Free State of Galveston polls in 2008 and 2010 indicate this sentiment may be changing. Indeed gambling aboard cruise ships leaving from Galveston is now commonplace. Though this era in Galveston's history has not received a great deal of attention in popular culture (compared, for example, to Al Capone's Chicago), there has been some popular fiction and true crime story-telling centered on the era. Some notable examples include the novels "Under the Skin" by James Carlos Blake, "No Greater Deception: A True Texas Story" by Sydney Dotson, "Galveston" by Suzanne Morris, and "Overlords" by Matt Braun, as well as the anthology "Lone Star Sleuths:
Port of Galveston Galveston Wharf Company took control of the port in 1869. They built a grain elevator in 1875, leading Galveston to become a major grain exporter over the next few decades. By 1878, the port of Galveston was the nation's 3rd largest cotton exporter; they fell to 5th by 1882. Galveston's wealth and great esteem was due in large part to the port's activity. As other areas of the United States began to transition to a more industrial economy, Galveston was unable to compete. The port continued to primarily export agricultural goods. Local leaders often blamed the lack of industrial goods