Beach Patrol, Inc. history

On June 2, 1857, the steamship Louisiana, which was full of furniture and lumber, caught fire 5 miles off the coast of Galveston.

The Life Boat Association no longer existed and any lifesaving efforts were at a halt. It is thought that the equipment was destroyed when the Union captured Galveston in 1862 during the Civil War.

In November 1875, another tragedy occurred when the steamship “City of Waco”, hailing from New York City, arrived in Galveston to unload its cargo and suddenly burst into flames.

The 2nd Boardwalk constructed in Atlantic City was opened about June, 1, 1880.

The 3rd Boardwalk opened about June 1, 1884.

The 4th Boardwalk was dedicated May 10, 1890.

The 5th Boardwalk was dedicated July 8, 1896.

After The 1900 Storm, George Murdoch, proprietor of the Murdoch Bathing Pavilion, announced he was building a new pavilion on the site of the old bathhouse to accommodate the increase in tourism.

In 1910, bathhouse records showed more than 150,000 people came to Galveston’s beaches.

In 1911, the City of Cape May hired its first paid, professional lifeguards to protect bathers under the direction of Captain Tom Keenan.

In 1913, the YMCA organized a crew of volunteer lifeguards for Galveston Island.

By 1935, Galveston had hired a handful of lifeguards, stationing them at 4 main points of the island, including the so-called “Negro Beach on 29th street.” They each worked eight-hour shifts from March through October.

By August 1941, the Galveston Island Beach Patrol boasted 20 guards.

In 1981, the sheriff’s department took over management of the beach patrol, 1 cent was dedicated by state law from the hotel tax through the effort of Schwartz, and beach-user-fee monies were funneled through the Park Board of Trustees to modernize and expand the beach patrol.