Many imagine the settlement of the American West as signaled by the dust of the wagon train or the whistle of a locomotive, but during the middle decades of the 19th century the growth of Texas and points west were centered around the 70-mile water route between Galveston and Houston. This single, vital link stood between the agricultural riches of the interior and the mercantile enterprises of the coast, with a round of operations that was as sophisticated and efficient as that of any large transport network today.

At the same time, the packets on the overnight Houston-Galveston run earned a reputation as colorful as their Mississippi counterparts, complete with impromptu steamboat races, makeshift naval gunboats during the Civil War, professional gamblers and horrific accidents.

Join the Houston Maritime Museum as Andrew tells the story of one of the vital early transportation routes that shaped the development of Texas.