Port of Galveston Port Arthur. Some businesses threatened to pull out of Galveston completely if the port wasn't reopened. Governor William P. Hobby declared martial law and sent the Texas National Guard to take control of the city and the port. The city was under martial law until January 1921, when the longshoreman agreed to return to work for a salary increase that was less than they had sought. Later that decade, the port of Galveston became a major sulphur exporter. As the oil industry expanded in Texas, no pipelines were built to Galveston. The Intracoastal Canal opened in 1933. For several years
Port of Galveston the Board of Trustees of the Galveston Wharves, as designated by the City Charter. The port is self-sustaining, and does not receive any taxpayer funding. The Port of Galveston consists of the Galveston Ship Channel, the south side of Pelican Island, the north side of Galveston Island and the entrance to Galveston Bay. The Galveston Channel has an authorized minimum depth of and is wide at its narrowest point. The port has 15-20 lines of business. In 2015, the eastern section of the port, ending at Pier 38, was dredged to a depth of . Siltation occurred at a faster