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:
Free State of Galveston the Gulf Coast and along the shores of the bay. Immediately after the hurricane, Galveston worked to revive itself as a port and an entertainment center, including the construction of tourist destinations such as the Hotel Galvez, which opened in 1911. In the same year, the Galveston–Houston Electric Railway opened and became recognized as the fastest interurban rail system in the country. Galveston's port was also rebuilt quickly, and by 1912 had become the second-leading exporter in the nation, behind New York. Nevertheless, after the 1900 storm and another in 1915, many avoided investing in the island. Galveston had been