Saving Galveston: a History of the Galveston Historical Foundation

RICE UNIVERSITY Saving Galveston: A History of the Galveston Historical Foundation by Sally Anne Schmidt A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE Doctor of Philosophy APPROVED, THESIS COMMITTEE: £ &A* JohiyBT Boles, William P. Hobby Professor, Cha&pfHistory Ira D. Gruber, Harris Masterson, Jr. Professor, History /l^We? Josef* Mahca, Nina J. Cullinan Professor, Art History HOUSTON, TEXAS MAY 2009 UMI Number: 3362401 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI® UMI Microform 3362401 Copyright 2009 by ProQuest LLC All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ABSTRACT Saving Galveston: A History of the Galveston Historical Foundation by Sally Anne Schmidt The history of the Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) reveals how innovative Galvestonians looked to the past to create a future for their distressed city and inspired the development of one of the nation's leading local historic preservation organizations. Galveston, an island city fifty miles south of Houston, flourished economically and culturally as Texas's leading city during the nineteenth century. By 1900, islanders had built a city filled with handsome commercial and residential structures that reflected Galveston's significant status. The city rebuilt following the devastating Hurricane of 1900, but it never recovered its past glory. With the opening of the Houston Ship Channel in 1914 and the overall growth of Houston, Galveston's prominence slipped away. In 1954 a group of preservation-minded men and women organized the Galveston Historical Foundation to prevent the destruction of the second oldest house on the island, the Samuel May Williams House. Influenced by past Galveston historical societies, GHF's volunteer leadership worked to raise awareness of the city's historical and architectural treasures. Many born-on-the-island Galvestonians did not initially see the purpose of saving dilapidated houses and abandoned commercial buildings, and they had to be persuaded. Little-by-little GHF leaders succeeded and the preservation movement found a foothold on the island. With the hiring of the Foundation's first executive director, Peter Brink, in 1973 and the establishment of a revolving fund to save commercial properties on the Strand, GHF began to materially impact the island's physical, cultural, and economic landscape. The subsequent work of the Foundation in the 1970s and 1980s was not easy, but it resulted in the evolution of Galveston from a run-down, second-rate, beach town into a popular destination for historically-minded tourists. It also helped begin the positive transformation that occurred in Galveston's residential neighborhoods and inspired homeowners (of all economic backgrounds) to maintain their property. As GHF worked to revitalize the city, the Foundation itself transformed from a small, volunteer-led historical society into a professionally-managed, nationally-recognized, non-profit institution. Acknowledgements I have not completed this dissertation alone. I am grateful for the help of many people, both academics and non-academics, who have assisted me in my graduate work. I received financial assistance from the Rice University History Department, the Jameson Fellowship, the P.E.O. Foundation, and the Alpha Phi Foundation. I want to thank the staff of the Galveston and Texas History Center at Galveston's Rosenberg Library for their patience in pulling countless boxes of records. The staff of the Galveston Historical Foundation deserves my thanks. I am grateful for the kindness of Marsh Davis and the assistance of Lesley Sommer. Lesley's help in physically shuffling though and hauling the Foundation's records from the locked cage at the Mechanic Street Warehouse to the Custom House was clearly beyond his job description. I also want to thank Peter Brink for his time and encouragement and Patti Bixel for her insights. The Rice University History Department has supported me throughout this dissertation and my graduate career. The department office staff, including Paula Piatt, Rachel Zepeda, Anita P. Smith, Verva Densmore, and Lisa Tate, has quietly made sure the administrative requirements were taken care of. In addition, their kind smiles and encouragement helped me in times of need. My Rice peers, especially Francelle Blum, David Connolly, Gary Garrett, and Kersten Biehn, have walked beside me on this journey. Their support and success has been a true inspiration. Kersten has provided true refuge from the storm, literally and figuratively, and I thank her for her friendship. I am especially grateful for the members of my dissertation committee, John Boles, Ira Gruber, and Joe Manca. They have supported and enriched my work — both this dissertation and V my museum career. Professor Boles has served as my mentor, teacher, editor, advocate, and cheerleader, and I sincerely thank him for his never-ending assistance. Outside of the Rice hedges, many friends and family members have helped me on my academic journey. John and Bobbie Nau have provided both friendship and employment. I am grateful for their genuine kindness and for the support of the family at Silver Eagle Distributors. There have been many others who have supported me at various critical stages, including my girlfriends from Houston and Johns Hopkins and those friends who helped drag me across the finish line. I appreciate your help. I especially want to thank my grandmother, Clemmie Barclay, and my parents, Anne and David Reed and Bill and Darlene Schmidt. Without their unending love and support, I might not have finished this dissertation. I love you too. Table of Contents Abstract Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1 Early Historical Societies in Galveston Chapter 2 Saving the Samuel May Williams House Chapter 3 Expansion of Preservation Efforts Chapter 4 A New Beginning for GHF Chapter 5 Three Struggles on the Strand Chapter 6 Off the Strand Epilogue Appendix Selected Bibliography 1 Introduction On September 12 and 13, 2008, as the writing of this dissertation came to a close, Galveston Island suffered a devastating hurricane. Hurricane Ike was not the first storm to ravage the island, nor was it the most destructive — the 1900 Hurricane of September 8 and 9 continues to hold the title of deadliest natural disaster in United States history. But Ike's 100-plus mile per hour winds and a twelve-foot storm surge devastated the island. Over one million Gulf Coast residents evacuated in advance of the storm, and as a result, in terms of human life, the losses were relatively low with forty people in the Galveston-Bolivar area reported dead and thirteen missing as of early November 2008 — a miniscule number when compared to the 6,000 to 8,000 killed in 1900. Financially and physically, however, Ike's impact is staggering. Ten days after the storm, Galveston's Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas and other city and county officials asked the federal government for approximately $2.2 billion to rebuild the city, repair the port, and reopen the Galveston County's largest employer, the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). UTMB sustained over $710 million in damage from the storm, and its John Sealy Hospital, Level 1 Trauma Center, and Medical School were all forced to shut down. Over ten feet of water flooded the downtown business district, including the Strand National Landmark Historic District. Ike washed away the historic Balinese Room and other pleasure piers located along the seawall. Approximately 75 percent of Galveston's houses suffered flood damage and the city's planning department estimates that 20 percent of the housing stock was damaged beyond repair. Over 20,000 of the island city's approximate 60,000 residents lost their homes and possessions. A month following the storm, only about 60 percent of the residents had returned to island — 2 thousands were still without power or other utilities and 420 still resided in a Red Cross tent city. Debris, approximately 1.5 million cubic yards, was everywhere and an unpleasant odor dominated the Island City. In the aftermath of Ike, much of Galveston Island lay in ruins.1 Hurricane Ike brought national attention to Galveston, and America watched closely as Geraldo Rivera and other television journalists reported live from the seawall. As soon as a month later, however, with the country distracted by a failing economy and a contentious presidential election, the impact of the island's devastation was fading from the collective consciousness. Former United States Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton toured the island on October 14 in an effort to bring attention to the Texas Gulf Coast and raise money for its restoration. Bush reported "abject devastation" and Clinton stated, "I felt there was a lot of very severe destruction, and I don't think the American people know."2 Houston returned to normal, despite a smattering of boarded up skyscraper windows, and the nation moved on. Dolph

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