[CHARLIE]

Finally got a low enough tide for lots of the old supports for the old Glveston bridge from the mainland to the island. They are on the right side of the causeway heading down to Galveston (west side). They are (or seem to be) old rock piles that have taken many of prop's, rudders and lower units from boats. There is one just south of the ICW that has damaged many boats heading to the marina south from the ICW by the causeway. The rocks are in a line (dont confuse them with the Oyster reefs if you look close you can see them. I took the pictures while driving over the causeway so they arn't the best. Last picture is showing some on the Galveston side.

 

[kinja]

Lost a lower unit to the last one before the ICW a few years ago.tide sure fell out last night.

 

[smooth move]

last time they were out of the water, bout a month ago, i took the boat over there and marked all of em on the Tiki side. i blasted thru there many times and was just lucky.

 

[Boatflounder]

one of the ones on the galveston sides got a chunk of my skeg.

 

[coachlaw]

Are these from the old original antebellum railroad bridge?

 

[Haute Pursuit]

Dang... Can't believe I never hit one of those when I lived in Omega Bay and ran a 20' Mako. Counting my blessings... LOL

 

[jeff.w]

Anyone have a pic or two of what the bridge used to look like back in the day?

 

[Lyssy]

I'm not sure which bridge your referring too. cause this is the original 1912 causeway which is still there. Are you saying these are the supports from the one they just tore down?

 

[capt. david]

The first bridge was completed in 1859. I have also wanted to know if those were the old supports.

 

[Lyssy]

here's what i found from the Rosenberg Library

"Wagon bridge, Galveston, Texas"

Author: ​

Morris, Galveston, Texas

Format: ​

Sepia photograph, mounted; 11.3 x 19.5 cm Description: "Wagon bridge, Galveston, Texas"

Date: ​

[1893 - 1900]

Terms: ​

Bridges - Wagon (1893); Galveston Bay

 

[smooth move]

last time i saw these piling bases i did a search on galveston bridges and i think the bridge that Lysse posted is the correct one, however i think there were 3 different bridges during the late 1800's. the dates i found were 1864-1906.

 

[Lyssy]

Digging deep on google this is the only picture or sketch I can find of the 1859 bridge.

 

[jeff.w]

Cool pics Lyssy, thanks for posting.

 

[Sargentfisher]

2cool

 

[red&jackfishchaser]

Like them old sketch pics....

 

[Profish00]

Can anyone place them on a aerial google map? Where are they in relation to the channel coming out from under the Tiki bridge heading south?

 

[Lyssy]

No prob, after I posted the first pic of the 1912 causeway i was like wait that wasn't the first first bridge. Google is a wonder thing.

 

[CHARLIE]

Profish

Coming out of Tiki channel from the old marina they are on the left I would say they are about 100 yards to the west of the causeway. The biggest piles are on each side of the ICW north and south. They have got many of lower units. I am told these supports were for an old original one way wagon bridge back in the 1800's. I havent really checked. These were way before the now railroad bridge.

 

[Redfishr]

My neighbor lost his whole lower unit to one of those.
They are acutally on my GPS.

 

[Paul Marx]

They are from the wagon bridge and spaced about 40' apart . You can see them on Google Earth . They are diffrent sizes I'd say some are 6' x 30' , some are much bigger. If you hit one it will not move . It appears a couple may have actually turned a little , not sure if they tried to remove them and gave up or the 1900 storm shifted them some .