Seawall Boulevard is a major road in Galveston, Texas in the United States. The boulevard is conterminous with Farm to Market Road 3005 south of 61st Street. It runs along the Gulf coast waterfront of the island near the main parts of the city, and is the longest, continuous sidewalk in the United States at 10.3 miles long. It is named for the Galveston Seawall built along the beaches.
Seawall Boulevard is home to several hotels and entertainment venues including the famous Hotel Galvez.
In 2011 a voter referendum which passed by the Seawall Enhancement Campaign led to a creation of a parking management district where motorists who park on Seawall Boulevard would pay up to $8 per day or $25 annually where revenue from paid parking is used for Seawall enhancements. Paid parking is waived on the Fourth of July, Mardi Gras, and the Lone Star Rally but due to the budget shortfall of the first six months of the Seawall Enhancement Campaign parking revenues are still collected despite the provisions stated during the 2011 election. A sunset clause which was part of the 2011 referendum eliminates paid parking after 7 years of service. Paid seawall parking was phased in since July 11, 2013 which is slated to expire July 11, 2020 where a continuation of the Seawall Enhancement Campaign after the 7-year contract requires another voter referendum to be placed on the May 2020 voter ballot for the City of Galveston municipal elections. December 2016 marked the end of an era where 24 hour parking is a thing of the past - the Galveston City Council approved a 3-5 a.m. curfew where some beachgoers have monopolized parking spaces on both sides of the Seawall from Broadway to 101st Street with the exception of the designated areas around the 61st and 94th Street Pier used by fishermen.
During Galveston's Open Era the road became quite famous as a lavish, nationally known tourist venue and casino district featuring elegant hotels and clubs. The boulevard's prominence began with the construction of the club and casino Maceo's Grotto (later called the Balinese Room) in 1929.[1] Other famous locations on this road included Murdoch's Bath House, the Buccaneer Hotel, the Pleasure Pier, and the Mountain Speedway roller coaster.[2]
Bath Houses and Boulevard, Galveston, Texas [The Murdoch] (postcard, circa 1915-1924)Murdoch's Bathhouse Wreckage after 1915 Galveston Hurricane
The boulevard became the focal point for tourism events such as the International Pageant of Pulchritude of the 1920s, the first international beauty contest.[3][4][5] The event would be held on the beach in front of the seawall attracting tourists from around the nation and media attention from around the world. Other events along the boulevard included the spectacular Mardi Gras parade and celebration.
This era of prosperity declined during the 1940s and ended in the 1950s with the closing of the casinos by the Texas Rangers.[6]
Mardi Gras is the final day of Carnival ; it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of consuming rich, fatty foods in preparation for the Christian fasting season of Lent, during which the consumption of such foods is avoided.
Galveston is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of 211.31 square miles (547.3 km2), with a population of 53,695 at the 2020 census, is the county seat of surrounding Galveston County and second-largest municipality in the county. It is also within the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area at its southern end on the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Landry's, Inc., is an American, privately owned, multi-brand dining, hospitality, entertainment, and gaming corporation headquartered in Houston, Texas. Landry's, Inc., owns and operates more than 600 restaurants, hotels, casinos, and entertainment destinations in 35 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The company also owns and operates numerous international locations. The company is owned by President & CEO Tilman Fertitta.
The Balinese Room was a famous nightclub in Galveston, Texas, United States built on a pier stretching 600 feet (183 m) from the Galveston Seawall over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. For decades a dance hall and illegal casino, the Balinese Room was remodeled and reopened in 2001 without a casino. During the early morning hours of September 13, 2008, the structure was destroyed by Hurricane Ike.
The Copa Casino was a casino located in Gulfport, Mississippi (USA). Prior to its destruction in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, it operated a small casino that catered to local residents. The casino was originally housed in a former cruise ship, the Pride of Galveston, then later on a barge built to resemble an on-shore building, but which still floated on water to comply with Mississippi dockside gaming laws. The facility was located in a berth of the Mississippi State Docks.
Salvatore V. "Sam" Maceo was an American business entrepreneur, power broker and racketeer in Galveston, Texas, who controlled both the government and organized crime in the city for almost 30 years. During the 1920s and 1930s, Galveston emerged as a nationally known resort city, because of the gambling, prostitution and free flowing liquor, vices that were offered at the backrooms of restaurants and nightclubs, a period known as Galveston's Open Era. His organization, often called the Maceo Syndicate or the Maceo Organisation, was involved in illegal gambling, prostitution, numbers racket and bootlegging and he received substantial income from these activities.
Hurricane Ike caused major destruction in Texas with crippling and long-lasting effects, including death, widespread damage, and impacts to the price and availability of oil and gas. Hurricane Ike also had a long-term impact on the U.S. economy. Making landfall over Galveston as a Category 2 hurricane, at 2:10 a.m. CDT on September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike caused extensive damage in Texas, with sustained winds of 110 mph (180 km/h), a 22 ft (6.7 m) storm surge, and widespread coastal flooding.
Mardi Gras in the United States is celebrated in a number of cities and regions in the country. Most of these places trace their Mardi Gras celebrations to French, Spanish, and other Catholic colonial influences on the settlements over their history.
Jack Tar Hotels was an international hotel chain based in the United States.
The Free State of Galveston was a satirical name given to the coastal city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas during the early-to-mid-20th century. Today, the term is sometimes used to describe the culture and history of that era.
James Marion West Jr. was a Texas oilman. He was the son of James Marion West Sr., the businessman who created the West family fortune, and brother of Wesley West. He was nicknamed "Silver Dollar Jim", because of his habit of throwing silver dollar coins toward passersby on the street. He was also called "Diamond Jim" because of the diamond-studded Texas Ranger badge he wore. He was known to chase criminals right behind the police. West kept a fleet of thirty cars, mostly Cadillacs, in or around downtown Houston, which were equipped with an arsenal of 30–35 guns. He became an iconic fixture at Galveston casinos such as the Balinese Room. He is considered to be an archetype for the eccentric Texas oilman.
The International Pageant of Pulchritude, also known as Miss Universe or the International Beauty Contest, was a beauty contest that began in 1920, featuring contestants from multiple nations. This pageant originated the title "Miss Universe" and was the first international contest. The last pageant event in the United States was held in 1931 and additional Miss Universe events were held until 1935. The contest served as a model for modern contests that began after World War II.
Rosario Maceo (Sr.), also known as Papa Rose or Rose Maceo, was an Italian-American businessman, power broker and crime boss in Galveston, Texas in the United States. Because of his efforts and those of his brother Sam, Galveston Island became a nationally known resort city during the early and mid 20th century, during a period known as Galveston's Wide-Open Era. They owned various restaurant and casino venues including the now-vanished Hollywood Dinner Club and the Balinese Room. He became an Al Capone-like figure in the city. Sometimes known as the "Iron Glove", Rose was the top enforcer for the empire he and his brother formed.
The history of Galveston, Texas, begins with the archaeological record of Native Americans who used the island. The first European settlements on the island were constructed around 1816. The Port of Galveston was established in 1825 by the Congress of Mexico following its successful revolution from Spain. The city served as the main port for the Texas Navy during the Texas Revolution. Galveston was founded in 1836 by Michel Menard, Samuel May Williams, and Thomas F. McKinney, and briefly served as the capital of the Republic of Texas. The Battle of Galveston was fought in Galveston Bay during the American Civil War when Confederate forces under Major General John B. Magruder attacked and expelled occupying Union troops from the city.
Johnny Jack Nounes, also known as the "Beau Brummell of Galveston", was a mob boss in Galveston, Texas, United States, during the 1920s and 1930s. He, with one-armed George Musey, led the Downtown Gang, one of the two gangs which controlled most of the Galveston Crime Syndicate until the early 1930s. They fought for control of the island against the rival Beach Gang led by Ollie Quinn and Dutch Voight, and later their successors, the Maceo Crime Syndicate. As the prohibition era began, his gang came to be one of the dominant forces in the Galveston Crime Syndicate. Galveston became the main port of entry for liquor supply in Texas and many parts of the Midwest. Nounes' flamboyance attracted the attention of federal authorities, leading to his conviction in 1924 and sentencing to Leavenworth Penitentiary. His prison term was short but only two years after being released he was again sentenced to prison after being caught with a shipment of liquor in Seabrook. Frank Nitti, a business partner of Nounes, was the "enforcer" for Al Capone's crime organization in Chicago as well as the future boss of the Chicago Outfit.
The history of vice in the U.S. state of Texas has been an important part of the state's past and has greatly influenced its development. Vice activities, such as gambling and prostitution, have historically been a significant facet of both the state's culture and its economy.
The Big Easy Casino, formerly known as Mardi Gras Casino and Hollywood Greyhound Track, is a casino and formerly a greyhound racing facility located in Hallandale Beach, in the Florida, US. The casino features over 700 slot machines, virtual table games, free to enter poker tournaments and nightly entertainment.
Bayshore Boulevard is a waterfront road on Hillsborough Bay in South Tampa, Florida. Located south of downtown Tampa, its sidewalk, at 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long, is 10 feet (3.0 m) wide and is the second longest continuous sidewalk in the United States, after Seawall Boulevard in Galveston, Texas. The 3-mile (4.8 km) bike lane, a linear park, and the Bayshore Greenway Trail provide scenic views of urban Tampa and the water. The sidewalk's conveniences include benches, a water fountain, bicycle parking, a city marina, and workout stations.
Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of Texas include the Texas Lottery; parimutuel wagering on horse and greyhound racing; charitable bingo and raffles; and three Native American casinos. Other forms of gambling are illegal in Texas.
The Sinking Ship is a multi-story parking garage in Pioneer Square, Seattle bound by James Street to the north, Yesler Way to the south, and 2nd Avenue to the east, and just steps away from the Pioneer Building on the site of the former Occidental Hotels and Seattle Hotel. After the Seattle Hotel was demolished in 1961, the Sinking Ship was built as part of a neighborhood redesign.
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![Bath Houses and Boulevard, Galveston, Texas [The Murdoch] (postcard, circa 1915-1924) Bath Houses and Boulevard, Galveston, Texas.jpg](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Bath_Houses_and_Boulevard%2C_Galveston%2C_Texas.jpg/220px-Bath_Houses_and_Boulevard%2C_Galveston%2C_Texas.jpg)
