Port Bolivar in Galveston County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Fort Travis

Photographed By Steve Henderson, September 4, 2018

1. Fort Travis Marker

Inscription. In early 1836, soon after Texas declared independence from Mexico, Republic of Texas President David Burnet dispatched Colonel Ed Harcourt to Galveston Island to erect a fort. Using army recruits and slave labor Harcourt built an octagonal earth and timber fortification armed with six and twelve-pound gun mounts appropriated from the Texas Navy vessel CAYUGA. Named Fort Travis in honor of William B. Travis, famous defender of the Alamo, it was located at the east end of the island. After high winds damaged the fort in 1837 the site was converted into a gun battery called Fort Point, its present name.

In 1898-99, with the beginning of federal development of the Port of Galveston, a second Fort Travis was established across Galveston Bay at Bolivar Point near the former site of a Civil War Confederate fortification called Fort Green. Two batteries, named Davis and Ernst, were completed in 1899 and a third, named Kimble, completed in 1922. Coastal defense facilities were added to the fort during World Wars I and II. Fort Travis was decommissioned and sold as war surplus in 1949. Besides its obvious military uses, Fort Travis also served as a refuge from hurricanes and as a Civil Defense shelter for area residents.

Erected 1993 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 7452.)

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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, Texas Independence • War, World I • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1836.

Location. 29° 21.959′ N, 94° 45.407′ W. Marker is in Port Bolivar, Texas, in Galveston County. Marker is on 10th Street south of Anderson Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Located in Fort Travis Seashore Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Port Bolivar TX 77650, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Jane Herbert Wilkinson Long (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bolivar Point (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fort San Jacinto (approx. 2.2 miles away); SS Selma (approx. 2.4 miles away); Galveston: Gateway to Texas (approx. 2.4 miles away); Galveston Quarantine Stations (approx. 2.4 miles away); U.S.S. Seawolf Memorial (approx. 2.6 miles away); Galveston Island (approx. 2.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Bolivar.

Also see . . . History of Fort Travis Seashore Park. Information regarding the area and history of the fort including a photo of the marker. (Submitted on August 19, 2010.)

Photographed By Brian Anderson, October 4, 2020

2. Fort Travis Marker

Fort Travis Marker (pole only; marker missing) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Richard Denney, August 14, 2010

3. Fort Travis Marker (pole only; marker missing)

All that remains of the marker as of the date of the photograph is the pole. This and several other markers were destroyed on Bolivar Peninsula by Hurricane Ike, September 2008

Fort Travis Main Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jim Evans, May 15, 2015

4. Fort Travis Main Building

Fort Travis Interpretive Trail Sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Richard Denney, August 13, 2010

5. Fort Travis Interpretive Trail Sign

Battery Kimble -- the topic of the display -- is the structure shown in photo with pole of missing historical marker.

Some Sort of Emplacement in the vicinity of the Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jim Evans, May 15, 2015

6. Some Sort of Emplacement in the vicinity of the Marker

Lighthouse Across the Highway From the Fort image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jim Evans, May 15, 2015

7. Lighthouse Across the Highway From the Fort

Point Bolivar Light is a historic lighthouse in Port Bolivar, Texas, that was built in 1872. It served for 61 years before being retired in 1933. The current lighthouse is at least the second structure at the site. The first lighthouse was built in the mid-1850s and was taken down during the Civil War so that Union warships could not use it as a navigational aid. After withstanding over 150 years of erosion, the lighthouse is now entirely black. This has caused some to call it "The Haunted Lighthouse" of Bolivar.

Tanker Photographed From the Bolivar Ferry image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jim Evans, May 15, 2015

8. Tanker Photographed From the Bolivar Ferry

The Bolivar Ferry carries cars and people from Galveston Island to Bolivar Peninsula and vice versa continuously. One boat runs at night and two during the day and they may add a third at peak traffic times. It isn't always quick (waiting time to board the ferry can be long), but it's still the quickest way.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 15, 2010, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. This page has been viewed 2,523 times since then and 47 times this year. Last updated on May 15, 2015, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. Photos: 1. submitted on July 2, 2023, by Steve Henderson of Marble Falls, Texas. 2. submitted on October 8, 2020, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas. 3. submitted on August 15, 2010, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. 4. submitted on May 17, 2015, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. 5. submitted on August 15, 2010, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. 6. submitted on May 15, 2015, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. 7. submitted on May 16, 2015, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. 8. submitted on May 17, 2015, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.