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Stewart Beach has been a cherished family destination for over 80 years, blending rich history with recreation. Conceived by Mayor Brantley Harris in the late 1930s and developed with community support and labor from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Work Progress Administration, or WPA, it quickly became a beloved spot. Families have enjoyed its evolving amenities and family-friendly atmosphere, making it a premier beach destination on the Gulf Coast.
Like most places in Galveston, Stewart Beach has a rich history. In the late 1930s, Mayor Brantley Harris, inspired by large public beaches on the Atlantic coast, like Jones Beach in New York, envisioned Galveston attracting tourists and becoming the Riviera on the Gulf, a title that would signify Galveston as a premier beach destination on the Gulf Coast in the 20th century.
The City Commission called an election to authorize the issuance of $175,000 in revenue bonds, and Robert Cummins, a Houston engineer and architect, drew up the plans to develop the beach. Donald Boyce, who had been the assistant manager of Jones Beach, was brought in to supervise the construction and to manage the park. The labor used to build and develop Stewart Beach Park came from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration, or WPA. The WPA was created in 1935 under President FDR's New Deal. It was a work program to employ millions affected by the Great Depression. The WPA aimed to offer valuable work, preserve skills and self-respect, and stimulate the economy, offering wages from 15 to 90 per month.
Stewart Beach was named in tribute to Maco Stewart Sr., a Galveston resident and founder of Stewart Title Company, one of the oldest and largest title companies in the United States. The support of his son, Maco Stewart, Jr., and other community leaders in Galveston made the dedication possible.
Stewart Beach was formally dedicated as a beach park on July 18th, 1941, just over eight decades ago, and since 1941, Stewart Beach has been through many changes. Mayor Harris dedicated and christened Stewart Beach with his daughter, Margaret, who broke a bottle of water on the SS Stewart Beach, just like you would christen a ship. The S. S. Stewart Beach was a small pavilion on the beach at that time. It was built with a boardwalk, concession stand, restrooms, dance floor, and even a small roller skating rink; there was also a beach service office for renting umbrellas and chairs to the beachgoers.
Stewart Beach has pretty much always had a pavilion and recreational activities for beachgoers, a snack bar to buy food and drinks, and even offer showers after a day in the sand. However, for the first two decades of Stewart Beach's existence, the beach was for Whites only. By the early 1960s, Galveston's racial barriers had begun to crumble. After a sit-in of 25 Black students at one of Stewart Beach's snack bars, resulting in police intervention, conversations between Stewart Beach managers began to lean heavily towards full integration of the beach, and by 1962, Stewart Beach and the Stewart Beach Pavilion were open to all.
Over the past eight decades, Stewart Beach has hosted numerous attractions and events, including a shooting range, skating rink, music and dancing, and even radio stations hosting events at Stewart Beach. In the 1980s, the Galveston Park Board banned alcohol and glass to enhance its family-friendly appeal, which remains a key feature today.
Despite changes to its entertainment preferences, Stewart Beach still offers amenities like restrooms, showers, chair and umbrella rentals, beach volleyball courts, and a playground. Stewart Beach remains one of Texas' premier family beaches and a point of historic pride for the Galveston community.
Stewart Beach continues to be a cherished family destination, with a range of amenities and supervision by highly trained lifeguards, the Galveston Island Beach Patrol. Despite evolving recreational trends, its historical significance and family-friendly nature ensure that it remains a favorite for locals and tourists alike.
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Author
J.R. Shaw Creator & Host of Galveston Unscripted
J.R. Shaw is the creator and host of Galveston Unscripted Podcast & audio tour. Shaw recognizes that history is nuanced and learning it can be powerful. He's made it his mission to reduce the friction between true history and anyone who is willing to listen! J.R. Shaw focuses on telling the full story through podcasting and social media with the goal of making learning accurate history easy and entertaining for all who seek it.
J.R. grew up along the Texas Gulf Coast, where he learned to love talking with anyone about anything! He started Galveston Unscripted after he realized how much he loved talking to people about their stories related to Galveston Island and Texas History. "So much of our history is lost when we don't have the opportunity to hear from those who lived it or have second-hand knowledge."
