|
The Founders of Galveston
In 1836, Michel B.
Menard, a native of Canada, purchased a "league and labor" of land for
$50,000 from the Austin Colony to establish the City of Galveston. The
City of Galveston started with an area of seven square miles. enard,
needed additional money to promote the town and formed the City of
Galveston with nine other men.
These men were Gail Borden, Jr. (publisher of the Telegraph and Texas
Register and inventor of condensed milk); Samuel May Williams (former
secretary to Stephen F. Austin and successful merchant); Thomas F.
McKinney (Williams' mercantile partner and an early cotton trader);
William H. Jack (Texas patriot and distinguished statesman); A.J. Yates
(loan commissioner for the Republic of Texas); John K. Allen (a founder
of Houston); Mosley Baker (lawyer and patriot); James Love (eminent
jurist and successful planter) and David White (an investor from Mobile,
Alabama).
Congress made Galveston a port of entry in 1837 and appointed Gail
Borden as Collector of Customs; the first customs house had been opened
in Galveston in 1825. Several prefabricated houses arrived from Maine in
1837, one belonging to Augustus Allen, which was sold to Michel Menard
in 1839 and still stands.
History of Galveston There are many
things to talk about when inquiring about
Galveston History. We have chose a few of the most popular topics.
We hope you find this information useful and hope you choose us for
your one of your next cruises from Galveston. Remember that we
specialize in Galveston Cruises. |
