News & Events

Fort Point Light Station was a lighthouse on the northeast tip of Galveston Island, on the south side of the entrance to Galveston Bay. Construction began in 1881, four years after Congress earmarked $15,000 for the light. Its beacon was finally shown on August 15, 1882, and it would light the Galveston channel until 1909. The lighthouse was an eight-sided…

As the birthplace of Juneteenth, Galveston is overflowing with opportunities to dig deep into the history behind its celebration. Here at the Rosenberg Library and Galveston and Texas History Center, you can find a wide variety of experiences and resources unique to Galveston to get you into the Juneteenth spirit.

Galveston and Texas History Center has resources available for research on cemeteries across the island -- those located along Broadway Avenue and those elsewhere. For the latter group, these include two cemeteries that were almost lost to history: Rosewood Cemetery and Magnolia Grove Cemetery. Rosewood Cemetery was founded in 1911 by a group of African American shareholders that organized themselves…

The hurricane that struck Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900, remains one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit the United States to date. Many of the places affected were severely damaged but soon after repaired and are still standing today. Other places were destroyed altogether but were later rebuilt. Two buildings that went through the latter fate were the…

Carmelo "Charles" Bertolino (1887-1960), nicknamed the "Dean of Galveston's Lifeguards," was born in Galveston on September 4, 1887, to Italian immigrants Salvatore Bertolino and Rosalia Trapani Bertolino. He worked as a commercial fisherman and as a baker at Graugnard's Bakery on 13th Street and Avenue L. Reportedly he would swim for five miles in the Gulf of Mexico every morning…

On Saturday night, September 8, 1900, a massive hurricane struck Galveston, Texas. The hurricane killed approximately 8,000 people on the island and several thousand more on the mainland. Galveston suffered an estimated $30 million worth of property damage. It remains to this day the deadliest storm to ever hit the United States. Galveston & Texas History Center has published a…

Galveston and Texas History Center (GTHC) recently acquired and processed a collection of children's paintings by Admiral Perry Duane Ellis, as well as correspondence from pediatric hospitals and dignitaries from all over the world thanking him for sending them samples of his work. Admiral Ellis completed the paintings free of charge and sent them to hospitals such as University of…

When the United States Constitution was written in the 18th century, it did not guarantee women the same voting rights and protections as men. It wasn’t until 1920 when the 19th amendment was ratified, that women were legally granted the right to vote. Gender and sexuality impacted every social, personal, and political component of the suffrage movement that parallels contemporary…

Women’s History Month celebrates contributions women have made throughout history, while national or worldly figures are often highlighted, the Rosenberg Library would like to recognize pioneering women within our own Galveston community. Galveston as a whole has a unique and diversified history, many people and communities have created the makeup of what we know of Galveston as of today, but…

Casey Edward Greene, Rosenberg Scholar Galveston was unable to host beach conventions during the late 1890s. The closest structure that could meet this need, Olympia-by-the-Sea, was a wood pavilion at the foot of 25th Street. Opening in the summer of 1896, Olympia was geared toward hosting theatrical and acrobatic events and concerts. The Democratic State Convention wished to hold its…

Recordings of all three programs are available on the Rosenberg Library's YouTube channel:Making it Last: Preserving Your Family's Papers and PhotographsI Just Bought an Old House - Now What?Your History Matters - To Your Family and To Your Community ------ Please join us for Saving Your History, a series of virtual workshops hosted by the Galveston and Texas History Center…

Join the Galveston and Texas History Center for a virtual screening of the new Juneteenth documentary by Sam Collins III and Sam Addington. A conversation with the filmmakers will follow the screening. This virtual event is FREE and open to the public. Please register in advance at http://rosen-lib.org/juneteenth or call 409-763-8854 x117. Contact Lauren Martino Henry for more information…