Free State of Galveston made these businesses increasingly difficult to sustain. By the end of the 1950s, this era of Galveston's history had ended. The island of Galveston, which lies on the Gulf of Mexico, held one of the first major settlements in the eastern part of what is now Texas. During the mid-to-late-19th century, it became the largest city in the state. Galveston was also an important national commercial center and one of the busiest seaports in the United States, as the Port of Galveston was able to capitalize on Texas' rapid rise in the cotton trade. Its downtown was known as the
Texas State Highway 124 the current SH 87 to High Island, and then over the current SH 124 to Stowell, replacing a split of SH 125 that was designated on December 16, 1929. The route terminated in Stowell at SH 125 which then was made up of the present SH 65 between Stowell and Anahuac and the current SH 124 to Beaumont. The state highway department assumed control of the ferry service between Port Bolivar and Galveston in 1930 and resumed operations in 1934 after making extensive renovations extending SH 124 to US 75 and SH 6 in Galveston. On March 17, 1936, the