Jan Johnson - Unforgettable Galveston Characters

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.com

Copyright 2018 by Jan Johnson

All rights reserved

First published 2018

e-book edition 2018

ISBN 978.1.43966.531.2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018942451

print edition ISBN 978.1.46714.023.2

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

Jan Johnson has previously taken us on fascinating tours of Galveston Island, first walking us through its hallowed neighborhoods and then driving us to even further adventures across the entire Island. We learned who lived where and when (and who was buried where and when!), along with just how Galveston grew from a dangerous outpost to a bustling port to a polished jewel of a city. Behind all those Victorian homes, German churches and Wall Streetdesigned businesses, the men and women who staked their very souls and fortunes on the success and future of the Island stood their ground fearlessly. Unforgettable Galveston Characters beautifully introduces us to those Island pioneers (for better, for worse and those in between) who got here long before we did. From the businessmen to the bootleggers and musicians, the matrons and the myths, the bit players and the soaring stars who found international fame, Jans book captures the personalities and determination of the men and women who ultimately set the tone and tenure of Galveston. Who knew that all those iron gates were placed there by such surviving spirits of steel?

Many Galvestonians proudly call themselves BOI, Born on the Island. The Unforgettable Characters youll meet in this book quite literally earned the original title of BOIthey Built Our Island. They deserve to be known, honored and remembered, and Jans words joyously do just that.

FRANK BILLINGSLEY,
Chief Meteorologist, KPRC Channel 2 News, Houston, Texas

PREFACE

Interspersed among the few and far between sites in Beyond the Beaten Paths (2012), my second guide introduced a few of the citys most notable residents, such as Edmund Reed Cheeseborough, the chief financier of the grade raising, 1938 pilot Douglas Wrong Way Corrigan and the 650 German POWs detained at Fort Crockett from 1943 to 1945.

Unforgettable Galveston Characters literally picks up where that book left off, profiling some of the Islands other intriguing and colorful personalities, many forgotten over the years. From wealthy to working class, famous or infamous, the Islands populace affected virtually every professional genre from entertainment to sports, the medical industry, finance, politics and civics. This first book of Island characters primarily focuses on those from the world of entertainment (in its various forms), successful and inventive businessmen (and women) and community builders, with a few legendary personalities included for good balance (thus saving the fundamentalists, military men and sports celebrities for future sequels.)

Among the profiles in this book are twenty-one individuals, two families and five groups (including one of eighteen churchmen). While many lived on the Island most of their lives, the tales of other Galvestonians who gained fame off the Island, as well as those undersung heroes (and heroines), are also told.

BOI OR IBC?

Basically, all Galvestonianswhether they stayed here or merely passed throughcan be grouped according to how they arrived in the city. Either they were born here, the BOIs (Born on the Island), or they got here as quickly as they could, the IBCs (Islanders by Choice). Whether BOI or IBC, many of these residents most likely stood on the Galveston shore, digging their bare feet in the warm sand and wiggling their toes until their legs were fully submerged in its silky, fine silt, becoming engulfed by the mystique of Galveston Island and never wanting to leave.

NAVIGATING THIS BOOK

For the most part, the six chapters of Unforgettable Galveston Characters are not strictly routed, as the first two guides were, simply because people tend to move around a lot sometimeseven off the Island. Instead, city addresses or locations are alluded to (when known) in many of the profiles, just in case the reader wants to view those homes and businesses still standing. For instance, the site of pirate Jean Lafittes house, Maison Rouge, located on the south side of Harborside between Fourteenth and Fifteenth Streets, is noted even though the building is long gone. Now private property, the site is clearly marked by the State of Texas.

The one exception to this rule is the Saints and Sinners chapter, which moves from church to church going east to west. In short, the writer leaves it up to the readers on how to approach the subject of Galvestons unique charactersfrom ones own armchair is certainly acceptable.

As much as possible, documented facts are presented. In some cases, however, documentation was destroyed or simply disappeared, whether by accident or design. In that case, researchers must rely on personal memories and eyewitness accounts, which can be iffy at best. These and/or the interpretations of facts can be revised as new knowledge is uncovered over time.

However, please do be cautious of the term legend, or tales remembered in the oral tradition. Remember the games of Gossip or Telephone from your childhood? Just take them with a grain of salt. Instead, just enjoy these interesting, fun and sometimes astoundingly good stories about some of those truly unforgettable Galvestonians. Happy reading!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Since beginning this book in July 2016, I have had so much help and support from so many people, not only with their encouragement but also with suggestions for inclusions. My third book definitely generated a lot of interest, even before it was halfway completed.

First and foremost, a hearty and heartfelt debt of gratitude to my partner, Gene Bindhammer, for simply leaving me alone to write behind closed doors. Not only did he contend with a less than spotless house, but he even tended to the potty needs of my tuxedo kitty, Button, on several occasionsa real sacrifice for him. Also, to those who started me on this writing path, Sally and Jim Laney, who first suggested that I write historical guides to the city, thank you.

Additionally, I again want to acknowledge the late Tim Thompson, who recommended my mom, Dorris Stechmann Johnson, to serve as John Garners secretary during the first year of his Historic American Buildings Survey, 196667. Her stories of that days research around the dinner table generated my passion for Galvestons history.

To the other learned writers and researchers who came before, beginning the path I would eventually follow, I want to extend my gratitude to Jane Chapin and Carlotta Barker for their early work on the neighborhood guides and the annual Galveston Historic Homes brochures. Whether paid professionals, architectural scholars or passionate volunteers, they are all bonded by their intrinsic love for our Island city, its history and preservation through the written word. To this group, please add Kathleen Shanahan Maca, who has come so far, so fast in her knowledge and reporting of many diverse subjects within the citys history.