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The 1900 Stormís tidal surge inundated Galveston, leaving
thousands dead and millions of dollars of destruction and
damage. How should the city be protected from future hurricanes?
The first step was the building of the seawall. On September 7,
1901, the Texas State Legislature approved an act providing for
the construction of a seawall for Galveston. A board comprised
of three engineers, Brigadier General Henry Martyn Robert,
Alfred Noble, and H. C. Ripley, organized to draft plans for the
future protection of Galveston, including the construction of a
seawall and the raising of the cityís elevation. In January
1902, the Board issued its report, calling for the construction
of a seawall that ran from the south jetty near 8th street to
Avenue D and 6th Street, and westward to 39th Street along the
Gulf of Mexico. The Galveston County Commissionersí Court
adopted a resolution on Februa