JUNE 2021 Blues Vol 37 No. 6

1900’s From Shipwrecks

1900’s From Shipwrecks to Sunbathers After the 1900 storm, Mr. George Murdoch, the proprietor of the Murdoch Bathing Pavilion, announced that he was building a new pavilion on the site of the old bathhouse to accommodate the increase in tourism. The new Murdoch Bathing Pavilion was equipped with the latest in bathing comforts: one hundred and fifty changing rooms, shower baths, separate toilet rooms, the finest bathing suits for rent, and special lockers for private suits. As a responsible proprietor, George Murdoch provided life ropes by which bathers could hold onto since most people did not know how to swim back then. He also kept a beach patrol and life-saving crew on duty during the entire bathing season for his pavilion since Galveston did not have a formal organization in place. During the summer of 1910, bathhouse records showed that more than 150,000 people came to Galveston’s beaches and the majority of them could not swim. The need for a city-wide lifeguard organization grew rapidly. 58 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 59