News & Events

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…

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…

Casey Edward Greene, Rosenberg Scholar The time: 1906. The place: Galveston, Texas. Throngs of tourists have arrived here by train and taken streetcars from Union Depot to the Seawall. They’ve come to relax at the beach and bathe in the Gulf. As dusk approaches, night becomes day at Electric Park on the Boulevard. Beneath the moon, hundreds of vacationers and…

A recording of this program is available on the Rosenberg Library's YouTube channel. Click here to watch it online! ----- Join Galveston and Texas History Center in researching the 1900 Storm, the 1885 Fire, the Seawall, or even your family's history through the Galveston Tribune, a valuable newspaper freely available for use on the Portal to Texas History. May 15…

The Galveston and Texas History Center is excited to announce the upcoming digitization of Galveston Isle magazine and local labor newspapers! These collections will be digitized at the University of North Texas Libraries and made freely available for access on the Portal to Texas History. Galveston Isle magazine (1947-1951) was published by Sam Maceo and covers Galveston entertainment, including the…

The Galveston and Texas History Center's oral history collection is about to be much more accessible. 312 cassette tapes have been sent to the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) for audio preservation. Once they are digitized, the files will be uploaded to the Archives Catalog where they will be freely available for listening. The cassette tapes contain interviews with notable…

By Sean McConnell, Senior Archivist Staff at the Galveston and Texas History Center continue to digitize manuscripts and photographs that document Galveston’s and Texas’ rich history. Digitization provides patrons both local and remote access to historically valuable material. Digital access remains especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic because many patrons cannot visit the collections on site. Staff at the GTHC…

Casey Edward Greene, Rosenberg Scholar Roller bathhouses were small wood bathhouses on wheels. These picturesque, portable structures graced Galveston’s beaches beginning in the late 1870s. They lasted until the early years of the 20th century. Jesse A. Ziegler (1857-1947), a local historian and author, recalled the bathhouses in the Galveston Daily News, March 26, 1944. They had two rooms intended…