by David G McComb. Much of McComb’s book deals with the role geography plays in the development of Galveston. What geographic features made Galveston attractive place to settle? What geographical obstacles on the island had to be overcome through the use of technology? What conclusions does McComb draw about Galveston and Mother Nature?
Galveston is a barrier island created by sand, silt, shell, and rock deposits over millions of years. Because of its location, the climate, the geography, and its abundance of natural resources (salt, oil, gas, sulphur, water, rivers, and harbors), it has become an attractive place to live despite the many obstacles it faces such as the weather and the fact that it is an island made of sand.
The island forms a natural harbor, and is the major geographical feature that made it a desirable place to settle as it forms the best natural port between New Orleans and Vera Cruz. In order to allow for larger ships to come into the harbor, Galvestonians decided to dredge the bay and build jetties that reached out into the Gulf of Mexico, which would focus the current in such a way that the sand bar that restricted larger ships entrance into the harbor would simply wash away. For a time, this idea allowed Galveston to become the main port in Texas and the 3rd overall in the country for cotton exports in 1882, thus providing the main thrust of its economy in the 19th century. When Houston dredged their own port in 1914 (the Houston Ship Channel), Galveston suddenly had competition and began to lose much of their business. This caused the Galveston economy to stagnate, and caused the already rough area to become the sin city of the Gulf Coast. As its first settlers were pirates, drinking, gambling, and prostitution were already readily available, but after the economy took such a large hit, it spiraled out of control. Eventually, law and order prevailed once again, and other avenues for profit made themselves known (i.e. offshore oil rigs).
Galveston’s location in the Gulf of Mexico provides for a milder, though humid, climate. The temperature ranges from the upper 40s in the winter and the mid-to-upper 80s in the summer, as well as routinely receives between 42 and 47 inches of rainfall per year, making it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than other areas of Texas. The humidity in Galveston provides the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, which carry with them a terrifying disease called yellow fever (also referred to as “yellow jack”). For nearly 75 years, yellow fever plagued the citizens of Galveston, causing one epidemic after another and several thousands of people to die. Quarantines were put into place every time a yellow fever epidemic broke out, and gradually the death tolls decreased. It wasn’t until the 20th century and the discovery of the cause as well as the development of a vaccine that yellow fever disappeared from the area (almost) completely. Because of the high incidence of disease in the area, Galveston’s most prestigious institution – the University of Texas Medical Branch – was founded.
The island and is under constant threat of hurricanes and tornadoes because of its location in the Gulf – it is in the path that many storms (hurricanes, tornadoes, water spouts, etc) take. Because of the constant threat of hurricanes, many industries (such as the oil and gas industry) decided to build their factories inland, toward Houston, rather than face rebuilding or repairing damages that come along with hurricanes. Galveston’s location is perfect for the natural port it provides, but is detrimental to any business-minded person because it lies in harm’s way. It was simply too risky, too reckless, and too uneconomic to place extensive businesses or population on an unstable edge of nature.
Before the Great Storm of 1900, Galvestonians remained largely cavalier in their attitude with regards to hurricanes. In 1878, they planted salt cedars along the line of old sand dunes, hoping that enough plant life would grow and sand would built up to build a natural breakwater to protect the city from the floodwaters that hurricanes brought, to no success. There had been talk of building a seawall in 1887, but the discussions didn’t become serious until after the Storm of 1900, which was the greatest natural disaster in American history, claiming between 10,000 – 12,000 lives (6,000 of which were Galvestonians, alone), destroying 3,600 homes, and causing more than $30,000,000 in damages. They began building the seawall in 1903, and the city’s portion was completed in 1904. The federal government began building their section of the seawall in 1904 and completed it in 1905. Initially, the wall was 3 ½ miles long, but was later added on to and extended to more than 10 miles.
Because the city was only a few feet above sea level, it was under constant threat of flooding, so in addition to the seawall, Galveston raised the entire the entire grade of the city by 17 feet by lifting the houses, buildings, pipes, and gas lines, dredging sand from the bay, and moving it to sit below the structures. Many buildings were unable to be lifted, so the bottom floor was simply filled in with sand and mud. Houses were also beginning to be built on stilts, thereby allowing more room for flood waters in case it rose above the new sea level of Galveston.
When drilling on the island for possible water sources, soil samples were taken every 5 feet down to 1500 feet. There was no underlying rock bed, meaning that Galveston is made purely of sand and deposits. While it means beautiful beaches, it also means that there is no fresh ground water available, and the soil underneath the houses has a significant amount of salt in it. This makes laying pipe for household water use difficult, as the typical pipes used at the time would corrode to dust. Because of this, water and topsoil have to be imported from the mainland.
Despite the fact that water and topsoil have to be imported from the mainland, there is an abundance of natural resources in Galveston that make it a desirable place for people to live and work. More than 100 million years ago, as the sea advanced and retreated from the region, it deposited layers of sand and gravel, slowly creating the island that is now Galveston. Salt beds developed far below the surface of the land, and bent edges of rock layers caused folds and faults that trapped natural gas and petroleum - which is highly valuable in our society. Though it is not popular (and has recently been temporarily halted due to BP's oil rig exploding and leaking millions of gallons of oil into the ocean), the drilling for oil off the coast of Galveston has allowed for an increase in the local economy.
According to McComb, "Galveston did not control its destiny except in a limited way. Geography, the weather, the technology of a nationwide system of railroads, and the shift in the national economy away from agriculture were much more important. It was fated that Galveston reach only the level of a mid-sized city. It was not destined by the dynamics that control urban growth to be anything more." Galveston’s climate and geography, while beautiful, can also be a deadly hindrance to everyday living. Through hard work, a little bit of stubbornness, and the use of constantly evolving technology, Galveston has been able to survive and thrive.
No comments:
Post a Comment