Custodians of the Coast: History of the United States Army Engineers at Galveston

The record of the Army Corps of Engineers at Galveston is a history of the waterways in Texas. Because this story has been largely neglected, Custodians of the Coast represents an initial attempt to document Corps activities in the development of the Texas coastal region. Hopefully, it will convey to the reader some sense of what the Galveston District was and is. As the story unfolds, it describes the relation between the army engineers and residents of the Texas Gulf Coast. Cooperation between the Corps and local citizens stands out as early as the first decade of the Galveston Districts existence. In 1883, under authorization of the Texas legislature, the city issued bonds to raise money that was turned over to the engineer in charge to carryon the federal navigation project when Congressional appropriations failed. This spirit of cooperation has continued through to the present day. This book, then, tells the story of the men and women of the Corps of Engineers at Galveston working together with citizens of the Texas Coast to develop and protect that coast. The collaborative efforts of these groups has led to accomplishments in which all concerned may take pride.