Unboxing History

A Haunting Record: The 1900 Storm Inquest Book

August 14, 2024 • Unboxing History | History Expert Jodi Wright-Gidley & Galveston Author Christine Hopkins • Season 1 • Episode 8

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Unboxing History: The Inquest Record of the 1900 Storm-

In this episode of Unboxing History, co-host Christine Hopkins and Jody Wright-Gidley, director of the Galveston County Museum, delve into the story behind an inquest record book from the Bolivar Peninsula post-1900 Storm. They discuss the history and significance of the ledger, which contains detailed descriptions of victims to aid identification after the devastating hurricane. The episode also touches on the broader context of the 1900 Storm, including Galveston's importance as a port, the impact on the community, and the efforts made for rebuilding. Listeners are invited to explore this part of the museum's exhibit, featuring the ledger, related personal artifacts, and more historical insights.


Thank you for listening to Unboxing History, presented by the Galveston County Museum.
For more information, visit our website.

History of the Galveston County Museum
The Galveston County Museum was formed in 1976. It was located on Market Street for many years. After Hurricane Ike damaged the HVAC and electrical systems in 2008, the unharmed artifacts were moved. Now, the museum is located in the Galveston County courthouse building at 722 Moody/21st Street in Galveston.

​Galveston County Museum is a joint project of the Galveston County Commissioners Court and Galveston County History, Inc. The museum cares for a collection of 20,000 artifacts and archives. We also maintain the Historical Commission's library. If you are interested in research or donating an artifact related to Galveston County history, please call 409.766.2340.

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Episode 8

[00:00:00] Christine Hopkins: Welcome to Unboxing History. I'm Christine Hopkins, co host of the Unboxing History podcast presented by the Galveston County Museum. 

[00:00:08] Jodi Wright-Gidley: And I'm Jody Wright Gidley, director of the museum. 

[00:00:10] Christine Hopkins: So every month on Unboxing History, we unbox one of the amazing artifacts that's part of the museum's collection.

[00:00:18] Christine Hopkins: So this month we're doing something very special that is incredibly unique just to the Galveston County Museum. So Jodi, what's our treasure this month? 

[00:00:26] Jodi Wright-Gidley: So the artifact that we have to unbox today is a record book. This is the inquest record that was saved from Bolivar Peninsula right after the 1900 Storm.

[00:00:39] Jodi Wright-Gidley: And so this book is a, it's a preprinted office ledger book, but what it was used for is what's the really special story.

[00:00:49] Christine Hopkins: And tell us about that. 

[00:00:51] Jodi Wright-Gidley: So the ledger book was used by Justice of the Peace. His name was J. E. Stevenson and he lived in Pepper Grove, Texas, which is really [00:01:00] became Port Bolivar. And so over on Bolivar Peninsula, a lot of bodies had washed up after the 1900 Storm.

[00:01:06] Jodi Wright-Gidley: And so the Justice of the Peace and the coroner sort of worked together and said, well, what are we going to do? They knew they couldn't keep the bodies around for long. And so, but they wanted to make a real documented record. And so inside this ledger book are people listed with unknown names. They're described, their race, height, everything is described, you know, in detail in the book.

[00:01:31] Jodi Wright-Gidley: And the goal was also for if the loved ones were coming around after the storm trying to find their family and friends, this description would help them possibly identify somebody. 

[00:01:41] Christine Hopkins: Well, and for people that aren't familiar with the history, um, before the 1900 Storm, Galveston was this bustling prosperous area.

[00:01:49] Christine Hopkins: Now Bolivar Peninsula was a little quieter, a smaller town, but it still was so important in also contributing to the trade and all that was happening. But Galveston was one of the most [00:02:00] important ports in the United States and it was a primary gateway for goods and imports going through, especially cotton.

[00:02:07] Christine Hopkins: So, um, you know, this is part of a bigger exhibit that, so could you tell us a little bit about that? And I guess before I wanted to have you talk a little bit about the statistics for Galveston and Bolivar so people really have an idea of what this community was like. 

[00:02:23] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Well, yeah, before the 1900 Storm, this area was the biggest port in Texas where, like you said, all of the immigration and goods and trade goods were coming in and out of the port.

[00:02:33] Jodi Wright-Gidley: So there was a census done right before the 1900 Storm, and so The population of Galveston at that time was a little over 44,000 people, well that's Galveston County. Galveston County was a little over 44,000 people and of that about 37,000 lived on Galveston Island itself and there were about 500 people living in Port Bolivar and um, but of course when the storm hit it devastated this entire region, you know, not just the [00:03:00] island but Bolivar and the mainland as well because of things and people just, they washed all up onto shore. area. 

[00:03:09] Christine Hopkins: Well, so the coroner's ledger is a central part of the 1900 Storm exhibit here at the museum. Um, so as part of that, we're talking about, you know, the whole role of what they had to do. What is part of this exhibit and what are some of the things that stand out? I know there's a lot. Yeah. I mean, and it's really amazing to think that we have something here that was so critical and important, um, for people to find their loved ones.

[00:03:36] Jodi Wright-Gidley: And so, the, the exhibit also includes something else that's related to this book. And that is not only did the justice of the peace write descriptions of the bodies that he recovered, but he also took a personal item from the people. If there was one, not everyone had one, but we're talking about rings and watches, um, coins in different kinds of jewelry, earrings and things, and [00:04:00] even leather dentures.

[00:04:01] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Now dentures were pretty rare back then. Not many people could afford them, but there was actually someone found with leather dentures, a top part of dentures, and they were very worn. And one of the So if you come to see the exhibit, you will see the inquest record book. You'll also see these personal items.

[00:04:19] Jodi Wright-Gidley: And so this is very unique story because this book, no one really knew about it until the year 2000. That was when the 1900 Storm was celebrating an anniversary. And so there were just a lot of activities all in Galveston about that. And that's when the county clerk came to us and said, you know, we have this.

[00:04:38] Jodi Wright-Gidley: And so the museum, we're certainly happy to have that in our collection. And so that became a central part of the exhibit here, is the inquest record, those personal items. And the exhibit goes on to tell other stories. And so, the 1900 Storm story is still really something people visit and want to learn about.

[00:04:55] Jodi Wright-Gidley: It was the, it is still the worst natural disaster in American history when it comes to [00:05:00] lives lost. Now, not property damage, not flood surge, you know, those kinds of parameters, but lives lost, this is still the worst natural disaster in American history. Well, and some of the, what are some of the things that are We have some notes here.

[00:05:16] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Yeah. So there are 86 people described in the book. There are about 37 women, about 15 men, about 20 kids. They all range in age. The kids were like five to 16. The adults were from about 20 to 90. So we're talking about a wide range of people. The book describes, you know, hair color, the clothing they're wearing, the race that They were, there were all kinds of people, um, infants also in the book.

[00:05:46] Jodi Wright-Gidley: So out of the 86 people listed, only four were identified. Wow. There are only four places in the book where the unknown name is marked out and a name is written. 

[00:05:56] Christine Hopkins: Wow. I mean, that's really something. And, and just, you know, It's such a hard [00:06:00] thing and to be part of the 500 people in that community. I mean, knowing the people and meeting the survivors, they're all impacted, you know, what a, what a sad thing.

[00:06:10] Christine Hopkins: So you mentioned there's, there's rings and there's. Jewelry. And so what's one of the things that stands out to you that was really interesting that is one of the artifacts that was taken, or not taken, but was retrieved from one of the bodies for identification purposes? 

[00:06:26] Jodi Wright-Gidley: So there's a couple of stories that stand out.

[00:06:28] Jodi Wright-Gidley: One is a soldier. So there was a man found with a uniform from the Spanish American war. So we can speculate some things about that. I mean, that war, the front was really in Cuba. So perhaps this guy was stationed in Cuba. By that time the treaty had been made and so soldiers were starting to come home.

[00:06:48] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Maybe he was coming home to Galveston. And then what was interesting too is inside his jacket was sewn in a ring. And it was a nice ring. It was, you know, rubies and diamonds in [00:07:00] this ring. So, you know, was he perhaps trying to bring that ring home to, uh, you know, his fiance? Was he, was it something that he was saving for someone?

[00:07:08] Jodi Wright-Gidley: You know, we can only speculate with that. And another story is there was a woman found with a a dime tied around her ankle. And so was that a good luck charm? You know, we don't know. But that was sort of a tradition. There is a tradition you can read about of good luck charms and things that go way back, but we don't really know why.

[00:07:26] Christine Hopkins: When I feel like that part of the exhibit really personalizes. this for people. You know, it's one thing to see a photo or to see video footage. Even we have some incredible, incredible video footage here as well. But to see those little artifacts and those things really personalizes the, the loss during that devastating hurricane.

[00:07:48] Christine Hopkins: What other challenges would the coroner have faced at that time? 

[00:07:51] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Well, I mean, they didn't have refrigeration like we have today. So bodies had to be dealt with fairly quickly or disease would spread.

[00:07:58] Jodi Wright-Gidley: I mean, it was a bad [00:08:00] situation. This is the only book. that we know of that exists. So we don't know that Galveston City kept a ledger like this. This is from Bolivar and the work done there. We don't know if things like that were kept. I mean, we do know that there were lists of people lost. Those things were compiled, um, but nothing like a description like this book has.

[00:08:21] Christine Hopkins: Well, so we have the, the ledger and then we have the artifacts, but then across from this. That wall there is an extension of the 1900 Storm exhibit. Can you tell people what they'll find in that part? 

[00:08:33] Jodi Wright-Gidley: We have a lot of other stories. Um, there's a story of, you know, the Red Cross and Clara Barton's efforts after the storm.

[00:08:40] Jodi Wright-Gidley: We tell the story of a certain family and a baby Frank that was lost and found during the storm. That's always a good one. Um, we also have the typewriter. I mentioned how there were lists of people made of the dead and the survivors. And we have the typewriter from the editor of the Galveston Daily News at that time.

[00:08:58] Jodi Wright-Gidley: He would have been typing those lists [00:09:00] on that typewriter. Um, we also have video footage. You mentioned that, um, you know, Thomas Edison was just inventing sort of the technology of that. There were only four cameras in, I don't know, the United States or the world that could even capture video like that.

[00:09:14] Jodi Wright-Gidley: And he came, he sent a crew to Galveston to film. And so we have some of that footage as well. 

[00:09:20] Christine Hopkins: And they had to sneak on to the island to get that footage. Um, in an earlier episode of Unboxing History, we interviewed J. R. Shaw, who did a little more research related to that crew, and they had to sneak on, um, because they wouldn't have been allowed to take that video and, um, so forth, but it looked like surveying equipment, so they were able to get around the island.

[00:09:43] Christine Hopkins: And there's some really incredible footage that you can see. here at the museum as part of that. So, um, what are some of the stats that might surprise people related to the 1900 Storm? 

[00:09:53] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Well, we get a lot of people ask about the death toll of the storm, and there are some numbers that are [00:10:00] different, but it really just depends on how you're counting.

[00:10:02] Jodi Wright-Gidley: So if you count just Galveston Island, that number is around six to 8, 000 people that were lost. Um, if you look at going onto the mainland and Bolivar, that number grows. And so it's estimated about 12, 000 people died in the 1900 Storm. Of course, that was when we We didn't have a seawall here, and so the water, you know, Bolivar and Galveston Island were just covered in ocean water. And then that surge pushed on shore of mainland as well. And just like you all probably know, when it rains and we have a storm, you know, there's bayous and creeks flood, so all that happened during that storm as well.

[00:10:34] Jodi Wright-Gidley: So there was damage on the county side, island side, Bolivar Peninsula. I've even read that the 1900 Storm was so, uh, large and strong that as it went north, it gained strength. Again over the Great Lakes. And even killed three people in Canada. So it was a big storm. Um, they say it was about a category four .

[00:10:55] Jodi Wright-Gidley: you know, we, at that time, they didn't have the same kind of equipment to measure that, [00:11:00] but now it's estimated to be a CAT four. 

[00:11:02] Christine Hopkins: Well, and if you think about it, 145 mile per hour winds, I mean, that's crazy. And then, like you said, we were at sea level at that time, and 15 feet of water is what they estimated.

[00:11:16] Christine Hopkins: So, again, like you said, there was no seawall at the time, you're at, you know, you're at ground level, you're at sea level, and you have 15 feet of water, um, and again, the death and the destruction is really something. They were saying just for Galveston, um, it's estimated at 30 million of damage. They lost about 3,600 buildings, but that would be the equivalent of a billion dollars today.

[00:11:40] Christine Hopkins: But, but after that, which if you don't know, Jodi is also an author, um, Galveston: City on Stilts. And so, um, after that, there was this whole, you know, recovery effort So tell us about that related to Galveston and what you may know about Bolivar as well.

[00:11:57] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Yeah, um, that's the amazing [00:12:00] part. I mean, so quickly, right after the storm, I mean, by 1902, they're building a seawall. I can't imagine that that could ever happen today with such a large project. So much red tape would be in the way. But the seawall was built, and then the grade raising happened, and so the book she mentions is Galveston, A City on Stilts, I co authored the book with the curator of the museum at the time.

[00:12:21] Jodi Wright-Gidley: All of those photos are from the museum's collection that are in that book. So it's photos of the seawall being built, the grade raising happening, and then even a little bit of the rebirth that happened after that. Because once Galveston had all those projects in place and the causeway, so there's really three, seawall, grade raising, and new causeway, then Galveston was like, everyone come to Galveston and it became a real tourist attraction.

[00:12:44] Jodi Wright-Gidley: And um, so that's a great book to look at if you want to know more about the aftermath.

[00:12:49] 

[00:12:49] Christine Hopkins: It really is a good book. And you should those photos if you can imagine, people were walking, you know, they were kind of covered in mud all the time because you're walking on these planks around town. [00:13:00] And how high did they raise the buildings on the beachfront?

[00:13:02] Christine Hopkins: And I know, um, downtown in the Strand District, that was not raised. 

[00:13:06] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Right. It depended on where you were. So if you were about right behind Seawall, you had to be raising your property up to the level of the Seawall, which was about 19 feet, if I'm remembering right. And then it sloped down. And so maybe you were in an area where you only had to raise 10 feet.

[00:13:21] Jodi Wright-Gidley: It depended on your location. But, um, it was higher at the Seawall and sloped back down toward downtown. And, uh, property owners were responsible for raising their property before the grade raising came in. And so the grade raising happened when, um, dirt was and sand was dredged up from the bay and pumped out into these large pipes all over town and as that muddy fill came out it dried and then slowly that raised the level.

[00:13:49] Christine Hopkins: So when you were working on that book what was something that surprised you the most?

[00:13:55] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Um, really just the story of how we got the photos. Um, you know, we just got a [00:14:00] call from a lady who said, you know, my dad, he used to work in Galveston and he had all these photos and I don't know what to do with them.

[00:14:06] Jodi Wright-Gidley: And so I said, well, that's what museums are here for. You know, we'd love to be, uh, take a look and maybe have them into our collection. And that's what happened. So the lady came from Colorado with boxes of photos and donated to the museum. 

[00:14:19] Christine Hopkins: Wow. I mean, that is a gem. I mean, that is a treasure for a museum like this.

[00:14:24] Christine Hopkins: I mean, to have those original photos, that's something else. So, the Galveston County Museum is the only museum that has this ledger and these artifacts. So, keep that in mind when you're, when you're visiting. Um, what kind of reactions do you get from visitors when they come in and they see that and explore the museum?

[00:14:43] Jodi Wright-Gidley: I've heard people say it's creepy. You know, you're seeing things that belonged to people 120 years ago. And, um, some people say it's just a little creepy to feel the vibe. around it. 

[00:14:55] Christine Hopkins: Mm hmm. What do you feel like when you see it? 

[00:14:58] Jodi Wright-Gidley: I honestly, [00:15:00] I guess just aren't real receptive to that kind of thing. I see it as a piece of history.

[00:15:04] Jodi Wright-Gidley: I see them as important artifacts to care for, but I don't really get the creepiness. 

[00:15:08] Christine Hopkins: Well, that's the historian side of you. I think for me, it's um, it makes me, it makes me sad, you know, but it also, it's something to remember that, you know, how, how, in that aftermath, this community. still came back and rebuilt.

[00:15:27] Christine Hopkins: And like you said, doing the seawall and the grade raising, it was a huge undertaking. And, and even Bolivar, they lost so much. And if you ever been to Bolivar, um, after Hurricane Ike, they lost so many buildings, but then now they've rebuilt and they're just higher. And they have also made a comeback.

[00:15:44] Christine Hopkins: So I think it's, it's really interesting the resilience of this area. What do you hope that people learn about with the 1900 Storm and the aftermath of the 1900 Storm? 

[00:15:54] Jodi Wright-Gidley: I just think it's important for people to realize the power of storms and to take them seriously.

[00:15:59] Christine Hopkins: [00:16:00] So these types of museum, exhibits, like the 1900 Storm exhibit and so many others here take a lot of time and research. What are some of the resources that are here at the County Museum that people can take advantage of? 

[00:16:11] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Well, we're here, if you're doing some research, um, on your family history or, or any topics really, um, give us a call because besides what's in the exhibit hall now for you to see, we have another collection, uh, 70 percent of our collections is upstairs in storage.

[00:16:26] Jodi Wright-Gidley: And so anytime people are doing research, we will search in our database and see if we have something that can help, make an appointment, and we'll bring the item down for you to see. So museums are great research tools if you're doing that kind of project. 

[00:16:40] Christine Hopkins: I know there's a lot to the 1900 Storm exhibit here at the County Museum, but what one item is the one that you think that people need to pause, reflect, and really take in?

[00:16:53] Jodi Wright-Gidley: This inquest book. has been one of the things that I think is the very most special thing that our museum has. So this [00:17:00] collection with the book and the items, it tells such a complete story that is so interesting and unlike anything else I've seen when it comes to the storm history. Um, and then it's the, it's the personal stories.

[00:17:13] Jodi Wright-Gidley: I mean, if you take the time to really read and hear about one particular family and what they went through, that's what really makes you think about it. 

[00:17:23] Christine Hopkins: I agree. Are there any plans to expand this exhibit or, um, any other future exhibits here at the museum that are coming? 

[00:17:30] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Well, um, so one of the things that we've done for the 1900 Storm exhibit is translate it all into Spanish.

[00:17:36] Jodi Wright-Gidley: So, that's now a bilingual exhibit. Okay. And we hope to do more of that. Um, we also have just continued to add here and there to the museum because as we've done this podcast, we've realized that Oh, we have this great artifact story, but it's not on exhibit yet. So we've remedied that and we've made sure that everything that we've talked about on the podcast is here at the museum for you to see.

[00:17:58] Christine Hopkins: Well, I mean, this really is a gem. If [00:18:00] you haven't been to the Galveston County Museum, put it on your bucket list. It's part of the Galveston bucket list now. And make sure that you , stop in, make an appointment if you want to do an experience all on your own here at the museum. And, um, how can visitors engage with the exhibit beyond coming here physically. If they're not here, how can they learn more about the museum and what other resources do you think might be interesting to them if they're interested in the 1900 Storm? 

[00:18:26] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Well, there's a lot of great books. Um, A Weekend in September is most of our favorites around here, I guess.

[00:18:33] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Um, the other thing is to take a walking tour. So our museum actually partners with a local tour guide. You can meet here at the museum on Thursdays at 2. You start here at the museum, look at the exhibit, and then to go on a walking tour and actually be, you know, out in the city and see some things that, some places that some things really happened.

[00:18:55] Christine Hopkins: Well, again, the 1900 Storm Exhibit, this is the only, the Galveston County [00:19:00] Museum is 

[00:19:00] Only museum that has this exhibit, um, always available year round. Um, so when can people visit and so forth. 

[00:19:08] Jodi Wright-Gidley: So to learn more information about the museum, go to www.galvestoncountyhistory.org. We are free on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 to four. The museum is inside the county courthouse at 7 2 2 Moody or 21st Street.

[00:19:23] Jodi Wright-Gidley: Um, Tuesdays and Thursdays are those special days where we mention the storm tour, and then also on Tuesdays and Thursdays you can book a. and our padlock mystery game, which is a fun game to play. You get the museum to yourself. You open lock boxes around the museum using clues, and it's really fun. 

[00:19:41] Christine Hopkins: Well, tune in to the next episode of Unboxing History for more about some of the unique artifacts we have here at the museum.

[00:19:47] Christine Hopkins: And tag a friend and come by and visit.