History of Galveston, Texas (1891), and the first school for nurses (1890). Galveston was also home to the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in Texas. In 1839, Rome created the prefecture apostolic of Texas, which was later elevated to a vicariate apostolic on July 10, 1841. Then, on May 4, 1847 Pope Pius IX approved the creation of the Diocese of Galveston and named St. Mary's Church the Cathedral for the entire state of Texas. During the mid 19th century, Galveston, though not a large city by world standards, emerged as an international city with immigration and trade from around the U.S. and around the
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