The Dancers

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Requests to stay in The Bungalow this summer have been more numerous than usual, due to the current COVID-19 situation and a strong desire by travelers to social distance easily, cook some of their own meals and enjoy accommodations that are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized and truly safe.

I couldn’t be happier! I’ve been able to share The Bungalow with families from far and near - with folks I know and others I may never meet but, now, consider friends (thanks to our many communications via text messaging before, during and after their stays).

Kaylee with Miss Ruby and her mother, Tara

Kaylee with Miss Ruby and her mother, Tara

The Dancers, their mother, Tara, and grandmother, Nina, are some of my new friends. This family, from the Dallas area, stayed at The Bungalow recently. The adorable 10-year-old twins needed to be in town to compete in Showstoppers, a national dance competition, held at Moody Gardens. The Dancers, I learned, are part of the Eminence Studio in Roanoke, Texas.

Kaylee, Miss Ruby, Nina and Taylor

Kaylee, Miss Ruby, Nina and Taylor

As it turned out, The Dancers did very well in the dance event. They took home lots of silver, platinum and crystal awards - in both solo and group competitions.

While staying at The Bungalow, the girls became somewhat enamored with Miss Ruby, the antique mannequin that graces a corner of the dining room. First, they sent me a photo of Miss Ruby wearing a new necklace. The girls said, Miss Ruby “needed some bling.”

Later, they sent me a couple more great photos of themselves with Miss Ruby.

Miss Ruby, with her new mask and a bit of bling around her neck

Miss Ruby, with her new mask and a bit of bling around her neck

I was delighted; I love seeing the faces of those who stay at The Bungalow and how they are enjoying the spaces here.

Before the family checked out, I received another photo of Miss Ruby. This time, she was wearing a mask - appropriate attire for this strange and unusual time. No doubt, it will stay in place for many months to come. It will serve as a good reminder for my future guests to “wear a mask and stay safe” while they are here!

Postcards

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This afternoon, like many other island history buffs, I watched “Galveston in the Rage of Postcards, 1898-1918,” a live lecture by local native son and collector Richard Eisenhour. The presentation was hosted by the Galveston Historical Foundation and accessible via Facebook and the GHF website. (I understand the presentation will now be archived and accessible via #GalvestonHistory.com).

The presentation started at 2 p.m. and lasted for about 90 minutes and, due to the talents of the presenter, the time flew by far too quickly.

One by one, dozens of historic postcards appeared on screen as the enthusiastic and highly knowledgeable Eisenhour educated us about their origins and significance.

Admittedly, I came to the presentation with high interest, as I too am (and have been) an avid postcard collector. Now, I don't claim to possess any museum-quality postcards, but I do have a personal collection that dates back to my childhood.

Long before I bought The Bungalow, I was visiting Galveston and picking up local postcards to send to friends - and to keep. Thanks to Eisenhour, I’m now looking through all of them again to see exactly what I have.

The Flagship Hotel

Eisenhour suggested looking for postcards with pictures of landmarks that no longer dot the landscape of the island, indicating those would be considered significant now.

And, guess what? I found a few postcards just like that.

Old Galveston Causeway

• One of the Flagship Hotel
• One of the Balinese Room
• One of Murdoch’s before Hurricane Ike
* One of the Old Galveston Causeway

What fun it’s been to find these old postcards and how nostalgic it is to look at them again; it’s as though I’m looking at photographs of long-lost friends.

I will always fondly remember The Flagship Hotel and The Balinese Room and Murdoch’s the way it used to be.

As for the original causeway…? Well, I don’t remember it as depicted in this old postcard. And, that’s probably good. I would not have enjoyed driving across Galveston Bay on a low bridge with such low side rails. In this case, it’s far better for me to simply hold on to this postcard — evidence of the island’s uniquely historic past.



Resilience Flag

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In the spirit of community, the Galveston Historical Foundation (#GalvestonHistory) is now selling the Galveston Resilience Flag. It bears witness to the rare ability of local citizens “to recover, rework and recover from natural disasters, while never losing sight of their shared history.”

The newly released flag is now available in two sizes, 3′ x 5′ for $39.95 and 4′ x 6′ for $89.95. Flags have grommets at the left corners, triple stitched hems, corner cross-stitching and are made from a weather-resistant polyester. Flags are now available for purchase online and can be shipped or picked up.

I learned about this flag yesterday (quite by accident) and ordered one to post at The Bungalow. I’ll be picking it up on Monday, when I return to the island.

I love the idea of the flag, and the meanings of all of the elements in its design. It will be an honor to display it - and explain the details to all who ask about it.

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About This Flag
The Galveston Resilience Flag draws upon key pieces of Galveston’s geography and history.
• A lone star, the central piece of the flag, not only denotes the State of Texas but draws from the Galveston City Company logo of 1838. The formation of the Galveston City Company was one of the earliest official steps of the formation of the City of Galveston.
• The star also honors the Juneteenth flag. Juneteenth celebrates the June 19, 1865 delivery of General Order No. 3 by General Gordon Granger, which announced the total emancipation of those held as slaves.
• Colors featured on the flag are inspired by Victorian paint palettes and early Sanborn Insurance Maps of Galveston, with an obvious reference to the contrast between water and land.
• The division line symbolizes both Seawall’s barrier between water and land as well as the building up of the island during the post-1900 grade-raising. It also references the unique angle and shape of the island as contrasted against the coastline.

Juneteenth

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On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to inform enslaved African-Americans of their freedom and let them know the Civil War had ended. Granger’s announcement put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued more than two and a half years earlier on January 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln.

Granger’s announcement is, perhaps, the most significant
historical event ever to take place in Galveston.

A segment from the order issued by en. Gordon Granger. (National Archives/National Archives )

A segment from the order issued by en. Gordon Granger. (National Archives/National Archives )

The proclamation was read by Granger at three Galveston locations - at the Osterman Building on The Strand, where the Union Army set up its headquarters after the Civil War; at the Galveston County Courthouse, 722 21st Street; and at Ashton Villa, 2300 Broadway.

Historians tell us that, upon hearing the good news, the freed slaves in Galveston headed over to the “Colored Church” to celebrate. That historic structure is now the historic Reedy Chapel AME Church.

Juneteenth received its name by combining June and 19. The day is sometimes called Juneteenth Independence Day, Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.

Juneteenth was originally celebrated by families coming together to pray. As part of some celebrations on this day, former slaves and their descendants, would make annual pilgrimages back to Galveston.

This nine-foot-tall statue, celebrating Juneteenth as a state holiday, was erected in 2006 on the grounds of Ashton Villa.

This nine-foot-tall statue, celebrating Juneteenth as a state holiday, was erected in 2006 on the grounds of Ashton Villa.

Over the years, Juneteenth has remained a major day of celebration in Galveston, with the city usually holding more than a dozen events, including barbecues, a beauty contest, musical performances and parades. Combined, the events usually attract more than 10,000 people. This year, because of the coronavirus epidemic, only a few special events are planned.

In 1979, Juneteenth became an official Texas holiday, thanks to the dedicated efforts of State Representative Albert (Al) Edwards of Houston. Since then, other states have followed in kind. Currently, efforts are underway in Congress to have Juneteenth declared a national holiday. Perhaps, by this time next year, it will be!

Silk Stocking

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My plans this morning included a slow drive through the entirety of Galveston’s Silk Stocking Historic District. I wanted to see all of the beautiful old homes and mansions. Regretfully, a self-guided tour was one I had not yet - In all my days on the island - put on my agenda.

Before I headed out, I did a bit of homework, searching online to get the facts about the district - specifically, its exact location and boundaries. Silk Stocking, I learned, is situated south of Broadway Boulevard and bounded by 25th and 23rd streets, from Avenue K to Avenue P. It is recognized as one of the most intact neighborhoods of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The district’s name refers to the wealth of its early residents; all were considered prosperous; all could easily afford to purchase silk stockings - unlike many others on the island at that time.

Silk Stocking was originally developed in the 1870s. It featured a mix of single-family houses, a small corner store, large vacant blocks and industrial sites. Until the 1890s, the core of the Silk Stocking District was occupied by the Texas Cotton Press. After the Texas Press went bankrupt and was demolished, the area was subdivided, and the lots sold at auction in 1898.

Many buildings here survived the Great Storm of 1900 and subsequent grade raising, when The Seawall was built and sand was pumped in to raise the level of the land beneath it.

The homes in this 14-block section of historic Galveston include some of the island’s finest examples of Queen Anne architecture. The entire area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Today, 25th Street (also called Rosenberg Street) is the main link between the historic Downtown/Strand/Postoffice/Seaport area and The Seawall, with a trolley line connecting them.

Nowadays, the homes for sale in Galveston’s Silk Stocking District range in size from modest to massive, with the average featuring at least 2,000 square feet. Prices range from the $150,000s to the $750,000s.