Galveston is the county seat of Galveston County located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas south of the Houston metropolitan area.

Galveston is known for its historic neighborhoods and a ten-mile long seawall designed to protect the city from floods, which along with it's bustling nightlife, sandy beaches, seasonal events and historical landmarks attracts thousands of visitors every year.

The city houses many tourist attractions. The attractions include the Galveston Schlitterbahn waterpark, Moody Gardens, the Lone Star Flight Museum, a downtown neighborhood of historic buildings known as "The Strand," many historical museums and mansions, and miles of beach front. The Strand plays host to a yearly Mardi Gras festival, Galveston Island Jazz & Blues Festival, Texas Beach Fest, Lone Star Bike Rally, and a Victorian-themed Christmas festival called "Dickens on the Strand" (honoring the works of novelist Charles Dickens, especially A Christmas Carol) in early December.

Galveston is accessible by a causeway bridge linking Galveston Island to the mainland on the north end of the city, a toll bridge on the western end of the island, and by ferry boat service on the east end of the city.

The Founders Of Galveston

In 1836, Michel B. Menard , a native of Canada, purchased a “league and labor” of land for $50,000 from the Austin Colony, and established the City of Galveston. Galveston started with an area of seven square miles. Menard needed additional money to promote the town and formed the Galveston City Company with nine other men. These men were Gail Borden, Jr. (publisher of the Telegraph and Texas Register and inventor of condensed milk); Samuel May Williams (former secretary to Stephen F. Austin and successful merchant); Thomas F. McKinney (Williams' mercantile partner and an early cotton trader); William H. Jack (Texas patriot and distinguished statesman); A.J. Yates (loan commissioner for the Republic of Texas); John K. Allen (a founder of Houston); Mosley Baker (lawyer and patriot); James Love (eminent jurist and successful planter) and David White (an investor from Mobile, Alabama).

The Congress of the Republic of Texas made Galveston a port of entry in 1837 and appointed Gail Borden as Collector of Customs; the first customs house had been opened in Galveston in 1825. Several prefabricated houses arrived from Maine in 1837, one belonging to Augustus Allen, which was sold to Michel Menard in 1839. Two of these prefabricated houses owned by Galveston's founding fathers still stand – the Michel B. Menard Home (1838) and the Samuel May Williams Home (1839).