"Place of Remembrance"
Galveston Island, Texas
it's hard to know what to do with your emotions
when you're overwhelmed by the beauty & power of nature...
but you know it didn't... you know it wakes up every morning, for all time before you & all time after you
alone, in the soft light, it's easy to feel like an intruder...
to feel that you've stumbled onto a very private moment in this very public place
witnessing someone's struggle... their loss, their love...
their determination... & the triumph of the human spirit
yes, emotions can easily overcome you in a place so poignant
The Great Storm of 1900 roared ashore on September 8th, claiming between 8,000 & 12,000 lives. It remains, to date, the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. In the years that followed, a seawall was built & the historic city was raised to a new level behind it. This 10 foot bronze statue, a work by sculptor David W. Moore, was dedicated on Sept. 9th, 2000; during the ceremony, rose petals were strewn in the waves to honor the thousands who lost their lives. Names of those known to have perished are stored in a vault beneath the statue's pink granite base... the same native pink granite used in the construction of the seawall, our State Capitol, & many historic Texas buildings.
and more facts about the storm on Wikipedia
Of the many photos I've taken of the statue, these are my favorites... all taken one gorgeous morning.
Posts
14 little pearls:
Oh My
I don't know what's more beautiful.. your stunning photos.. beautiful words or this incredible statue
Thanks for sharing this with us Julia..I'm going to pop over via your links.. xxx Julie
Beautiful post. Your images and words are both amazing and touching. Thank you for sharing this. The pictures on the website are just heart-wrenching, so much sadness.
Beautiful photos and what a story! I wish I could walk along the beach with you.
Brenda
That's a beautiful statue, and I didn't know the info about the storm. Thank you for sharing the website. If those photos were taken here, it would be in the late afternoon or early evening as we only get sunsets on the ocean :-)
Blessings,
Marcia
Wow - this is a beautiful post. I have never heard of this storm...I am going to research this and read more details. Amazing to hear it is our country's worst natural disaster...What a beautiful sculpture.
We always need to remember the power of Mother Nature ..... her beauty and her destruction. Thank you for sharing the power of both.
Absolutely beautiful...moving...
My mother's family lost their home to the great 1921 storm which hit Tampa, moving right up the bay. She and her siblings were evacuated by boat. They traveled many miles before they found dry land and safety. Today, we are so fortunate to have the early warnings of approaching storms. All would be wise to heed these warnings. Mother Nature can be incredibly beautiful...and unbelievably dangerous!!! We are always on pins and needles during hurricane watches. If one storm comes up Tampa Bay again...like this one...the damage will be devastating. Thanks for sharing...
Jane (artfully graced)
It's so hard to imagine experiencing a storm tragedy like that..., I will always keep my distance!
Such a beautiful and poignant post. I've never seen this statue or heard of the Great Storm. Thanks. xoRoberta
Beautiful post ... so moving. Thank you for sharing this story.
This is my first visit via Linda at Lime and the Coconut.
Very moving post. Yes, it's a love - hate relationship. Really great words, very emotional. Pruxxx P.S. Thanks for your kind thoughts. GD didn't handle GM's funeral that well but he's now up in the sun at Byron Bay where my Aunty lives. Apparently he's just lying in the sun sleeping. It's the perfect break for him. Pruxxx
What a very moving post. Your photos and your words are exquisite. So much sadness and so much beauty. Thank you for sharing this very moving and emotional part of our history. Beautiful post.
I'm going to have to make time to come back and visit more often...your blog is just beautiful! So restful, so inspiring...a true breath of fresh air in a world that is often anything but relaxing. Thank you for creating the wonderful haven...:)
beautiful!!!! Love this, I have some pictures on my blog of my grandmother in the 1930's sitting on the sea wall in Galveston, Texas. It's one place that I have always wanted to visit.
L,
Caron
Post a Comment