Humanity, 

Junior Achievement, March of Dimes and 

numerous other organizations. The company 

is also proud to invest in the area’s future 

by sponsoring educational programs and 

providing financial support to help Galvestonarea 

students reach their goals. 

For more information on CenterPoint 

Energy, Inc., please visit the company online 

at www.CenterPointEnergy.com. 

Below: Community involvement is a way of 

life for the employees of CenterPoint Energy, 

who contribute hundreds of thousands of 

volunteer hours to worthwhile causes each 

year. The company cares about the well 

being of its community and supports 

charitable causes such as United Way, 

Habitat for Humanity, UNCF, Junior 

Achievement, March of Dimes and 

numerous other organizations. The 

company also proudly sponsors many 

educational programs around the city, 

providing financial support to help students 

reach their goals. 


179

FIRST CHOICE 

POWER 

First Choice Power is in the business of 

providing electricity to people and businesses 

all over Texas. But they would tell you their 

real job is looking out for their customers and 

putting “you first.” 

With friendly, face-to-face service. A team 

that listens to you and finds answers. By 

helping you use electricity smarter—for a 

lower electricity bill and a better environment. 

That is how they do it. 

That commitment does not stop with 

electricity. They are actively involved in the 

community, giving time and resources to 

programs that do things like fund grants 

for nonprofits and teachers and provide one 

million meals to Texans in need with a 

program called Food First TM . 

“Because, like you, we’re proud of the 

places we work and live,” said Gabe Sims, 

manager of the Texas City local office. “We 

understand you have a choice when it 

comes to buying electricity, and we want to 

be your company—a company you actually 

like. A company that is always surprising 

you with helpful service and great benefits. 

The kind of company you tell your friends 

and co-workers about. 

“And from what we hear, we are,” he 

added. “In fact, your enthusiastic support 

has helped us grow to be one of the largest 

retail electric providers in the state. Most of 

our new customers come to us based on 

word-of-mouth from friends and family. In 

fact, more than half of our customers are 

from referrals.” 

As part of PNM Resources, Inc., First Choice 

Power is “Texans serving Texans.” They are 

small enough to provide personalized customer 

care, but large enough that customers 

know they will be here for the long haul. 

“We’ve grown our business by taking care 

of our customers the way we would take care 

of our family, led by a first-rate leadership 

team—good people who know a lot about the 

energy industry and also know the value of 

doing what’s right,” Gabe said. 

A certified retail electric provider in Texas 

since 2001, First Choice Power has been 

around since the start of deregulation in 

January of 2002. But its Texas roots run much 

deeper. It has ties to a seventy year heritage of 

serving Texans, and many customers know 

them as the affiliated retail electric provider of 

TNMP (Texas New Mexico Power). 

Gabe Sims and Laura Flores of the 

Texas City local office review a 

customer’s account. 


180

It is not just its company history that is 

long—they also have a long history of giving 

back to communities they serve. First Choice 

Power supports nonprofit organizations, 

teachers and communities throughout Texas, 

including a partnership with Gleanings from 

the Harvest and Reduce your Use Grants TM for 

Mainland Communities, United Way, Santa Fe 

Texas Education Foundation, Odyssey 

Academy in Galveston, Resource & Crisis 

Center of Galveston County, HRA Village 

Incorporated in Texas City, and M. I. Lewis 

Social Service Center in Dickinson. 

“Every time I turn around, I see them 

involved in the community, and the police 

department could not ask for a better supporter,” 

said Neal Mora of the Texas City 

police department. 

So whether you are shopping for a new 

electricity provider or you are a longtime 

First Choice Power fan, you will find 

they are working hard every day to earn 

your business. 

Contact the local store at (409) 949-9260 

or stop by 915 North Twentieth North in 

Texas City—for a cup of coffee or a chat. 

Above: Brad Senter (center) receives 

$10,000 for being the customer with the 

most referrals through the First Choice 

Power Turn on a Friend Program. 

Below: Customer Cathy Touchton stops by 

to talk about her bill with Jay Campbell. 


181

HDR, INC. 

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SCOTT DOBRY PICTURES. 

When H. H. Henningson founded what 

would eventually become HDR, he not only 

fulfilled his personal dream to lift small 

midwestern communities from their frontier 

status, he laid an incredible foundation for 

one of the largest and most respected architectural-engineering 

companies in the world. 

Indeed, almost a full 

century since Henningson 

first unfurled the blueprints 

for his new civil 

engineering firm in 1917, 

the company has continuously 

evolved and expanded 

in scope and size and 

is today an expertise-driven 

international firm that 

delivers its services through 

a strong local presence; a 

company that is diligently 

and assuredly changing the world, project by 

project, community by community. 

Although today HDR has more than 185 

offices worldwide—including fifteen in Texas 

and five along the Texas Gulf Coast— 

Henningson Engineering Company, as it was 

first known, began with just one office in 

Omaha, Nebraska. From that office, twelve 

employees designed water and sewer systems 

for new cities and towns throughout the 

Midwestern frontier. The company grew 

quickly, however, tripling in staff in the first 

few years and expanding its services along the 

way, even helping to organize the public 

power districts that would finally deliver 

much-needed electricity to the rural areas of 

Nebraska in the 1930s. 

From the beginning, Henningson was a 

firm believer that a company is only as strong 

as its employees, and like HDR’s management 

today, was always vigilant about hiring only 

the best, most talented and most loyal 

employees. Many of those employees grew 

their careers along with the company as a 

result. Two staff members even went on to 

become equal partners in the venture, with 

their names eventually being added to the 

company shingle. Willard Richardson and 

Charles Durham both joined Henningson in 

the 1930s and, by 1946, were named partners. 

In 1950 the company officially changed its 

name to Henningson, Durham and Richards, 

Inc., or HDR for short. Henningson retired 

from the company in 1953, making Durham 

president and Richards, vice president. 

Under the leadership of Durham and 

Richards, the company continued to grow by 

leaps and bounds and, in 1955, further 

expanded its capabilities to provide total inhouse 

service to clients, including a new 

architecture department. Soon after, the company 

opened a second office and boasted an 

overall employee roster of 215. By 1977 the 

company celebrated its sixtieth birthday with 

18 offices, a roster of 771 employees and a 

growing presence on the international front 

adding projects such as the $1.4 billion King 

Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 

to its resume. 

The 1980s brought the addition of new 

specialty services—such as recycling, landfills 

and materials recovery—and continued 

growth in the company’s core services of 

transportation, environmental, resource 

management, water, healthcare, science and 

technology and civic. 

HDR crowned the twentieth century by 

being named one of the top fifty architectural 

and engineering firms in the nation and by 

the dawn of the new century had won three 

large management assignments in Arizona, 

Missouri and Texas; was hired as part of the 

design-build team to renovate the Pentagon; 

and won a contract to design the Hoover Dam 


182

Bypass project, a $240-million four-lane 

highway connecting Nevada and Arizona and 

crossing the Colorado River via the western 

hemisphere’s longest concrete arch bridge. 

In 2005, HDR reorganized into regional 

formats in order to help manage the company’s 

flourishing growth and completed a number 

of mergers and acquisitions spurring even 

more growth and a wider array of services. In 

2008, for example, it merged with CUH2A to 

create the most comprehensive science and 

technology design firm in the world. 

An entirely employee-owned company 

since 2003, HDR currently employs more 

than 7,800 professionals worldwide and is led 

by Chairman and CEO George A. Little, PE, 

HDR Architecture President, Doug S. Wignall, 

AIA, RAIC, LEED AP, HDR Engineering 

President Eric L. Keen, PE, and a host of other 

executive team and board members. The 

company has stamped its name on thousands 

of completed projects in fifty states and sixty 

countries, many of which have led to a 

trophy-case burgeoning with awards and 

honors—two of the most recent being a 

number one ranking in Modern Healthcare’s 

2011 “Annual Construction & Design Survey 

of Healthcare Architects” and a number eleven 

ranking in Engineering News-Record’s 2011 

“Top 500 Design Firms.” 

A Galveston County project recently won 

honors when the Dallas Chapter of the 

American Institute of Architects awarded a 

2011 Citation Award to the HDR-designed 

Galveston Fire Station #4, a fire and rescue 

station located at the Scholes International 

Airport on Galveston Island. Designed to 

withstand extreme weather conditions, the 

station will serve as the primary fire and 

rescue support for island residences and the 

Galveston airport. It will be a self-contained 

unit capable of maintaining critical services, 

even in the face of a hurricane. 

Another local project completed by HDR 

is the Houston-Galveston Regional Transit 

Framework Study, a comprehensive needsbased 

assessment of transit operations and 

capital needs in the Houston-Galveston area. 

Completed and presented in 2010, this study 

serves as the framework for developing a 

regional public transit plan that includes 

short- and long-term recommendations 

through 2040. 

Recently, the City of Galveston selected 

HDR to lead an ambitious planning project 

designed to ensure public and private actions 

align to improve the community’s livability, 

sustainability, and competitiveness. This 

planning effort, known as Progress Galveston, 

is organized in three parts: 1) completing 

an update to the City’s Comprehensive Plan; 

2) preparing a series of Specialized Plans 

addressing important issues such as historic 

preservation, mobility, parks and recreation, 

disaster recovery, and coastal management; 

and 3) rewriting and streamlining ordinances 

and regulations affecting the development of 

private property. 

For more information on HDR, Inc., visit 

www.hdrinc.com. 


183

PORT OF 

GALVESTON 

Sea birds soar overhead and palm trees dot 

the landscape as seagoing vessels from around 

the world ply the busy waters of the Port of 

Galveston. On almost any given day for much of 

the past 200 years, this natural deep water harbor 

with easy open-ocean access has presented a 

similar scene of ever expanding—and often 

record-setting—coastal commerce set against a 

backdrop of picturesque natural beauty. 

As the first and oldest 

port in Texas, the Port of 

Galveston has played a pivotal 

role in the development 

of not just Galveston County 

but the American Southwest. 

Repeatedly asserting itself as a 

leader in maritime travel, 

commerce and trade, it has 

time and again asserted its 

claims to fame. During the 

1800s, as cotton became 

king, the Port of Galveston 

led the world in its export, and the city it called 

home became known as the “Queen of the 

Gulf.” More recently, the Port of Galveston has 

continued to set records with such diverse 

achievements as earning the title of the Premier 

Cruise Port in the Gulf of Mexico and, on a 

very different note, breaking the U.S. record as 

an international exporter of live cattle. 

Located only 9.3 miles from the open sea at 

the entrance to Galveston Bay and contiguous 

with the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway, the 850- 

acre Port of Galveston is a self-supporting enterprise 

with annual operating revenues of more 

than $20 million and an estimated statewide 

economic impact of more than $1 billion. 

Served by both major western railroad lines, it 

is approximately a one-hour drive from Houston, 

the nation’s fourth largest city, to which it is 

linked by the interstate highway system. 

Supporting its leadership role in domestic 

and international shipping, the Port of 

Galveston includes two state-of-the-art cruise 

terminals with three cruise ship berths, a 

short-line terminal railway, an export grain 

elevator and facilities to handle a diversified 

mix of traditional and non-traditional cargo. 

Its capabilities include “roll-on/roll-off” and 

container cargo, dry and liquid bulk, export 

grain, refrigerated fruit, plus general and 

special project cargo. It also is home to ship 

and rig repair facilities, one of which operates 

the largest dry dock west of the Bahamas. 

Never resting in its quest to provide optimal 

conditions and cutting-edge opportunities 

for the maritime industry, the port’s 

recent improvements have included 

such projects as deepening the harbor, 

adding an additional cruise terminal, 

and installing what is believed 

to be the world’s largest mobile gangway. 

The port’s ability to handle 

special cargo projects is spotlighted 

by its success in 2011 with the largest 

ever “load-out” of livestock in any 

one shipment from a U.S. port. This 

included the successful transport of 

almost 6,000 head of cattle, a number 

of whom were pregnant, to Russia to 

replenish depleted herds there. 


184

The Port of Galveston is also an international 

leader in the cruise industry and hosts 

several of the largest and newest ships representing 

the world’s top cruise lines. As the primary 

point of embarkation for cruises to the 

western Caribbean, the number one cruise 

port in Texas and the Premier Port on the Gulf 

of Mexico, it is among the nation’s busiest 

cruise ports and has been ranked among the 

top twenty cruise ports in the world. As an 

additional plus, the Port’s convenient location 

adjacent to the Historic Downtown Galveston 

Strand District allows passengers and crew 

members to easily explore numerous shops, 

restaurants and other attractions, all within a 

short walking distance. 

The excellent reputation of Galveston as a 

cruise ship port is further reinforced by the 

decisions made by such industry greats as 

Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean 

International to designate Galveston as a yearround 

home port and seasonal home port, 

respectively, for their largest ships, some boasting 

passenger capacities of up to 4,000. 

Combined with additional planned cruise line 

deployments, it is estimated that approximately 

one million passengers annually will soon 

include the Port of Galveston in their travels. 

Such statistics are in stark contrast to the 

port’s earliest days, when it was little more than 

a trading post. That began to change in the early 

1800s, when French privateer Louis Michel 

Aury was commissioned by Mexico to establish 

a port in Galveston that could be used in 

Mexico’s fight for independence against Spain. 

Aury was unfortunately called away on business 

about the time Jean Lafitte, having just 

been run out of New Orleans for pirating 

activities there, was looking for a new 

location for his headquarters. Lafitte 

quickly took advantage of Aury’s absence 

and moved his own operations to the 

island, establishing a fortified village commune 

he named Campeche. With homes, 

saloons, gambling and boarding houses— 

plus Lafitte’s own mansion, known as 

Maison Rouge–the settlement eventually 

boasted a population of around 1,000 and 

purportedly operated quite profitably 

until its activities were eventually closed 

down by the United States. 

In 1825, while still 

under Mexican rule, 

Galveston was designated 

a provisional port and customs 

entry point by the 

Congress of Mexico, and 

six years later a Mexican 

custom house was established 

on the island. With 

the break away of the 

Republic of Texas from 

Mexico, Galveston became 

the homeport for the Texas 

Navy in 1835 and was 

declared by the Texas 

Congress as an official port 

of entry in 1837. By the 

time Texas renounced its 

status as an independent 

republic and became a 

part of the United States in 1845, the Port of 

Galveston had grown to become a major center 

of international shipping and commerce, a 

position that has distinguished it ever since 

among the great ports of the world. 

Port of Galveston is located on the Internet 

at www.portofgalveston.com. 


185

HITCHCOCK 

INDUSTRIAL 

DEVELOPMENT 

CORPORATION 

First settled by a group of French pioneers 

in the 1820s, Hitchcock, Texas, is not only 

one of the oldest communities in Galveston 

County, but it is one of the most resilient and 

robust anywhere. 

Its story in fact is one of not just surviving, 

but thriving—surviving the nation’s most deadly 

hurricane in 1900, the Great Depression and 

even an invasion of insects that completely 

destroyed all of its local crops, yet always finding 

a way to turn it around, reshaping itself to 

make the most of all situations. It has been an 

important agricultural center and the “Vegetable 

Shipping Capital of the United States.” It has 

been a vital military center and the home of two 

major military installations—the Army’s Camp 

Wallace and a U.S. Naval Air Station known as 

Blimp Base. And, today, fueled by more than 

7,000 community-spirited citizens and led by 

committed and capable organizations such as 

the City of Hitchcock, the Hitchcock Chamber 

of Commerce and the Hitchcock Industrial 

Development Corporation (HIDC), it is still 

thriving and growing—this time as the gateway 

to the Golden Gulf Coast. 

Indeed, its strategic location only 20 minutes 

from Galveston and just 35 minutes from 

Houston and their deep water ports makes this 

71 square-mile community the very hub of the 

Greater Gulf Coast area, an asset that leaders 

say has not only brought them much success, 

but that also offers unlimited potential for 

future growth. Major shopping malls, hospitals, 

colleges and recreational facilities are 

only minutes away and the Highland Bayou 

and Intercoastal Waterway gives Hitchcock a 

Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) as well as ample 

waterfront property open for both residential 

and commercial development—developments 

such as the exclusive, gated and masterplanned 

community of Harborwalk located 

on West Galveston Bay and including 850 

acres and sites for 550 homes, a marina, a 

beach club, restaurant and boat slips. 

Within the city limits are many conveniences 

including a medical clinic, a dental 

office, several eateries, a shopping center, 

banks, a modern library, a number of churches 

as well as a host of other businesses to 

satisfy the needs of the community. The 

Hitchcock Independent School District offers 

instruction kindergarten through twelfth 

grade as well as a Head Start program and 

two private schools. The entire community is 

served by a well-equipped, skilled volunteer 

fire department, which keeps insurance rates 

low for businesses and residents alike and 

city services are top-notch including a dedicated 

and well-trained police department. 

For more information on the City of 

Hitchcock; the Hitchcock Chamber of 

Commerce; or the Hitchcock Industrial 

Development Corporation, a nonprofit corporation 

which actively offers assistance to 

developers in securing municipal services 

and issues bonds for construction of new 

business, visit www.hitchcockidc.com. 


186

Occupying approximately 300 acres of 

choice coastal plain on the former site of 

World War II’s Naval Air Station in Hitchcock, 

Texas, today’s Blimp Base Interests, Inc., offers 

prime industrial storage facilities, exceptional 

service and convenient location. 

With clients such as General Electric, 

BP, Mitsubishi Power Systems of America, 

Republic Helicopter, Dixie Equipment 

Company, Dynami, Inca Refinery, CCR, 

Depco and others, Blimp Base Interests 

includes a fifty-five acre Free Trade Zone, 

climate controlled warehouse and lay-down 

yard storage with superior land elevation. 

Founded in 1998 with only twelve acres, 

the company has been successful far beyond 

expectation, according to owner Joe Wilburn. 

Attributing much of its growth to his proactive 

business philosophy and deep commitment 

to service, Wilburn only half-jokingly states, 

“I never say ‘no,’” and cites numerous instances 

in which he has been able to provide clients 

with far more than mere storage. 

Drawing on his background in the petrochemical 

field and as a commercial and 

community developer, Wilburn is able to tap 

into a wide-spread network of industrial and 

related contacts, and is making a reputation 

for his company as the “go to” source for 

difficult projects. 

“When a client comes to me with an 

emergency in Louisiana, the contacts I’ve 

made over the years allow me to coordinate 

pick-up of the items he needs, locate trucks 

for their transport and expedite delivery,” 

Wilburn explains. “If someone has a building 

to move, I can help with that, too,” he adds. 

Within hours after Hurricane Ike struck in 

2008, Blimp Base Interests was up and running 

as a major staging area for emergency response 

efforts. As the warehousing 

and distribution point for 

BP’s Humanitarian Assistance 

Team, thousands of generators 

and tons of emergency 

supplies were distributed 

from the site, incorporating 

logistics that stretched to 

London, Japan, and other 

distant locations. 

Four 150-foot tall concrete 

pillars, the striking remnants of a 300 

by 1,000 foot blimp hangar built in 1941, 

mark the entrance to the complex off 

Highway 2004. Here, lighter-than-air dirigibles 

ventured forth to defend the Gulf of 

Mexico against German submarines, and the 

area is rich with reminders of its military 

heritage. Pigeon Street was so named because 

it led to coops for the messenger pigeons used 

to transport information from air ships back 

to land. The original base fire station is used 

today for offices and a conference room, and 

remains of a rail line show where half-track 

tanks were brought in for refurbishment 

during the Korean War. The hangar itself was 

the largest wooden building in the world in 

1968, when it was demolished—except for its 

supporting concrete columns that refused to 

budge, even when dynamited. 

Additional information is available on the 

Internet at www.blimpbase.com. 

BLIMP BASE 

INTERESTS, INC. 


187

PRUDENTIAL 

PREMIER 

PROPERTIES– 

BEACH OR BAY 

Prudential Premier Properties–Beach or 

Bay is located at 2275 Highway 87, 

Suite 18-A in Crystal Beach. 

Combining the delight of gifted matchmakers 

with the know-how of experienced 

real estate brokers, Mary Ellen Smith and 

Kelli Untermeyer, owners of Prudential 

Premier Properties–Beach or Bay, are dedicated 

to building beautiful relationships on 

Bolivar Peninsula. 

By tapping into their own personal and 

professional enthusiasm for the area, Smith 

and Untermeyer have elevated Beach or Bay 

to a leadership role in arranging win-win real 

estate transactions on the scenic coast just 

northeast of Galveston Island. 

“Our mission is to promote Bolivar 

Peninsula, whether we are negotiating purchases 

or sales,” says Smith. “Whatever our 

client’s focus—first home, retirement property, 

primary residence, secondary home, investment 

property or rental—we are dedicated to 

matching people to the properties that meet 

their specific needs. This is a wonderful place 

to live, and we want to ‘share the wealth’.” 

This commitment to its home community 

was behind the company’s decision in 2006 

to pursue a national connection and expand 

client representation. After careful research, 

Beach or Bay teamed up with Prudential, a 

global leader in financial investing and real 

estate marketing, and, in Smith’s own words, 

“With this international connection, we 

helped bring the world to Bolivar’s doorstep.” 

Emphasizing the area’s significance, Smith 

adds, “There is only so much coastal property 

available, and our area is highly desirable. 

First of all, it is beautiful, and secondly, the 

prices are still relatively low. As home to the 

Bolivar Lighthouse and Fort Travis, it has 

great historic significance, and also offers an 

incredible closeness to nature that includes 

world famous bird sanctuaries and several 

Audubon Society projects.” 

Community affairs are another major focus 

for Beach or Bay agents and staff, and Smith 

has served on the Galveston County Parks 

Board and the Bolivar Peninsula Special 

Utility District Board. Other agency activities 

include membership in the Bolivar Peninsula 

Chamber of Commerce, Galveston Chamber 

of Commerce, Lighthouse of the Krewe and 

the Bolivar Cultural Foundation. 

Despite its international reach today, the 

company’s beginnings were modest and all 

has not been smooth. Before the first office 

was up and running, Smith and fellow founding 

realtor Joyce Cooley would sometimes 

find themselves writing contracts on the 

hoods of their cars. After a family illness 

forced Cooley’s retirement, Smith operated 

the company alone until Untermeyer, a 

broker associate with another major Bolivar 

company, joined Beach or Bay in 2008, 

just after Hurricane Ike struck the area. 

Fortunately, the company was able to quickly 

start rebuilding, and—along with many 

others on the peninsula—was soon looking 

forward to an even brighter future. Today, a 

wall hanging at the office entry greets visitors 

with the message: “At the beach, it’s all good,” 

and no one could agree more than Smith 

and Untermeyer. 


188

MARATHON 

PETROLEUM 

CORPORATION 

Having the strength and endurance to “go 

the distance” has been part of Marathon 

Petroleum Corporation’s (MPC) heritage 

since its founding in 1887. Established in 

northwestern Ohio, a leading center for crude 

oil production in the late nineteenth century, 

the company has proven its ability to adapt to 

changing economic, political and market 

conditions, and emerge still a leader nearly 

125 years later. 

In addition to its Texas City refinery, MPC 

maintains similar facilities in Illinois, Ohio, 

Michigan, Louisiana and Kentucky. As a 

leading economic force in Galveston County, 

MPC’s Texas City site employs some 200 

workers and has a production capacity of 

76,000 barrels of crude per day. 

MPC’s ties to its Texas City home include a 

strong focus on community well-being and 

enrichment. Among the core principles guiding 

MPC’s approach to doing business are its 

commitments to health and safety, environmental 

stewardship, integrity, corporate citizenship 

and inclusive culture. MPC’s local 

activities include participation in a number of 

civic, charitable, educational and cultural 

organizations, ranging from The 1894 Opera 

House to the Galveston County Food Pantry. 

Founded as the Ohio Oil Company, the 

company was purchased in 1889 by John D. 

Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Trust, under which 

it operated until 1911, when President 

Theodore Roosevelt’s trust-busting campaign 

allowed it to resume independent operation 

under its earlier name. In 1930 ‘The Ohio’ 

purchased the Transcontinental Oil Company, 

acquiring the Marathon product name, the 

Pheidippides Greek runner trademark, and 

the “Best in the Long Run” slogan. In 1962 it 

acquired its Texas City refinery from 

Plymouth Oil Company, and also officially 

adopted the Marathon Oil Company name. 

Today, the Marathon Petroleum Corporation, 

the parent company of the Texas City facility, is 

headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, and ranks in 

the top 100 of the Fortune 500. Employing 

more than 25,000 employees, it maintains 

refining, marketing and transportation operations 

throughout the nation’s Midwest, Gulf 

Coast and Southeast regions and is the nation’s 

fifth largest company of its type. 

Among the keys to MPC’s success is the high 

regard in which it holds the health and safety of 

its employees, contractors and the neighboring 

community. Deeply committed to minimizing its 

environmental impact, it is continually looking 

for ways to reduce its environmental “footprint.” 

MPC additionally upholds the highest standards 

of business ethics and integrity. Enforcing strict 

principles or corporate governance, it strives for 

transparency in all its operations. Dedicated also 

to making a positive difference in the communities 

where it operates, MPC values diversity 

and strives to provide its employees with a 

collaborative, supportive and inclusive work 

environment where they can maximize their 

full potential for personal and business success. 


189

VALERO 

REFINERY 

The year was 1908, and a new era was 

dawning over Galveston Bay. Petroleum— 

“black gold”—was restructuring the way 

America lived, and a new refinery was breaking 

ground on the Texas Gulf Coast. 

Operated initially as the Texas City Refining 

Company, that same refinery has continued 

operations for more than a century and today 

is one of fourteen refineries that make up 

Valero Energy Corporation, headquartered 

in San Antonio and North America’s largest 

independent refining company. 

Specializing in the production of highquality 

transportation fuels, the Valero Texas 

City Refinery occupies 300 acres of land 

strategically located along the Texas City ship 

channel. The refinery is able to process almost 

250,000 barrels of crude oil and other feedstocks 

each day, and makes gasoline, ultra low 

sulfur diesel, jet fuel and other high-grade 

petroleum products. 

Reflecting the company’s commitment to 

excellence, Valero early on recognized the need 

for enhancing safety, reducing emissions and 

being a good neighbor, which included building 

relationships within its home community, 

offering progressive employee benefits and 

providing quality products for customers. 

Since acquisition by the Valero Energy 

Corporation in 1997, the Texas City Refinery 

has doubled its refining capacity while reducing 

emissions by half. Its participation in the 

Volunteer Protection Program (VPP) sponsored 

by the Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) has resulted in its 

being named Valero’s first “Star Site” and later 

being recertified as a VPP “Star Among Stars.” 

It also has been recognized with the National 

Petrochemical and Refiners Association’s 

Award for Safety Performance. 

Valero workers are considered the company’s 

top asset, as evidenced by an all-employee 

bonus program and highly competitive 

health benefits. The company also reaches out 

personally to workers in need. In one case, 

the company plane was sent to bring home 

an employee who was seriously injured while 

on vacation in an area that could not provide 

satisfactory medical treatment. 

Volunteerism and giving back to the community 

is important to Valero employees. 

Valero is perennially among the largest 

per-capita donors to local United Ways, and 

employees volunteer with the American 

Cancer Walk, Boy Scouts, Benefit for Children 

Golf Classic, Chamber of Commerce, 

Hospice, Life-Flight, Rotary Club, Special 

Kids programs, women’s and children’s 

shelters, and programs for hurricane victims, 

orphanages and the elderly. With financing 

supplied by Valero, an in-house volunteer 

program also identifies, organizes and implements 

projects such as landscaping, painting, 

and repairing of homes and recreational areas 

for nonprofit organizations. 


190

GALVESTON- 

TEXAS CITY 

PILOTS 

Part art, part science, part experienced 

“spot-on” navigational judgment—the task of 

maneuvering the world’s largest moving 

objects through confined areas in a busy 

port facility is all in a day’s work for the 

Galveston-Texas City Pilots. 

With approximately 5,000 vessels a year 

entering and leaving Galveston County ports, 

safety is the primary focus for the area’s statelicensed 

compulsory pilots. When dealing with 

navigation, even a single minor miscalculation 

could cause a major disaster, and pilots are a 

main line of defense against shipping mishaps. 

Ships entering and leaving the county’s 

ports range from luxurious cruise ships packed 

with vacationing passengers to giant oil 

tankers under the guidance of foreign crews. 

Pilots are on duty twenty-four hours a day, 

seven days a week, and provide not only 

shipboard guidance into and out of port but 

work to minimize the environmental impact 

that a busy port can generate through fires, 

collisions, damaging currents and contamination 

from fuel and cargo. 

With a history of having served as 

“Sentinels of the Ports of Galveston County 

since 1845,” pilots have traditionally considered 

themselves the “eyes” of the county’s 

ports. Keen observation, skilled judgment 

and precise communications are essential 

elements of their work, and pilots employ 

a variety of skills, including diplomacy, 

to maintain port efficiency and safety. 

Piloting duties include boarding ships 

waiting for port entry and conducting an 

intensive exchange of vital information with 

the ship’s master, who may or may not have 

ever sailed into the port before or speak 

English as a first language. The pilot provides 

specific information about the port, and the 

master provides specific information about 

the ship and its cargo. After this exchange, 

further navigation into port is under the 

control of the pilot, who, in cooperation with 

the master and crew, directs the vessel’s 

movement for the remainder of the journey. 

The training to become a pilot is demanding 

and includes ten years of shipboard 

experience, holding a master’s license and the 

satisfactory completion of a two-year apprenticeship 

program. Each pilot is considered 

an independent contractor and must be a 

United States citizen. In Texas, pilot associations 

are governed by the state-appointed 

Pilot Commission, named by the governor 

and charged with overseeing and regulating 

tariffs and ensuring that all pilots are trained 

and equipped to service their customers. 

The Galveston County pilots’ headquarters 

on Pelican Island include comfortable living 

facilities for on-duty pilots, offices, repair and 

maintenance facilities, and, most importantly, 

the high-tech communications center. It also 

houses an impressive collection of nautical artwork, 

log books from the 1800s and vintage 

photos, including one from 1905 showing the 

first steamship to visit the Port of Texas City. 


191

DOW 

TEXAS CITY 

OPERATIONS 

It was an uncertain time on May 21, 1941, 

when 249 men—Carbiders as they were 

called—turned the first valve that began 

producing ethylene at what is today known 

as Dow Texas City Operations. Production at 

the Union Carbide Texas City plant began 

just in time for its products to be in strong 

demand—and even indispensable—just a 

few months later when America went to war. 

While there have been both challenging and 

rewarding times over the last seven decades, 

the site’s future looks promising. 

By the mid 1950s, Texas City Operations 

was producing and shipping products, adding 

dock facilities and modernizing equipment. 

The site had also become a family affair, with 

many relatives working side by side—in fact, 

throughout the site’s history, Texas City 

Operations has employed multiple generations. 

Though employees were socially active 

during non work hours, the site was also 

characterized by community involvement, 

with many employees playing a meaningful 

role in local government and in the education, 

social, service and charity organizations that 

help give the city and county their character 

and direction. They were active in school 

classrooms and on athletic fields, mentoring 

young people and making life more comfortable 

for the elderly and poor. 

In the 1970s, the site began shutting down 

some units as business needs dictated. 

However, this decade also 

brought the introduction of 

new technologies to Texas 

City Operations. In 1971, 

Carbide signed an agreement 

with the newly formed Waste 

Disposal Authority, a unique 

government and industry collaboration 

to improve water 

quality along the Gulf Coast. 

The new facility was built in 

1973, utilizing Carbide technology, 

to biologically clean 

waste water streams. The 

mid-1970s also saw the construction of a 

new vinyl acetate plant, using state-of-the-art 

technology, as well as the construction of 

the low pressure OXO technology, a breakthrough 

in production of OXO alcohols that 

is still used to this day. 

A bigger change was on the horizon for 

Texas City. In August of 1999 the directors 

of Union Carbide Corporation and Dow 

Chemical Company approved a merger, one 

of the largest in the history of the chemical 

industry. Dow brought to the site a renewed 

emphasis on employee health and safety and 

today, it is clear through the site’s strong 

safety culture that the safety of the people 

who work at the site always comes first. 

Seventy years of operations is an impressive 

milestone, particularly in an increasingly 

competitive global marketplace. But throughout 

its history the people of Texas City have 

repeatedly demonstrated a can-do spirit and 

genuine concern for the site, the community 

and one another. With the perseverance and 

commitment that defines Texas City, the next 

seventy years look bright. 


192

Sponsors 

A-1 Fire Equipment Co...........................................................................................................155 

Abundant Life Christian Center ..............................................................................................131 

AMOCO Federal Credit Union................................................................................................144 

Beachtown..............................................................................................................................132 

Better Business Bureau............................................................................................................158 

Blimp Base Interests, Inc.........................................................................................................187 

BP Texas City Chemicals.........................................................................................................171 

BP Texas City Refinery ............................................................................................................170 

CenterPoint Energy.................................................................................................................178 

City of La Marque...................................................................................................................128 

City of League City .................................................................................................................130 

City of Texas City ...................................................................................................................134 

College of the Mainland..........................................................................................................126 

Dow Texas City Operations.....................................................................................................192 

ERF Wireless, Inc. ..................................................................................................................138 

First Choice Power .................................................................................................................180 

Galveston Chamber of Commerce...........................................................................................156 

Galveston College ...................................................................................................................129 

Galveston County Economic Alliance......................................................................................172 

Galveston-Texas City Pilots .....................................................................................................191 

GIA Insurance ........................................................................................................................160 

Gulf Copper ...........................................................................................................................176 

Gulf Greyhound Park..............................................................................................................135 

HDR, Inc. ...............................................................................................................................182 

Hitchcock Industrial Development Corporation......................................................................186 

HomeTown Bank, N.A. ...........................................................................................................154 

Hygeia Enviro-Clean, Inc. .......................................................................................................142 

J&J Telecommunications.........................................................................................................150 

Kleen Supply Company ..........................................................................................................140 

Leslie Watts ............................................................................................................................161 

Marathon Petroleum Corporation ...........................................................................................189 

Matthews, Inc.........................................................................................................................146 

Mihovil Photography ..............................................................................................................162 

Mitchell Historic Properties ....................................................................................................166 

Moody Gardens ® .....................................................................................................................120 

Moody Gardens ® Golf Course 

Moody Gardens ® Hotel......................................................................................................121 

Ocean Star Museum ................................................................................................................174 

Port of Galveston ....................................................................................................................184 

Prudential Premier Properties–Beach or Bay............................................................................188 

ROBCO Facility Services.........................................................................................................159 

SCENIC GALVESTON, Inc. ....................................................................................................133 

Texas A&M University at Galveston ........................................................................................124 

Texas City Independent School District...................................................................................122 

Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce.........................................................................152 

Texas First Bank......................................................................................................................157 

The Grand 1894 Opera House................................................................................................118 

The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd ..............................................................................................148 

United Way Galveston County Mainland ................................................................................173 

Valero Refinery .......................................................................................................................190 

SPECIAL THANKS 

League City Chamber of Commerce and 

North Galveston County Chamber of Commerce 

SPONSORS 

193

About the Photographer 

R O B E R T 

M I H O V I L 

Photographer Robert Mihovil is a man of passion—passion for his family, passion for historic Galveston Island and passion for photography. 

Although his work has appeared in numerous local, national and international publications, his loyalty to his home community—and 

his affection for it as a favorite subject—has been paramount in his career. 

In his preparation for gathering the images featured in Coastal Visions: Images of Galveston County, Mihovil contacted representatives 

of all the county’s chambers of commerce as well as local historians and civic leaders from throughout the area’s various communities. 

“It was important to me that Coastal Visions be truly representative of the county as a whole,” he says. “I wanted every area in the county 

to have input into the selection process of what really constitutes Galveston County’s vision and which subjects were truly representative 

of our coastal lifestyle.” 

He is a regular contributor for Coast Magazine, Guidry News and Texas Journey. His work also has appeared in Coastal Living, National 

Geographic, Newsweek, Offshore, People, Smithsonian, Texas Highways and Texas Monthly. The Austin-American Statesman, Boston Globe, 

Houston Chronicle, New York Times and USA Today have also published his work. 

His photographs have additionally been chosen for the covers of such publications as the Galveston Park Board of Trustees Visitor’s Guide, 

the Galveston Chamber of Commerce Directory and AT&T telephone directories distributed throughout the county. 

Mihovil also teaches photography each summer at Sea Camp, an outreach program for students thirteen to eighteen years of age at 

Texas A&M Galveston. Remembering that his own interest in photography began at a similarly early age, he says “The first camera I ever 

owned, I won selling Worlds Finest Chocolate when I was twelve. I sold twenty-four cases to win the first prize, which was a stereo. 

I selected the second prize instead, however—a Kodak camera.” 

Mihovil Photography is located at 2402 Church Street, Galveston Island, Texas 77550. For additional information please go to his 

online web gallery at www.mihovil.com. 


194

About the Author 

L E S L I E 

W A T T S 

Free-lance journalist Leslie Watts has lived and worked in the Galveston area for more than twenty years. In addition to a writing 

career that has included both print and broadcast communications; she has taught high school algebra and middle school English. 

A graduate of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Watts earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism, and has also studied 

computer science at the University of Houston and worked on a master’s degree in mathematics at the University of New Orleans. 

Her career has included serving as director of continuity for WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge, and as a reporter, editor and columnist for 

the Houston Chronicle. Upon moving to Galveston in the late 1980s, she joined the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston 

where, in conjunction with the medical school’s 100th anniversary, she held the position of Centennial Writer, and later assisted with 

other writing projects. 

Her free-lance writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Continental Airlines in-flight magazine, for which she was 

a contributing editor, features writer, columnist and restaurant reviewer. 

Watts enjoys spending time with her four children and seven grandchildren, and is an active member of Galveston’s Grace Episcopal 

Church and Galveston Historical Foundation. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

195

For more information about the following publications or about publishing your own book, 

please call HPNbooks at 800-749-9790 or visit www.hpnbooks.com. 

Albemarle & Charlottesville: 

An Illustrated History of the First 150 Years 

Black Gold: The Story of Texas Oil & Gas 

Garland: A Contemporary History 

Historic Abilene: An Illustrated History 

Historic Alamance County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Albuquerque: An Illustrated History 

Historic Amarillo: An Illustrated History 

Historic Anchorage: An Illustrated History 

Historic Austin: An Illustrated History 

Historic Baldwin County: A Bicentennial History 

Historic Baton Rouge: An Illustrated History 

Historic Beaufort County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Beaumont: An Illustrated History 

Historic Bexar County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Birmingham: An Illustrated History 

Historic Brazoria County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Brownsville: An Illustrated History 

Historic Charlotte: 

An Illustrated History of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County 

Historic Chautauqua County: A Bicentennial History 

Historic Cheyenne: A History of the Magic City 

Historic Clayton County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Comal County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Corpus Christi: An Illustrated History 

Historic DeKalb County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Denton County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Edmond: An Illustrated History 

Historic El Paso: An Illustrated History 

Historic Erie County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Fayette County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Fairbanks: An Illustrated History 

Historic Gainesville & Hall County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Greene County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Gregg County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Hampton Roads: Where America Began 

Historic Hancock County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Henry County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Hood County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Houston: An Illustrated History 

Historic Hunt County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Illinois: An Illustrated History 

Historic Kern County: 

An Illustrated History of Bakersfield and Kern County 

Historic Lafayette: 

An Illustrated History of Lafayette & Lafayette Parish 

Historic Laredo: 

An Illustrated History of Laredo & Webb County 

Historic Lee County: The Story of Fort Myers & Lee County 

Historic Louisiana: An Illustrated History 

Historic Mansfield: A Bicentennial History 

Historic McLennan County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Midland: An Illustrated History 

Historic Montgomery County: 

An Illustrated History of Montgomery County, Texas 

Historic Ocala: The Story of Ocala & Marion County 

Historic Oklahoma: An Illustrated History 

Historic Oklahoma County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Omaha: 

An Illustrated History of Omaha and Douglas County 

Historic Orange County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Osceola County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Ouachita Parish: An Illustrated History 

Historic Paris and Lamar County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Pasadena: An Illustrated History 

Historic Passaic County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Pennsylvania An Illustrated History 

Historic Philadelphia: An Illustrated History 

Historic Prescott: 

An Illustrated History of Prescott & Yavapai County 

Historic Richardson: An Illustrated History 

Historic Rio Grande Valley: An Illustrated History 

Historic Rogers County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Santa Barbara: An Illustrated History 

Historic Scottsdale: A Life from the Land 

Historic Shelby County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Shreveport-Bossier: 

An Illustrated History of Shreveport & Bossier City 

Historic South Carolina: An Illustrated History 

Historic Smith County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Temple: An Illustrated History 

Historic Texarkana: An Illustrated History 

Historic Texas: An Illustrated History 

Historic Victoria: An Illustrated History 

Historic Tulsa: An Illustrated History 

Historic Wake County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Warren County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Williamson County: An Illustrated History 

Historic Wilmington & The Lower Cape Fear: 

An Illustrated History 

Historic York County: An Illustrated History 

Iron, Wood & Water: An Illustrated History of Lake Oswego 

Jefferson Parish: Rich Heritage, Promising Future 

Miami’s Historic Neighborhoods: A History of Community 

Old Orange County Courthouse: A Centennial History 

Plano: An Illustrated Chronicle 

The New Frontier: 

A Contemporary History of Fort Worth & Tarrant County 

San Antonio, City Exceptional 

The San Gabriel Valley: A 21st Century Portrait 

The Spirit of Collin County 

Valley Places, Valley Faces 

Water, Rails & Oil: Historic Mid & South Jefferson County 


196

Leadership 

Sponsors 

ISBN 9781935377825

Coastal Visions: Images of Galveston County

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