Galveston Capital Tourism and Marketing Historic Buildings — annejagger.edublogs.org

When visiting the beach or relaxing at one of Galveston’s renowned resort hotels, the island’s historic past might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But a closer look reveals that while there was a Native American population before Europeans arrived in the early 16th century, it wasn’t until the 18th and 19th centuries that Galveston became a key North American port city. And there are key museums, buildings and attractions where that history can be explored. In the 16th century, the Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca lived among the native tribes as a medicine man and slave after he was shipwrecked on the island. French explorer Robert Cavelier La Salle later named the island St. Louis and claimed it for France. The island, however, got its name from Spanish colonial governor Bernardo de Gálvez who sent explorers to map the area in 1786. The 106-year-old Hotel Galvez bears his namesake.

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