From the Ft. Travis Seashore Park brochure by the Galveston County Beach & Parks Department.
Bolivar Peninsula has a long history of military fortifications. As early as 1814 the peninsula became a center of filibustering strategies and encampments.
During the civil war, Fort Sulakowski on the bayside of Bolivar Point, was established as a Confederate fortification. Federal troops took control of the fort and the peninsula in November of 1862.
On April 8, 1898, with Federal development of the Port of Galveston, Fort Travis was constructed on the current site at Bolivar Point. It was named in honor of William B. Travis, hero of the Alamo. The fort was completed in October of 1899.
Fort Travis sustained heavy damage from the 1900 storm. Repairs were well under way by 1903 to include the present seawall around the fort.
During WWI, Fort Travis was used as a garrison for trrops defending the Galveston coastal waters and the vital Port of Galveston.
The first public Galveston/Bolivar ferry was opened in 1930. The Rudolph Ernst Battery was the docking site on the Bolivar side. Records indicate it was no longer used as a ferry landing by the 1950's.
In 1942, Fort Travis was enlarged and some 2,500 troops were stationed at the fort to provide coastal defenses for the area. With the ending of WWII coastal defenses were no longer needed, and Fort Travis was declared surplus property and sold in 1949.
The 60 acre park was acquired through a Moody Foundation grant for $200,000.00 in march 1976. In December 1975, the Galveston County Beach Park Board received notification of approval of an acquisition/development grant from the National Park Service to develop Fort Travis Seashore Park.
This park is one the kids and I love to come to. We spend more time than we should down here in the Bolivar to Sabine Pass area and we have a couple of favorite spots, this is one. When we first found this park several years ago we were most intrigued by the fact it was used as the Galveston/Bolivar ferry terminal for so many years. We are big fans of the ferry as well.
The coordinates given will place you in front of an interpretive sign describing one of the batteries. Please take a picture and post it showing you, and your gps, if possible (some folks use their phone as their camera AND their gps, so, I understand) and post it in your log. It used to be a sign that talked about some of the aspects of Fort Travis. On it was posted a copy of a letter written to Major James B. Quinn, Corp of Engineers, U. S. A., on July 31, 1898. In the letter it was stated what the total amount of concrete and granolithic placed (in batches) was placed in the construction of 2 8" gun batteries at Fort Travis. But, they have removed that particular sign so it's now changed to the picture. Please note: This is the same type of requirement that has been on one of my other virtuals, "Pike Never Made It", at the top of Pike's Peak, in Colorado, for many years now, so it is perfectly acceptable and works.)
(Additional Info: This fort was built in conjunction with Fort San Jacinto across the bay on Galveston Island. The following coordinates are of the remaining portions of Fort San Jacinto that still exist).
29 degrees 20' 10.48" N / 94 degrees 45' 24.43" W. Secondary Battery - Fort San Jacinto.
29 degrees 20' 08.95" N / 94 degrees 45' 24.24" W . Concrete Mobile Gun Carriage, the last one remaining out of the original six.
29 degrees 20' 06.70" N / 94 degrees 45' 08.69" W . Forward Gun Position, Fort San Jacinto.
29 degrees 19' 46.67" N / 94 degrees 45' 29.54" W . Main Batteries, Fort San Jacinto. Can be seen from the top of the sea wall.