Galveston County (Master)

Galveston County Historical Markers

NUMBER OF MARKER IN COUNTY - 338

Have -148 Need- 190

Galveston County is named in honor of Bernardo de Galvez. The county seat is Galveston.
There is a running joke between myself and Steve, that I have yet to visit Galveston. It started way back in 2005, when I had first arrived and Galveston came up because I love the beach. I mentioned something about maybe visiting and Steve said I would be disappointed because the Galveston beaches are not like the Sydney beaches I am used to. So now every time someone asks why I have yet to visit Galveston my answer is, because my husband won't take me! Galveston of course is not just about the beaches, it is an area rich in early Texas history, and wonderful architecture, much of which has with stood some very punishing weather, there are many great restaurants and on reviewing this county I only want to visit more.
We have been marker hunting in the county, all be it briefly during an overnight trip to Kemah, but by far, the largest amount of markers are in Galveston. I not very going to start to comment on these markers as storms and time make it difficult to know what is still in place.

Shrimp & Grits at Millers Seafood Wall

17th October, 2021 - This last trip was my first time to Galveston. We have been to Kemah and a few suburbs in Galveston County but not Galveston itself. My Brother-in-law and sister-in-law now live in Texas City and this was our first visit to their new home. This was not really a marker trip. My sister-in-law and I ate at Miller's Seawall for lunch and I friggen love this restaurant. The shrimp and grits were so good and the glass of wine was more like a small bucket than a glass. At work I had been dealing with the pandemic and a nursing shortage and this weekend was the first opportunity I'd had to put work aside in many months. So this meal will always hold a special place in my heart. We also ate at the Black Pearl and it was okay, it had a nice atmosphere and the food was good, my brother-in-law said he would go back for the red beans and rice but there is nothing that would pull me back, like at Miller's Seawall.
My sister-in-law and I attended the Galveston historical house tour which was a lot of fun. I loved what I saw of Galveston and I can't wait to go back. There is so much to explore and of course there is a couple of hundred markers to capture. I have researched the markers and already know there will be challenges there are missing markers, maybe not as many as I would expect given the age and environmental factors.

5th November, 2024 - I would liken reviewing Galveston County to having a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle throwing it on the ground and letting a toddler and small terrier play and chew on the pieces and then after a few months trying to find and the pieces and put together the puzzle. This doesn't deter me it actually makes me want to go back all the more, I enjoy difficult puzzles.
   The factors that make Galveston challenging are for one, the missing medallions, medallions were part of the Texas historical landmark program that started in the sixties, the medallions were given to properties with architectural value or interest, there is nothing on the front that identifies to which building the marker belongs and only a small number on the back that doesn't immediately help even if you could see it. These medallions get taken down during renovations and for painting and sometimes are forgotten when it is time for them to go back up, they also get stolen. Galveston had a lot of medallions awarded and if I were to guess I would say the most of all the counties due to the sheer amount of of lovely old homes and buildings. Another reason for this county being more challenging is the amount of markers and building lost to storms, Galveston County does a great job in trying to replace these damaged markers but that takes times and money. One of the newest difficulties is that some of the markers commemorate the Confederacy and there are strong feelings that these memorials should be removed. The bronze plate for the stature entitled "Dignified Resignation" has already taken down. In many counties it is easy to identify which properties have historical markers and even if the marker is missing you can match it by the description or simply because it is the only structure in the vicinity that it could be. That is not the case in Galveston, it seems almost every house could be granted a marker if the owner wanted to do the research and take the time and money to apply.
   The last time we were there, my sister-in-law and I walked Galveston, we had the lunch at Sugar & Rye which I would be more than happy to go back to, we had fried green tomatoes which was a first for me, they were delicious and Shrimp picayune also excellent, accompanied by the beautiful and tasty expresso martini shown in the shot below. We then went to see a production of Fiddler on the Roof at the Grand Opera House. It was a great day and so much fun. Steve and I then returned a couple of days later for the markers, we stayed on the seawall. I do believe for marker hunting the Tremont would be better, as walking would be the biggest bang for our buck, particularly for capturing the buildings in old town. We did eat at Gaido's which I really enjoyed and will definitely go back to, sometimes these iconic restaurants don't live up to the hype, but with Gaido's I went away understanding why it had stood the test of time.
   We have really only started our marker journey in Galveston Countyand it is too soon to talk about individual challenges, there are many things I would like to do before saying this marker is lost we need to give up. I look forward to visiting again and again because there is so much to do and explore.