Galveston, Texas in Galveston and in Texas. Cuney established his own business of stevedores and a union of black dockworkers to break the white monopoly on dock jobs. Galveston was a cosmopolitan city and one of the more successful during Reconstruction; the Freedmen's Bureau was headquartered here. German families sheltered teachers from the North, and hundreds of freedmen were taught to read. Its business community promoted progress, and immigrants stayed after arriving at this port of entry. By the end of the 19th century, the city of Galveston had a population of 37,000. Its position on the natural harbor of Galveston Bay
Port of Galveston to export on the city's lack of an adequate water supply. However, when the city water project finished in the early 1890s, industrialization still did not occur. In reality, many companies were hesitant to invest in machinery on an island prone to floods. The nearby city of Houston was able to better attract industry and began positioning themselves as a viable alternative to Galveston. The port survived the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 relatively unscathed, but the railroad connecting the island to the mainland suffered significant damage. In response to the hurricane, city leaders dredged the ship channel to raise the