Podcast: Sin City of the Southwest, Galveston's Red Light District

The history of Galveston is a fascinating blend of bright and dark chapters, each contributing to the complex legacy of the island. From its days as a bustling port city and a haven for vice to its role in shaping the cultural and economic landscape of Texas, Galveston has seen it all.

From the 1920s to the 1950s, Galveston was widely known as the Sin City of the Southwest. While bootlegging and gambling were significant industries on the island, they were far from the only illicit activities taking place. Galveston has a long documented history of prostitution in the Red Light District, going way back before the founding of the city of Galveston. By the time Texa's first post office was established on the island in 1836, the same year Texas won its independence from Mexico, Galveston had a well-established Red Light District. It was located on the same Street as the first post office, west of 25th Street, roughly near modern-day 27th and 28th Street, between Market and Post Office Street. The red light district of Galveston was known as "The Line." "The Line" referred to the rows of buildings that were open for business as brothels and eventually extended eight blocks west of 25th Street along Post Office Street.

Written records of local prostitution began in 1817 when the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte settled and developed a colony on the island. And everyone knows you can't have a pirate island without saloons and brothels. Throughout most of the 19th century, Galveston was one of the largest cities in Texas. Whether it was claimed by the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, or the United States, the Port of Galveston was the most essential port in Texas before, during, and after the American Civil War.

Based on the historical reputation that port cities have, filled with bars and brothels, you can probably guess what most of those sailors were looking for after spending a few weeks at sea. After the American Civil War. When the Union Navy sailed into the port of Galveston in 1865 to bring Texas back into the United States, a post-war period known as Reconstruction began, a time of significant transformation within the United States and on Galveston Island.

Overnight, Galveston became the home port of United States Navy vessels and plenty of pent-up sailors looking forward to their shore leave. This influx in demand for a woman's touch brought a micro-economy and a new era to Galveston's red light district. For nearly a century, from the Civil War's end to the 1950s, prostitution was a common and easily accessible industry in Galveston.

As told by David C. Humphrey, Author of an article on prostitution in the Texas State Historical Association handbook online, many large cities in Texas developed "at least one vice district, usually located within a few blocks of downtown and the railroad depot," but in Galveston's case, The Red Light District popped up just a few blocks away from the bustling port. Following the devastation of the Great Storm of 1900, the city embraced tourism to revitalize the economy. People came from near and far to enjoy all that Galveston had to offer, including making their way up and down "The Line."

In 1908, Texas Attorney General Robert Davidson became caught up in a conflict concerning "The Line." Davidson claimed he inherited a particular property in the area. It was then reported that he was renting rooms out for certain activities, even though it was a crime to rent out property for immoral purposes. The Austin-American Statesman didn't restrain themselves in reporting it. The newspaper proclaimed, "Think of it, fellow citizens, the Attorney General of Texas, the landlord of harlots, jingling in his pockets the tainted and pitiful earnings of prostitutes, thriving upon the shame and misery of fallen womanhood, battening upon the guilty gold of lust, adultery, and the polluting forms of degeneracy." 1908 was an election year, and Davidson won a third term.

"The Line" was the heart of Galveston's red light district between 1920 and 1933, during Prohibition. Although alcohol consumption was illegal in the United States, the island was far enough away from the mainland to develop its own set of rules, and the city embraced its reputation as the playground of the Southwest. The industries of gambling, alcohol, and prostitution drove Galveston's most reliable economy. In 1929 alone, it's estimated that eight to nine hundred ladies worked in brothels. More than 50 brothels were in operation at that time. In 1936, the city took a more proactive approach to the problems inherent in a red light district.

To help keep everyone safe from diseases, city officials mandated that all prostitutes receive bi-weekly medical examinations, certified with health cards. These health cards included fingerprints and a photograph of each working lady. A common sentiment around the island during this time period is that gambling and prostitution were tolerated.

As the activities were major drivers in the economy, like many residents, even city leadership wanted to keep the island-wide open and believed that the local economy depended on maintaining a reputation for unchecked gambling, drinking, and prostitution and the enforcement of state law was lackadaisical at best.

By 1957, the prostitution debate had reached its peak with state authorities. The newly elected Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, was determined to make an example of the so-called Free State of Galveston. Texas Rangers, the state's premier law enforcement agency, began raiding illegal businesses and gambling houses and forcing the city to find new revenue streams. This move put an end to Galveston's unchecked illicit economy.

While the city's story past is filled with tales of resilience and innovation, it's equally marked by the shadows of its "Sin City" reputation, leaving a lasting impact on the collective memory of the island.