89R4972 BK-D
By: Middleton, Creighton S.R. No. 161
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Port of Galveston is celebrating its 200th
anniversary with a series of events in 2025; and
WHEREAS, The port was officially founded on October 17, 1825,
when Stephen F. Austin urged the Mexican government to designate it
as a provisional customs entry point; in 1836, the port played a
vital role in the Texas Revolution and the Battle of San Jacinto,
and after Texas won its independence, it became a catalyst in the
incorporation of the city of Galveston in 1839; the port would serve
as a powerful economic engine for Galveston and the primary factor
in its emergence as one of the largest cities in Texas; in 1940, a
public vote led to the port becoming a self-sustaining city entity;
and
WHEREAS, Today, the 840-acre Port of Galveston is the only
cruise port in the state and the fourth most popular cruise port in
the nation; it features three terminals from which ships operated
by Carnival, Disney, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean
cruise lines set sail, and this year, nearly two million passengers
boarded cruises in Galveston; the cruise industry accounts for 60
percent of the port's revenue and is helping to fund renovation
efforts, such as the $90 million expansion project currently
underway at the West Port Cargo Complex; in addition, officials
recently broke ground on a $156 million project to construct a
fourth cruise terminal, adding to the port's stable of cruise
providers; and
WHEREAS, The Port of Galveston has long been a resource of
tremendous economic, commercial, and recreational significance to
the State of Texas, and it is indeed fitting to join the people of
Galveston in celebrating this important milestone in the rich
history of the port; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature
hereby commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Port of Galveston
and pay tribute to the momentous role that the port has played in
the story of Texas.