Friendswood Independent School District is a school district based in Friendswood , Texas ( USA ).
53-588: FISD covers the Galveston County portion of the city of Friendswood (the portion south of Clear Creek, which is the majority of the city). A small portion of the district is in Brazoria County . The Friendswood Independent School District was established on December 21, 1948. The district covers 15 square miles (39 km) and borders the Alvin, Pearland and Clear Creek school districts. All of
106-697: A county treasurer , and every judge in the county except municipal judges , who are appointed by the officials of their respective cities. In September 2023, Galveston County was sued in what was the first Voting Rights Act case since Section 2 of the Act was upheld in Allen v Milligan in June. Under the map adopted by the Republican county commissioners in 2021, all four precincts of Galveston County are majority White, despite Black and Latino people making up 45% of
159-630: A Spanish navigator, surveyed the area and named the bay "Galveston" to honor Bernardo de Gálvez , who supported the United States in the Revolutionary War. Galveston County was formally established under the Republic of Texas on May 15, 1838. The county was formed from territory taken from Harrisburg, Liberty, and Brazoria Counties, with governmental organization taking place in 1839. The island and city of Galveston by far formed
212-618: A center of culture , economy , and nightlife, all due to the free availability of gambling and alcohol. The city's entertainment business spread throughout the county with major casino districts in Kemah and Dickinson enabled by a lax attitude among law enforcement in the county (Houstonians often humorously referred to the Galveston County line as the "Maceo-Dickinson line"). The county prospered as oil fueled Texas City's industrial growth, and wealthy tourists flocked to Galveston and
265-601: A complete listing, see list of cities and towns in Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land MSA 29°23′N 94°52′W / 29.38°N 94.86°W / 29.38; -94.86 Spindletop Spindletop is an oil field located in the southern portion of Beaumont , Texas , in the United States . The Spindletop dome was derived from the Louann Salt evaporite layer of
318-670: A flow of oil, and then a loud roar. On January 10, 1901, at a depth of 1,139 ft (347 m), what is known as the Lucas Gusher or the Lucas Geyser blew oil over 150 feet (50 m) in the air at a rate of 100,000 barrels per day (16,000 m /d) (4,200,000 gallons). Nine days passed before the well was brought under control using a Christmas Tree devised by the Hamills. By late June, there were 13 gushers on Spindletop. These included those by David R. Beatty on 26 March,
371-455: A four-inch "wash pipe" to flush out the sand from the bottom of the hole with water. At around 250 feet (80 m), Lucas improvised a check valve to prevent the increased gas pressure from forcing sand into the casing, enabling them to reach a depth of 445 feet (140 m), and past the 285-foot (90 m) thick quicksand formation. At a depth of 645 feet (200 m), they adopted eighteen-hour shifts for continuous operations, drilling during
424-572: A lease agreement in 1899 with the Gladys City Company and a subsequent agreement with Higgins. Lucas drilled to 575 feet (180 m) before running out of money. He secured additional funding from John H. Galey, James M. Guffey , and Andrew Mellon of Pittsburgh , and the Guffey Petroleum Company was formed. Yet, the deal left Lucas with only an eighth share, and Higgins with nothing. Lucas and Galey employed
477-499: A median income of $ 41,406 versus $ 28,703 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 21,568. About 10.10% of families and 13.20% of the population were below the poverty line , including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over. The head of a Texas county, as set up in the Texas Constitution , is the county judge , who sits as the chair of the county's commissioners' court. The county
530-570: A source of natural gas for his brickyard and envisioned producing oil and gas from Sour Spring Mound, convinced it was an anticline . The eventual oil field would be called Spindletop, after a hill one mile to the east, and four miles south of Beaumont. The hill had the appearance of a spindle due to trees on its hilltop ( cimas de boneteros , "tops of spindle-trees"). The mound was famous for its gas seeps , which Higgins lit for his Baptist Sunday school class. In August 1892, George W. O'Brien, George W. Carroll, Pattillo Higgins, and J.F. Lanier formed
583-594: A two-runway airport located on Galveston Island in Galveston. The airport is primarily used for general aviation, offshore energy transportation, and some limited military operations. Privately owned airports for private use include Creasy Airport and Kami-Kazi Airport, both inn unincorporated areas. The closest airport with regularly scheduled commercial service is William P. Hobby Airport , located in Houston. The Houston Airport System stated that Galveston County
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#1732783086030636-481: Is also within the primary service area of George Bush Intercontinental Airport , an international airport near Houston in Harris County. Private heliports for private use include: All rail traffic is currently industry-related. Regularly scheduled passenger rail service in Galveston County ceased on April 11, 1967. The City of Galveston is served by Island Transit , a public transportation agency. For
689-640: Is certified as a level I trauma center and serves as the lead trauma facility for the nine-county region in southeast Texas, including the Greater Houston area. The Mainland Medical Center, a 233-bed, private, for-profit hospital, operates in Texas City. The Galveston County Jail is located at 5700 Avenue H in Galveston. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice and University of Texas Medical Branch manage health care facilities for prisoners in Galveston, Galveston County. The facilities include
742-743: Is located at the museum. The monument, erected at the wellhead in July, 1941, was moved to the Spindletop-Gladys City Museum after it became unstable due to ground subsidence. According to an article by Nedra Foster, LS in the July/August, 2000 issue of the Professional Surveyor Magazine, the monument was originally located within 4 ft of the site of the Spindletop well. Today, the wellhead
795-457: Is marked at Spindletop Park by a flagpole flying the Texas flag. It is located about 1.5 miles south of the museum, off West Port Arthur Road/Spur 93. The site includes a viewing platform with information placards, about a quarter-mile from the flagpole. The wellhead site is in the middle of swampland on private land and is not accessible. Directions to the park and viewing platform are available at
848-423: Is split into four geographical divisions called precincts. Each precinct elects a commissioner to sit as a representative of their precinct on the commissioners court and also for the oversight of county functions in their area. Other elected positions in Galveston County include a county clerk , a district attorney , a district clerk , a county clerk , a sheriff , nine constables , a tax assessor-collector,
901-506: The Goose Creek Oil Field in 1908. Standard Oil , which then had a monopoly or near-monopoly on the petroleum industry in the eastern states, was prevented from moving aggressively into the new oilfield by state antitrust laws. Populist sentiment against Standard Oil was particularly strong at the time of the Spindletop discovery. In 1900, an oil-products marketing company affiliated with Standard Oil had been banned from
954-468: The Jurassic geologic period. On January 10, 1901, a well at Spindletop struck oil ("came in"). The Spindletop gusher blew for 9 days at a rate estimated at 100,000 barrels (16,000 m ) of oil per day. Gulf Oil and Texaco , now part of Chevron Corporation , were formed to develop production at Spindletop. The Spindletop discovery led the United States into the oil age. Prior to Spindletop, oil
1007-422: The "Bayshore" area: Bacliff , San Leon , and Bayview . Alta Loma , previously unincorporated, became a part of Santa Fe in 1978. According to the census of 2000, 250,158 people, 94,782 households, and 66,157 families resided in the county. The population density was 628 people per square mile (242 people/km ). The 111,733 housing units averaged 280 per square mile (110/km ). The racial makeup of
1060-400: The 94,782 households at the 2000 census, 33.80% had children under 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 13.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.20% were not families. Around 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.60, and the average family size
1113-616: The Clear Lake area of the county. Texas City has become an important petrochemical center. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 874 square miles (2,260 km ), of which 495 square miles (1,280 km ) (57%) is covered by water. Galveston County is located on the plains of the Texas Gulf Coast in the southeastern part of the state. The county is bounded on
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#17327830860301166-794: The Dickinson Public Library, the Friendswood Public Library, and the Mae Bruce Library in Santa Fe. Galveston County is served by a major medical complex in Galveston and a private for-profit hospital in Texas City. The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston is a 1,200-bed, major medical complex of seven hospitals. The main general-care hospital is John Sealy Hospital , with other on-campus hospitals specializing in women, children, burn victims, geriatrics, and psychiatrics. Currently, UTMB
1219-520: The Galveston, Houston, and Henderson Railroad built a wooden trestle that was used by all other railway lines to the island until 1875, when the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built its own bridge. At the end of the 19th century, a group of investors established Texas City directly across the West Bay from Galveston, with the hope of making it a competing port city. The port began operations just before
1272-526: The Gladys City Oil, Gas, and Manufacturing Company to do exploratory drilling. The company tried drilling two test wells, but ran into trouble trying to penetrate below 300 feet (90 m), encountering a quicksand -like formation . Higgins quit the venture in 1896. Pattillo Higgins then teamed with Captain Anthony F. Lucas , the leading expert in the U.S. on salt-dome formations. Lucas made
1325-541: The Hamill brothers for the drilling, while Galey picked the well site on land leased from the Beaumont Pasture Company. This tract of land was near the top of Sour Spring Mound. The well was spudded on 27 October 1900. At 160 feet (50 m), they hit the quicksands that had stopped earlier efforts. A solution consisted of driving an eight-inch casing pipe through the sand over the next 20 days, with
1378-650: The Heywood Brothers Oil Company, two more from the J.M. Guffey Company, and the Higgins Oil and Fuel Company on 18 April. Then in July 1901, the Hogg -Swayne Syndicate leased 15 acres from J.M. Guffey. Spindletop was the largest gusher the world had seen and catapulted Beaumont into an oil-fueled boomtown . Beaumont's population of 10,000 tripled in 3 months and eventually rose to 50,000. Speculation led land prices to increase rapidly. By
1431-668: The Isla de Malhado, the "Isle of Misfortune", or Isla de Culebras, the "Isle of Snakes". In 1519, an expedition led by Alonso Álvarez de Pineda actually sailed past Galveston Island while charting the route from the Florida peninsula to the Pánuco River . The information gathered from the expedition enabled the Spanish government to establish control over the entire Gulf Coast , including Galveston Island. In 1783, José Antonio de Evia,
1484-415: The United States, and Galveston's importance continued to grow as it came to dominate the worldwide cotton trade. As railroads between Galveston, Harrisburg , Houston, and other towns were built during the 19th century, small communities grew up along the rail lines. Nevertheless, Galveston continued to remain a prominent destination for the shipping and trade industries. A bridge was completed in 1859, when
1537-521: The area: College of the Mainland for Texas City (including former La Marque), Hitchcock, Santa Fe, Friendswood, and Dickinson school districts as well as the Galveston County portion of Clear Creek ISD (in other words, mainland Galveston County); and Galveston College for Galveston ISD and High Island ISD (the islands). The Galveston County Library System operates libraries in most of the larger towns and cities. The Rosenberg Library in Galveston has
1590-630: The co-gender Galveston Hospital for prisoners in Galveston and the Young Medical Facility Complex for females in Texas City . Hospital Galveston began contracting for medical treatment of prisoners in 1983. Young opened in 1996 as the Texas City Regional Medical Unit. Scholes International Airport at Galveston ( IATA : GLS , ICAO : KGLS ), the county's sole publicly owned airport, is
1643-561: The contract, and in 1907, created Gulf Oil . On November 14, 1925, the Yount-Lee Oil Company brought in its McFaddin No. 2 at a depth around 2,500 feet (800 m), sparking a second boom, which culminated in the field's peak production year of 1927, during which 21 million barrels (3.3 GL) were produced. Spindletop continued as a productive source of oil until about 1936. Stripper wells continue producing to this day. It
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1696-518: The county municipalities near Clear Lake and Harris County . The Clear Lake area communities in Harris and Galveston Counties soon became more tied together, while the island of Galveston languished for many years as businesses increasingly left for the mainland. Tourism has gradually resurged, both on the island and on the mainland, and today has become a major industry in the county. Aerospace and related service industries continue to be important in
1749-642: The county was 72.69% White, 15.44% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 2.10% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 7.18% from other races, and 2.08% from two or more races. About 18% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. By the publication of the 2020 census , the population grew to 350,682, with a racial and ethnic makeup at 54.57% non-Hispanic white, 12.30% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 0.30% non-Hispanic Native American, 3.48% non-Hispanic Asian, 0.06% non-Hispanic Pacific Islander, 0.41% non-Hispanic some other race, 3.61% non-Hispanic multiracial, and 25.28% Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of
1802-617: The county's population; under previous maps dating back to the 1980s, Precinct 3 was majority minority . On October 13, Judge Jeff Brown of the Southern District of Texas ordered the county commissioners to redraw the electoral map within one week to include at least one majority-minority district, finding the 2021 map to be "stark and jarring" in its gerrymandering of Galveston County. Eight independent school districts (ISDs) serve Galveston County communities: A ninth school district, La Marque Independent School District ,
1855-471: The day, and keeping circulation going at night, to prevent a gas blowout . In early December, they hit a pocket of coarse water sand, when they adopted another innovation, mixing mud into the water which prevented the "heavier" water from dissipating into the sand. This drilling mud stabilized the hole, and soon they were drilling into a clay formation called gumbo. At 800 feet (240 m) they reached limestone , and on 9 December, oil started showing up in
1908-948: The distinction of being the oldest public library in Texas, and serves as the headquarters for the Galveston County Library System. Its librarian also functions as the Galveston County librarian. Also, seven other libraries are in Galveston County, including the Genevieve Miller Library in Hitchcock, the La Marque Public Library, the Helen Hall Public Library in League City, the Moore Memorial Public Library in Texas City,
1961-542: The district's school's mascots are some version of a horse. In 2009, the school district was rated " exemplary " by the Texas Education Agency . Galveston County, Texas Galveston County ( / ˈ ɡ æ l v ɪ s t ən / GAL -vis-tən ) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas , located along the Gulf Coast adjacent to Galveston Bay . As of the 2020 census , its population
2014-546: The end of 1902, more than 500 companies had been formed and 285 wells were in operation. Spindletop produced 17,420,949 barrels of oil in 1902, but only half that much in 1903 as production declined. Yet Spindletop inspired wildcatting along the Gulf Coastal Plain . Significant salt dome oil fields included Sour Lake and Saratoga in 1902, Batson Prairie in 1903, the Humble oil field in 1905, and
2067-456: The hole for ten minutes. Then, at 960 feet (290 m), they reached a sulphur layer, followed by more layers of limestone. On 10 January, they needed to replace the dull fishtail drill bit. While lowering the pipe down the hole, they only got to about 35 joints of pipe, or about 700 feet (210 m), before a low rumble sent mud, and then drill stem out of the hole. This was followed by silence, an explosion of more mud and gas, more silence,
2120-613: The merit of the whole city. Investors had worried that the Texas coast was a dangerous place to establish major commercial operations because of the threat of hurricanes, and the 1900 disaster seemed to prove that. Though Galveston rebuilt its port and other major operations quickly, major investment moved inland, largely to Houston. Soon, Houston and Texas City had outpaced Galveston as major ports. The oil boom in Texas began in 1901, and pipelines and refineries soon were built in Texas City. Industrial growth blossomed, especially during World War II . Galveston's manufacturing sector, however,
2173-479: The most important population center. The city of Galveston was the republic's largest city and its center of commerce and culture. The Galveston County Bar Association , first formed in 1846, is the oldest in Texas. Port Bolivar on the Bolivar Peninsula was a port of secondary importance. Other development in the area was initially mostly ranching interests and small farming communities. Texas soon joined
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2226-553: The northeast by Galveston Bay and on the northwest by Clear Creek and Clear Lake . Much of the county covers Galveston Bay, and is bounded to the south by the Galveston Seawall and beaches on the Gulf of Mexico . Galveston County has several unincorporated areas; most of them are on the Bolivar Peninsula . Others are outside of Hitchcock and Santa Fe along Texas State Highway 6 , and the three communities in
2279-437: The other entertainment districts. The gambling empire was destroyed in the 1950s, as state law enforcement dismantled its establishments. Galveston's economy crashed, as did the economies of some other county municipalities that were dependent on tourism. Texas City's economy weathered the storm because of its strong industry. The establishment on NASA 's Johnson Space Center in 1963 soon created new growth opportunities for
2332-480: The slush pit. The oil was coming from a 35-foot (10 m) thick oil sand at a depth of 870 feet (270 m). Yet, that oil sand was too soft and fine to develop at that time, and Caroline Lucas convinced Galey to continue drilling to 1,200 feet (370 m), per contract. On Christmas Eve, they landed six-inch pipe below the sand at 880 feet (270 m), then enjoyed the holiday, returning New Year's Day. They hit another gas pocket, which forced water and mud out of
2385-406: The start of the 20th century. The 1900 Galveston Hurricane devastated the county, killing an estimated 6000 people on the island alone and numerous others in the rest of the county. The Port of Galveston was closed for a time during reconstruction, but recovery was swift and profound. By 1910, the county's citizens had developed the commission form of government, constructed the seawall, and raised
2438-404: The state for its cutthroat business practices. Although Standard built refineries in the area, it was unable to dominate the new Gulf Coast oil fields the way it had in the eastern states. As a result, a number of startup oil companies at Spindletop, such as Texaco and Gulf Oil , grew into formidable competitors to Standard Oil. Production at Spindletop began to decline rapidly after 1902, and
2491-406: The wells produced only 10,000 barrels per day (1,600 m /d) by 1904. Unfortunately the developers had signed a 20-year contract to sell 25,000 barrels per day at $ 0.25 per barrel to Shell Oil . When the price climbed above $ 0.35 per barrel, the operation was stressed and Mellon who had lent money for Spindle Top's development took control of the company, won a lawsuit allowing Mellon to renege on
2544-408: Was 3.12. In the county, theage distribution was 26.7% under 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 93.10 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $ 42,419, and for a family was $ 51,435. Males had
2597-584: Was 350,682. The county was founded in 1838. The county seat is the City of Galveston , founded the following year, and located on Galveston Island . The most-populous municipality in the county is League City , a suburb of Houston at the northern end of the county, which surpassed Galveston in population during the early 2000s. Galveston County is part of the nine-county Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land (Greater Houston) metropolitan statistical area . Sixteenth-century Spanish explorers knew Galveston Island as
2650-534: Was more stagnant during the 20th century. Galveston, traditionally an attractive tourist destination even before the storm, transformed itself into a major, nationally known destination. Around this time, entrepreneur , power broker , and racketeer Sam Maceo rose to power and transformed the island in what was known as the Free State of Galveston . During this time, the city was home to many casinos , whorehouses , and speakeasies , in addition to becoming
2703-454: Was primarily used for lighting and as a lubricant. Because of the quantity of oil discovered, burning petroleum as a fuel for mass consumption suddenly became economically feasible. The frenzy of oil exploration and the economic development it generated in the state became known as the Texas oil boom . The United States soon became the world's leading oil producer. Pattillo Higgins sought
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#17327830860302756-608: Was subsumed into Texas City ISD in 2016 after the Texas Education Agency revoked its accreditation due to poor academic and financial performance. The city of Galveston is home to Texas A&M University at Galveston , an extension of the main A&;M campus in College Station , and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston . The Texas Legislature specified that the following community colleges also serve
2809-551: Was then mined for sulfur from the 1950s to about 1975. In 1976, Lamar University dedicated the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum to preserve the history of the Spindletop oil gusher era in Beaumont. The museum features an oil derrick and many reconstructed Gladys City building interiors furnished with authentic artifacts from the Spindletop boomtown period. The Lucas Gusher Monument
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