Once among the wealthiest towns in America, the history of Galveston’s Sea Wall is just as rich

More than just a barrier shield to Houston’s Hamptons, the Galveston Sea Wall is a piece of Texas history on its own.

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Once the third richest city in the nation, complete with some of the first telegraph systems, deep water ports and electric homes in the U.S., the bad advice of a meteorologist who was a storm surge denier left Galveston defenseless against a deadly 1900 hurricane.

The Sea Wall was built shortly thereafter, and the modern marvel still stands today.

Sedimentary, sometimes-brown-ish water aside, Galveston remains a gem among Texas’ coast, and for that we have the Sea Wall to thank.

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See you at the beach, Houston!