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Map of Rosenberg Fountains

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Transcript:
 Henry Rosenberg was a Swiss immigrant and prominent businessman who loved Texas and the Galveston community.

Henry Rosenberg left much of his fortune to be used on public projects to improve the city of Galveston, including drinking water fountains and the Rosenberg library. At the time of Henry Rosenberg's death in 1893, no fresh water was being pumped to the island. Most of the drinking water had to be pulled from wells or collected during rainstorms.

This made it difficult for all Galvestonians, man and beast, to access fresh, drinkable water. One of Henry Rosenberg's final wishes was for 17 water fountains to be constructed for the people and animals of Galveston. Each fountain was built with a unique design, and they were scattered throughout the urbanized portion of the island.

Shortly after the 17 fountains were erected, a pipeline from the mainland was built over Galveston Bay to deliver water to the island residents rendering the Rosenberg fountains impractical. After the 1900 storm, most of the fountains were stored during the city's reconstruction. Today, nine fountains remain.

Most are functioning horse troughs or dog bowls, as Henry Rosenberg would've. You will find many of the surviving fountains in the downtown historic district and the Historic East end. 

Key Words: Galveston, Texas, History, Island, Beach, cruise, cruise ship, vacation, Henry Rosenberg, Fountains, East End Historic District, Strand, Seawall, Bolivar, Houston, Audio Tour, Audio Guide, Free Tour, Free in Galveston,

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