Galveston Entrance Front

Washington D.C.: Published by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1921. Nautical chart printed on heavy paper stock. Colored. A rare original coastal survey of Galveston area coastline encompassing the city of Galveston, Galveston Bay, Pelican Island, and the Bolivar Peninsula home to Crystal Beach.

Established by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807 as the Survey of the Coast, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey was the United States' first civilian scientific agency. This agency has followed its mission to survey the U.S. coastline, create nautical charts of the coast, and help increase maritime safety since its founding, and has often played fascinating roles in significant chapters of U.S. history. It served in all theaters of the Civil War in the service of the Union Army and Navy, pioneered acoustic exploration in the wake of the sinking of the Titanic, and during WWI it worked to detect enemy submarines. In addition, this agency worked to survey and produce detailed maps and renderings of the U.S. coast. These nautical survey maps (commonly referred to as "T-sheets") provide fascinating insights into the history of the United States coastline, which has and will continue to shift. These maps are the most important data source for understanding the physical and ecological characteristics of the U.S. shoreline. The present map of the Texas coastline is notable for the inclusion of Pelican Island and Pelican Spit as separate landmasses prior to their joining in formation of Pelican Island, as well as for noting the Immigration and Quarantine Stations on Pelican Spit. Lastly, this map illustrates the grid of the city of Galveston at this time with Broadway and the Tremont House named. It is a highly detailed and accurate sea chart of the Galveston region, and an important historical view of a developing Texas.