Galveston has one of the oldest and richest histories of anywhere in the United States.
Some of the nicknames it is has been known for include, “The Wall Street of the South,” the “Ellis Island of the South” and even the “Republic of Galveston” for its many different eras. From the Native Americans who made Galveston their home when the Europeans landed in North America in 1528, to when the French claimed it in the 1600s and named it St. Louis, to when it was charted as Galveston Bay on July 23, 1786, by Jose de Evia for Spanish colonial governor and general Bernardo de Gálvez, Galveston has a rich heritage.
Create a mind map that you will use to show what you have learned about the history of Galveston.
Use the following guideline to set up your mind map. Use whatever paper fits your style and interest level. (Given that the project is about a city in Texas, go big. Remember… everything is bigger in Texas!)
Use the following list of topic areas in order to create the sections of your mind map:
Example of a mind map
Address: 2200 Harborside Dr, Galveston, TX 77550
By the end of this unit, students will know:
Q - How did the ELISSA end up in Galveston, Texas?
A - The Galveston Historical Foundation purchased it in 1975.
Q - How many different names did the ship have?
A - 6- ELISSA, Fjeld, Gustaf, Christophoros, Achacios, & PioneeR
Q - Under how many different flags did the ship sail?
A - 6- British, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Greek, and American
Visit the 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA, and answer the questions on the "Test Your Knowledge" section.
Answer the reflection questions in the 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA below.
| Hull | the main body of a ship or vessel |
| Bow | front part of a ship |
| Stern | back part of a ship |
| Deck | a horizontal structure of planks that extend across a ship |
| Port | when facing forward, the left side of a ship |
| Starboard | when facing forward, the right side of a ship |
| Mast | a tall upright post that carries a sail or sails |
| Yard | a cylindrical spar (or post) that narrows at the end; attached to the mast for bottom of sail |
| Barque | a sailing ship with three masts |
| Ballast | heavy material placed low in a vessel to improve its stability |
| Figurehead | ornament (usually female) or bust attached to the bow of a ship |
| Cargo | goods carried on a ship |
1. Using this image, label the general parts of the ship (using the vocabulary list above).
2. What are the ways you can tell the ship is moving through the water?
3. Use your knowledge about sailing and history to explain what a voyage from England to America would have been like on a ship like this in the 19th century. (You may need to do a bit of research in order to answer this question fully. Materials from the Texas Seaport Museum will be helpful as well.)
4. What was the most important thing that you learned about the ELISSA (either while studying or when you visited the ship)? Please explain why it is important.
Read the following about the ELISSA’s history, and answer the questions using complete sentences:
The Tall Ship ELISSA was built in the year 1877 towards the end of the ‘Age of Sail’ in order to transport cargo. She is classified as a barque sailing ship, because she has three masts. In the year that she was built, the decline of ships of its kind was due to the invention and production of steamships. The steamships were able to more efficiently transport goods (imported and exported) to countries all over the world in. While the steamships had less room for cargo (because the engine took up so much space), they required fewer sailors and were not at the mercy of the wind and weather.
The ELISSA was commissioned by a wealthy Liverpool businessman named Henry Fowler Watt. The iron-hulled ship itself was built by Alexander Hall and Company out of Aberdeen, Scotland. It was designed to transport cargo to and from ports that were less developed than those that were in Europe at the time. Interestingly, the ELISSA actually delivered cargo to Galveston twice, once in 1883 and again in 1886.
Throughout ELISSA's proud history, she has flown under six different flags and been renamed just as many times. This fully functioning sailing vessel is in an elite group of ships; she is not a replica. She lives on due to the generosity of the Galveston Historical Foundation donors and can be seen today at the Texas Seaport Museum.
Address: 2002 Wharf Rd. Galveston, TX 77550
The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum offers guided and self-guided tours of a retired jack-up drilling rig. The rig is a mat-supported jackup that was built in 1969 by Bethlehem Steel.
There are three floors within the museum that include scale models and interactive displays that visitors can explore through a self-guided tour, providing a close-up look at what life is like on a drilling rig. It houses some of the equipment that has been historically used to tap the vast natural energy resources beneath the world’s oceans.
The information covered includes such topics as seismic technology, production, exploration, and the history of offshore oil and gas. This is a must-stop for children and adults interested in the science behind oil exploration, and it also allows an educational look at an industry that has been historically strong in Texas.
Key Points to Know:
Address: 1315 21st Street, Galveston, Texas 77550
The Bryan Museum houses a huge and interactive collection of artifacts about Texas and the American West. It is located in a beautiful Renaissance Revival-style building that was once the Galveston Orphans Home. This museum is a treasure trove of Texas history and beyond.
Key Points to Know:
Search Google for “Galveston Orphans” and learn more about the children who were sent to Galveston.
Read the following short story, and then answer the reflection questions using complete sentences:
Imagine yourself living in a great big mansion, except it isn’t a mansion. Imagine living in a place surrounded by lots of other children that aren’t your relatives. Now, imagine toys being really scarce. Everybody surrounding you wants what little there is. That’s how I describe my life in the orphanage. I’ve been here since I was three, at least that’s how old I think I was. It’s okay though, the people that run the home are good enough. I have food to eat and clothes to wear. I even have shoes that were handed down only twice.
I’ll tell you a secret, but only if you promise to keep it. I hide whatever toys I find. Don’t look at me like I’m crazy. I have to. I hide them in the walls, under the stairs, or wherever I am when I get a hold of them. It sounds strange, but it’s the best way to make sure things don’t get taken by the older kids. I found some marbles last week, and I added them to my stash in the hallway by the front door. Now, don’t go getting any ideas about finding them. They’re mine.
You want to know another secret? We have a hideout in the orphanage. I’m actually surprised that we haven’t gotten caught yet. We have a sign up and a doorbell. We’re pretty official. The sign says KEEP OUT, but really, it won’t work on the adults. It’s really only to keep the little kids away. They are always following us to the hideout. When we get caught, it’s going to be because one of them ratted us out. Oh, and I’m not telling you where the hideout is, so don’t ask.
I forgot to tell you my name. It’s Timmy. Yeah, I don’t really have a last name. Some mister found me after the big storm hit in September of 1900. I was too young to remember much, and nobody came to get me. So, here I am. Oh, I’m ten now. I guess you’d say we grow up fast here. Everybody my age has chores and work to do. We’ve all had to pitch in since the storm caused so much trouble. It’s okay though. There’s always someone to play with. I guess there’s no shortage of kids to argue with either, because there’s always some kid that thinks he knows everything. Then he finds out he’s wrong. Yeah, I argue a lot, but I’m right most of the time.
Well, like I said before, it’s not bad. It’s a better life than I’ve seen others have. Just the other day, we went for a stroll… that’s what Mrs. Schroeder calls it. It’s really just walking as slowly as she does until we get to the park and are allowed to run around. Well, on the way, I saw a family that was really rough off. They didn’t have shoes. I have shoes, and so do the other orphans. It made me feel bad for them, but I said howdy to them anyway. I’m sure glad I have a home to live in, even if it is with a bunch of other kids.
What was that? I don’t think I heard you right. You came here to get me? Me? Why didn’t you say so before I went on and on. I’m kind of known as a talker. Well, I never thought this would happen to me, to tell you the truth. I’ve seen other kids get picked, but never me. You’re ready to go now? I’ve got to say bye to everyone first. What was that? No, I don’t need to take my toys. I’ll leave ‘em for some lucky kid. He’ll have a heyday when he finds my treasure stash. Wait here, and I’ll be right back. Man! It’s my lucky day!
Address: 2310 Sealy Ave. Galveston, Texas 77550
The Rosenberg Library is the oldest public library in Texas in continuous operation.
With funding provided through a bequest from Henry Rosenberg, the Rosenberg Library Association was organized in 1900 as a private corporation to give free library service to all Galvestonians. Since its incorporation the institution has been governed by a board of twenty trustees, who meet annually to elect a nine-member board of directors.
The Rosenberg Library opened in 1904. A year later it absorbed the collections of the Galveston Public Library, thus formalizing its new role as the public library for the city of Galveston.
Holdings of the museum department include historical artifacts pertaining to Galveston or early Texas, paintings of Galveston subjects or by such local artists as Julius Stockfleth and Boyer Gonzalez, and a sizable collection of Russian and Greek icons. The Fox Rare Book Room contains incunabula, first editions, and examples of fine printing.
This section includes just a few of the end of unit assessments that are possible.
The following activities can be done before or after visiting the historical sites in Galveston.
The following activities can be done before or after visiting the historical sites in Galveston.
