We trace how Michel B. Menard leveraged law, alliances, and risk to transform a barren island into Galveston, while confronting the exploitation that powered its rise. Vision meets cost, and a port city emerges through treaties, title fights, and hard truths.

• Menard’s journey from Canadian fur trader to Texas entrepreneur
• Mexican-era land laws and Juan Seguin’s proxy role
• Neutrality treaties with Shawnee, Delaware, and Kickapoo
• Texas Revolution pivots and failed Washington loan bid
• From muddy encampment to city grid and port plan
• Enslaved labor and POW exploitation on the island
• $50,000 title validation and investor network
• The Menard House as home, legend, and operations hub
• Galveston City Company legacy and Stewart Title records
• Wharf Company, rivalry with Houston, and port dominance
• Financial fall, preservation of the house, and nuanced legacy
• Reflection on power, mythmaking, and ethical context

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