The Galveston Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors recognized that their organization is not well represented by the community’s younger generations. This sparked the idea of Fred Raschke, Chair of the Galveston Chamber Board,and Chamber President Gina Spagnola to create a committee dedicated to gathering fresh ideas about how they can …Read More…

Sister City to the East – Niigata, Japan

The Rosenberg Library Museum will display the “Key to the City” of Niigata, Japan, our island’s sister city, as the July Treasure of the Month. The Mayor of Niigata, Kotaro Watanabe, presented the symbolic Key to the City to the Galveston Chamber of Commerce and the Niigata Galveston Committee as a token of friendship between the two communities. Our beloved island has six sister cities as designated by Sister City International. This gold skeleton key is ornamented with the letter “N” at its end as its teeth. The key was later …Read More…

DEADLINE SET FOR NEW HISTORICAL MARKER APPLICATIONS

The Galveston County Historical Commission is accepting applications for state historical markers

The deadline is August 20. Applications are reviewed by the local historical commission, then submitted to the Texas Historical Commission in Austin for processing. If you are interested in applying for a historical marker, contact Jodi Wright-Gidley at 409-766-2340. “The Official Texas Historical Marker program helps bring attention to community treasures and the importance of their preservation,” said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the Texas Historical Commission. “Awareness and education are among the best ways to guarantee the preservation of our state’s history. This designation is a tool that will increase public awareness of important cultural resources,” Wolfe said. A subject qualifies for a marker if two basic criteria are met: historical significance and age. Historical significance is established by reviewing its role and importance in local history, and the age requirement depends on the topic. The THC’s Official Texas Marker Policies are outlined in the Official Texas Historical Marker Guidelines and Application Form, which may be obtained by contacting the History Programs Division, Texas Historical Commission, at 512/463-5853 or visiting the web site at www.thc.state.tx.us.

There are two types of Texas Historical Markers. Subject markers are posted solely for educational awareness and awarded more frequently than the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL), which is a legal designation for historic structures and comes with a measure of protection. Unlike subject markers, the RTHL must also meet a third criterion–architectural integrity. Texas has the largest marker program in the United States with over 14,000 markers. Seventeen states have used the Texas program as a model; the THC reviews more than 200 marker applications each year. The Texas Historical Commission is the state agency for historic preservation. The agency administers a variety of programs to preserve the archeological, historical and cultural resources of Texas. -30- www.thc.state.tx.us