San Jacinto, Galveston And Houston 9/11/2014

[hemibee]

Part 1 . . . San Jacinto Battlegrounds

I've made it a habit to take a ride somewhere on 9/11 and this year I decided to head south southeast to San Jacinto.

On the ride I had both GoPros mounted and tried a new location for the filming with the old camera. The first video of the ride, across Buffalo Bayou on one of the Lynchburg Ferries to the USS Texas (BB-35) and the San Jacinto Monument at the San Jacinto Battlegrounds.

The Lynchburg Ferry is a ferry across the Houston Ship Channel in the U.S. state of Texas, connecting Crosby-Lynchburg Road in Lynchburg to the north with the former State Highway 134 and San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in La Porte to the south. The 1,080 feet (330 m) crossing is the oldest operating ferry service within the state of Texas.

It carries automobiles, bicycles and pedestrians for free. Harris County has operated the ferry continuously since 1888. Ferries depart daily approximately every 5–10 minutes, beginning at 4:30 a.m. (04:30) and operate through 8:15 p.m. (20:15) and have a maximum capacity of 12 vehicles. The service averages between approximately 1,500-2,000 vehicles per day.

The service has two ships in its fleet, both completed in 1964 by the Todd Shipyard. The ferries are named in honor of former Texas governors William P. Hobby and Ross S. Sterling. A third ferry with a capacity of 9 vehicles dating from 1937 is available on standby if needed.

The present-day location of this ferry can trace its origins back to 1822 when it was constructed by Nathaniel Lynch just below the confluence of the San Jacinto River and the Buffalo Bayou and was known as Lynch's Ferry. The ferry was used by the Republic of Texas troops fighting Mexican forces in the Battle of San Jacinto April 1836. In what was later referred to as the Runaway Scrape, as many as 5,000 Texans fled eastward to escape the advancing army of Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna utilizing the ferry. In the following days, Sam Houston's army defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto, which resulted in Texas independence.

By 1837 the Harris County Commissioners Court would set formal ferry rates only to eliminate them in 1890, and the ferry service has been free ever since. By 1949 the ferry service was renamed as the Lynchburg Ferry in serving as the first vehicular crossing of the Houston Ship Channel.

The service would operate 24 hours per day, 365 days a year under the operation of Harris County through June 2004 when hours were reduced to their current times. Replacement vessels have been under consideration by the county since late 2004, but have yet to be ordered

USS Texas (BB-35), the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the U.S. state of Texas, is a New York-class battleship. The ship was launched on 18 May 1912 and commissioned on 12 March 1914.

Soon after her commissioning, Texas saw action in Mexican waters following the "Tampico Incident" and made numerous sorties into the North Sea during World War I. When the United States formally entered World War II in 1941, Texas escorted war convoys across the Atlantic, and later shelled Axis-held beaches for the North African campaign and the Normandy Landings before being transferred to the Pacific Theater late in 1944 to provide naval gunfire support during the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Texas was decommissioned in 1948, having earned a total of five battle stars for service in World War II, and is now a museum ship near Houston, Texas.

Among the world's remaining battleships, Texas is notable for being the only remaining dreadnought battleship, though she is not the oldest surviving battleship; Mikasa, a pre-dreadnought battleship ordered in 1898, is older than Texas. She is also noteworthy for being one of only six remaining ships to have served in both World Wars. Among US-built battleships, Texas is notable for her sizable number of firsts: the first US Navy vessel to house a permanently assigned contingent of US Marines, the first US battleship to mount anti-aircraft guns, the first US ship to control gunfire with directors and range-keepers (analog forerunners of today's computers), the first US battleship to launch an aircraft, from a catapult on Turret 3, one of the first to receive the CXAM-1 version of CXAM production radar in the US Navy, the first US battleship to become a permanent museum ship, and the first battleship declared to be a US National Historic Landmark.

The San Jacinto Monument. The Monument is taller than the Washington Monument.

The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican army in a fight that lasted just 18 minutes. About 630 of the Mexican soldiers were killed and 730 captured, while only nine Texans died.

Santa Anna, the President of Mexico, was captured the following day and held as a prisoner of war. Three weeks later, he signed the peace treaty that dictated that the Mexican army leave the region, paving the way for the Republic of Texas to become an independent country. These treaties did not specifically recognize Texas as a sovereign nation, but stipulated that Santa Anna was to lobby for such recognition in Mexico City. Sam Houston became a national celebrity, and the Texans' rallying cries, "Remember the Alamo!" and "Remember Goliad!" became etched into Texas history and legend.

General Sam, as he was/is affectionately referred to, and his Army caught the superior Mexican Army camped in this area. The Mexicans had no where to run and were overrun before they knew what hit them.

The Texas Army was camped less than a mile away in this area,

And another view of the USS Texas from the same height

Over the next couple days I hope to get the video edited for the ride to Galveston, downtown Houston and then back home. . . so . . . . . . . . To Be Continued. . . . .

 

[Rocky]

COOL pics

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

What a nice ride out you had. I think it's nice that you take a ride out to remember what happened that day. Like most people I can still remember where I was when I first heard the news. It still makes me sick to this day just what they did. But as long as we remember in our own way like yourself with your ride outs, that's all any of us can do.
Great pictures too.

 

[DaveM]

You really got some great photos on your ride and a nice video to go with it, thanks for sharing COOL stuff.

I like your choice with the music to go with the video

 

[hemibee]

Oops, I forgot to post the map for the above section of the ride. Oh well, here's the entire ride route . . . 211.0 miles. Don't ask me how I got it to round off to 211.0, just the way it came out, bet I couldn't do it again with the same result. I did have to manipulate the map to have it come out the same as the GPS and odometer.

Hiwon Dr to Hiwon Dr - Google Maps

 

[hemibee]

So I head off to Galveston, a city I've spent more time in than I ever thought I would. Shortly after Kim and I became engaged, she discovered a knot/lump in her right leg which turned out to be cancer. The cancer was rare, it's said you have a better chance of winning the lotto than getting this cancer. (I'm still wondering why she isn't buying lotto tickets with the luck she has.) The doctor that see saw said there was only two doctors in the world he would refer her to for this cancer. One was at the Mayo Clinic and the other was at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston. So for several months leading up to the surgery, we were making the 95 mile trip to Galveston daily for radiation treatments and then the first few chemo treatments, then the surgery followed by several more chemo treatments with a couple extended hospital stays due to infection and surgery needed to address the damage of the infection. For just short of a year and a half, I made daily round trips to Galveston. The doctor said I needed to get her some real food as much as possible because the hospital food was going to kill her. UTMB is also the charity hospital and medical school, not a whole lot of money goes into the cafeteria when there are other more pressing items needing the funding.

So time passes, we continue to go back to Galveston for 4 years following her treatments for follow up exams. Once the doctors are satisfied all is good, there is no lingering effects of the chemo or radiation, we get on with our lives and start our family, rarely returning to Galveston. This not due to not wanting to go back, we've just seen enough of the island and want to see other areas. Ok, back to the ride.



If you look close in this photo you will see a rare sight in Galveston . . . Blue or bluish water.

The water is usually a murky brown due to the currents flowing out of the Mississippi River. The silt from the river enters the Gulf and flows west to the Upper Texas beaches. That dark colored stuff piled up in the lower section is seaweed that has washed ashore and beach maintenance crews have raked it up and staged it here to be removed. The seaweed is common when the water is blue due to the current shift away from the Mississippi River current.

Tankers stacking up to enter the Houston Ship Channel

Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of 208.3 square miles (539 km2), with its population of 47,762 people (2012 Census estimate), is the county seat and second-largest municipality of Galveston County. It is located within Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area.

Named after Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez (born in Málaga, Spain), Galveston's first European settlements on the island were constructed around 1816 by French pirate Louis-Michel Aury to help the fledgling Republic of Mexico fight Spain. The Port of Galveston was established in 1825 by the Congress of Mexico following its successful independence from Spain. The city served as the main port for the Texas Navy during the Texas Revolution, and later served as the capital of the Republic of Texas.

During the 19th century, Galveston became a major U.S. commercial center and one of the largest ports in the United States. It was devastated by the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, whose effects included flooding and a storm surge. The natural disaster on the exposed barrier island is still ranked as the deadliest in United States history, with an estimated toll of 6,000-8,000 people.

Much of Galveston's modern economy is centered in the tourism, health care, shipping, and financial industries. The 84-acre (340,000 m2) University of Texas Medical Branch campus with an enrollment of more than 2,500 students is a major economic force of the city. Galveston is home to six historic districts containing one of the largest and historically significant collections of 19th-century buildings with over 60 structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

On September 8, 1900, the island was struck by a devastating hurricane. This event holds the record as the United States' deadliest natural disaster. The city was devastated, and an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 people on the island were killed. Following the storm, a 10-mile (16 km) long, 17 foot (5.2 m) high seawall was constructed to protect the city from floods and hurricane storm surge. A team of engineers including Henry Martyn Robert (Robert's Rules of Order) designed the plan to raise much of the existing city to a sufficient elevation behind a seawall so that confidence in the city could be maintained.


Sunset Route, Seawall, Galveston, Texas (postcard, c. 1907)
The city developed the city commission form of city government, known as the "Galveston Plan", to help expedite recovery.

Despite attempts to draw new investment to the city after the hurricane, Galveston never fully returned to its previous levels of national importance or prosperity. Development was also hindered by the construction of the Houston Ship Channel, which brought the Port of Houston into direct competition with the natural harbor of the Port of Galveston for sea traffic. To further her recovery, and rebuild her population, Galveston actively solicited immigration. Through the efforts of Rabbi Henry Cohen and Congregation B'nai Israel, Galveston became the focus of an immigration plan called the Galveston Movement that, between 1907 and 1914, diverted roughly 10,000 Eastern European Jewish immigrants from the usual destinations of the crowded cities of the Northeastern United States. Additionally numerous other immigrant groups, including Greeks, Italians and Russian Jews, came to the city during this period. This immigration trend substantially altered the ethnic makeup of the island, as well as many other areas of Texas and the western U.S.

Though the storm stalled economic development and the city of Houston developed as the region's principal metropolis, Galveston economic leaders recognized the need to diversify from the traditional port-related industries. In 1905 William Lewis Moody, Jr. and Isaac H. Kempner, members of two of Galveston's leading families, founded the American National Insurance Company. Two years later, Moody established the City National Bank, which would later become the Moody National Bank.

During the 1920s and 1930s, the city re-emerged as a major tourist destination. Under the influence of Sam Maceo and Rosario Maceo, the city exploited the prohibition of liquor and gambling in clubs like the Balinese Room, which offered entertainment to wealthy Houstonians and other out-of-towners. Combined with prostitution, which had existed in the city since the Civil War, Galveston became known as the "sin city" of the Gulf. Galvestonians accepted and supported the illegal activities, often referring to their island as the "Free State of Galveston". The island had entered what would later become known as the "open era".

The 1930s and 1940s brought much change to the Island City. During World War II, the Galveston Municipal Airport, predecessor to Scholes International Airport, was re-designated a U.S. Army Air Corps base and named "Galveston Army Air Field". In January 1943, Galveston Army Air Field was officially activated with the 46th Bombardment Group serving an anti-submarine role in the Gulf of Mexico. In 1942, William Lewis Moody, Jr., along with his wife Libbie Shearn Rice Moody, established the Moody Foundation, to benefit "present and future generations of Texans." The foundation, one of the largest in the United States, would play a prominent role in Galveston during later decades, helping to fund numerous civic and health-oriented programs.



Coastal artillery batteries at Fort Crockett
In the mid-20th century, two Regiments of the US Army Coast Artillery were headquartered at Fort Crockett, and manned four major artillery batteries, each supporting a different type of artillery. Though installed over several decades, the different guns were selected to provide both long-range and rapid-fire support. Battery Izard contained eight 12-inch mortars. Battery Wade Hampton contained two 10-inch "disappearing" guns. Battery Laval contained two 3-inch (76 mm) guns, and Battery Hoskins contained two 12-inch (305 mm) guns. These batteries were supported by various fire-control structures, with radar and anti-aircraft guns added in the 1940s.

One of Fort Crockett's gun emplacements, now a part of the San Luis Resort foundation and grounds.

Coastal artillery batteries at Fort San Jacinto

Battery Hogan at Fort San Jacinto (1902)
Additional companies of Coast Artillery were stationed at Fort San Jacinto, located on the north-east tip of Galveston Island, commanding the southern portion of the entrance to Galveston Bay. Battery Mercer contained 12-inch mortars. Battery Heileman contained two 10-inch "disappearing" guns. Battery Hogan contained two 4.7-inch (119 mm) guns, and Battery Croghan contained two 3-inch (76 mm) guns. Battery #235 contained 6-inch (152 mm) guns and another battery contained 90 mm guns.

Coastal artillery batteries at Fort Travis
One additional company of Coast Artillery was stationed at Fort Travis, located at Bolivar Point, commanding the northern side of the entrance to Galveston Bay. Battery Kimball contained two 12-inch (305 mm) guns. Battery Davis contained two 8-inch (203 mm) guns. Battery Ernst contained two 3-inch (76 mm) guns. These batteries were supported by various fire-control structures, and radar in the 1940s.

The Balinese Room was a well-known 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 the gambling.

Operated by Sicilian immigrant barbers-turned-bootleggers Sam and Rosario Maceo, the Balinese Room was an elite spot in the 1940s and 1950s (Galveston's open era), featuring entertainment by Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, George Burns, The Marx Brothers and other top acts of the day.[1] Patrons of the private club included Howard Hughes, Sophie Tucker and wealthy oil barons from nearby Houston.

In 1997, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the early morning hours of September 13, 2008, the structure was completely destroyed by Hurricane Ike.

Photo from October 2008 shows all that remained following Hurricane Ike.

All that remains today

Galveston County Courthouse

More to come. . . the ride home gets rerouted due to a strengthening storm on the intended route. . . so I'm off to Houston.

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

Loved the video, hearing Glen Campbell singing Galveston was a nice touch. Saw him many years ago when he toured the UK ( I know how sad ) Galveston looks like it's a nice place to visit, but as you said after 4 years of going there it would be at the bottom of your, "To do list". Glad that Kim is now all OK.
The riding around your neck of the woods really looks great, plenty of places to pull over and have a nibble or a drink or even both. Shame about the pier being destroyed. One day they may build another one, I like going on piers, there's something about them that's just good fun.
I hope that you pass by the Houston Astra dome, I saw the Houson astros play there in 1980.
Now in no way wishing to hijack your thread, here are some photos of my visit.

Don't know if this guy was any good.

They must have followed me over.

I loved it, I just cheered when the rest of the crowed did, and booed when they did. A great evening it was too.

 

[hemibee]

Loved the video, hearing Glen Campbell singing Galveston was a nice touch. Saw him many years ago when he toured the UK ( I know how sad ) Galveston looks like it's a nice place to visit, but as you said after 4 years of going there it would be at the bottom of your, "To do list". Glad that Kim is now all OK.

Thanks Garry. Yeah it was a hell of a way to get our life together started.

Galveston can be a great place to visit. I prefer going to The Strand (the old business district where I rode along the train tracks) over the beach when we do go. I had no problem coming up with Glen Campbell for the video, to me it was a no brainer.

The riding around your neck of the woods really looks great, plenty of places to pull over and have a nibble or a drink or even both. Shame about the pier being destroyed. One day they may build another one, I like going on piers, there's something about them that's just good fun.
I hope that you pass by the Houston Astra dome, I saw the Houson astros play there in 1980.
Now in no way wishing to hijack your thread, here are some photos of my visit.

I didn't pass by the Astrodome this trip but I was near the stadium that is now the home of the Astros, Minute Maid Park.

Denny was a good player and a fan favorite. He wasn't a great player by a lot of standards but seemed to come thru when you needed him.

Did y'all get to see the scoreboard really light up after an Astro homerun?
The Home Run Spectacular

Not a great video but it is the final activation of the sequence which opposing teams, especially pitchers hated. I was there in 1986 when Craig Reynolds hit a Grand Slam and the board sequence went off four times for the hit, an AWESOME sight to see and experience.


This video has a lot of the different animations possible with the system.


The Astrodome and NRG Park today

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

Wow that video was a trip down memory lane, I'm almost positive that I do remember that score board going bananas, when the astros scored, I'm sure I remember the charge animation on bull back too.
The new stadiums looks really nice. The areal shot of the Astrodome is something else. Thanks ever so much for posting this.
The weather here is now on a down wood spiral so I'm looking forward to seeing some great Texas scenery and the sun the next time your out for a ride.

 

[hemibee]

Part 3 . . . The Final Chapter - Homeward Thru Houston

As I leave Galveston I noticed a problem with my intended route . . . I was going to head over to Bolivar Peninsula and ride thru the rice fields but the weather on the horizon had turned bad, real bad. I could see cumulonimbus clouds really building and lightening was lighting up the northeastern sky so. . . back the way I came. Oops, that won't work, the storm is moving over that route too and I don't want to mix it up with the refinery crews leaving work in the rain so . . . Houston.

The edge of the rain was falling across the freeway just ahead of me so I head to a dry spot to check the radar and make my plans plus it's a good spot to stop and unhydrate and rehydrate. Since I will be going right pass downtown this seems like a good time to grab the Harris County Courthouse and then when I leave out I can catch the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) Lane to keep away from some of the nuts on the North Freeway, it was bad enough going against the heavy traffic on the Gulf Freeway in the rain.

So here's the third video in the series. . .


The Criminal Courts Building, Harris County

Harris County Courthouse

Now off to plan my next ride . . . Maybe a BBQ ride?

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

It's good to see that at 2.34 you experienced a wonderful British summers day, hope it didn't last too long.
The criminal courts building is rather large, must have to deal with a lot of criminals, the court house itself is a very nice building too.
For your next trip could you pop up to Dallas and tour South fork for me, I never did get to see that when I visited Dallas .
Looks like your really enjoying the Tiger as well. Roll on your next trip.

 

[hemibee]

It's good to see that at 2.34 you experienced a wonderful British summers day, hope it didn't last too long.
The criminal courts building is rather large, must have to deal with a lot of criminals, the court house itself is a very nice building too.
For your next trip could you pop up to Dallas and tour South fork for me, I never did get to see that when I visited Dallas .
Looks like your really enjoying the Tiger as well. Roll on your next trip.

What do you mean British summer day . . . that's a normal Texas Coast Day

The Criminal Courts Building . . . The building houses 15 courts, District Courts and County Courts. The District Attorney and his staff are also housed in the building along with it's support groups. With Houston being the County Seat for Harris County and being the 4th largest city in the USA, there is a bit of crime. They actually moved all the courts from various locations to have them all centrally located. Before they were in several different buildings downtown located around the County Courthouse. Now the County Courthouse handles more of the day to day operations and the Criminal Justice business is located a block away. The title of Criminal Courts is a bit in error as all legal cases are handled there.

Southfork? Ok, I'll add that to my list. I hate or strongly dislike 99.99% of all things associated with Dallas and avoid it like the plague but the next time I'm up that way I'll see what I can do about grabbing that photo.

On November 15th I plan to be sick (already arranged our Relief Supervisor to cover for me) and in San Antonio. I'm going to Warrior and Family Support Center @ Brooke Army Medical Center to be with the Texas Honor Ride when we present the check to the WFSC for the funds we raised this year. I'll try to grab some video of the ride over. If I remember correct, last year there was 6 groups of 100 bikes spaced 20 minutes apart headed out of Houston with police escorts. In years past, they have actually shutdown the 6 and sometimes all 8 westbound lanes of Interstate Highway 10, the busiest coast to coast freeway in the nation, for the bikes to enter the road and for several miles there are usually no cars that attempt to pass the bikes. Once the bikes are out of Houston the escorts start allowing cars to pass but in doing so they run the risk of being stopped for speeding since the ride is usually at or above the posted Speed Limit.

Each year a BBQ franchise based out of Leon Springs, just north of San Antonio provides a meal to the Wounded Warriors and their families, the staff of the WFSC, the riders, rider's passengers and those that cage over. After the BBQ, Blue Bell Ice Cream from "That Little Old Cremery in Brenham" will provide everyone with best ice cream you have ever tried.

While I'm there Imight run into downtown San Antonio to grab a photo of The Alamo and Bexar County Courthouse.

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

Southfork? Ok, I'll add that to my list. I hate or strongly dislike 99.99% of all things associated with Dallas and avoid it like the plague but the next time I'm up that way I'll see what I can do about grabbing that photo.
[/QUOTE

Your a gent.
When my brother and I visited Dallas many moons ago, we were told by a Police officer that we'd missed the most beautiful city in Texas, that being San Antonio. So it will be good to see not only your photos/video of San Antonio, but the photos/video of the worthwhile ride that you giving your support too as well. Enjoy it.

 

[CarlS]

A great ride and excellent information, pics and videos. Thanks for sharing this with us.

 

[birdman5]

LOVED it, thanks a lot for posting this.