A city within a city, Jamaica Beach is located on the West End of Galveston Island immediately West of the Galveston Island State Park. Developed by partners Welcome Wilson, his brother Jack Wilson, Johnny Goyen, Earl Galceran, Bill Sherrill, and Jack Valenti, primarily as a weekend resort community, Jamaica Beach broke ground in the late 1950s, on 320 acres that was originally owned by the Moody family and once rumored to be a burial ground of the Karankawa Indians.
Originally quite successful, as the economy soured in the early 1970s,
the developers closed shop. But, by then, Jamaica Beach had begun to attract more full-time homeowners; and, in 1975, they banded together to incorporate the community as a separate city apart from Galveston. Today, while a majority of the homes are still second or vacation homes, there are
more full time occupants in Jamaica Beach than any other location on the
West End.
It offers all the services of a major city including its own mayor, city council, police and volunteer fire department. The community has its own park, established in 1989, that is fully equipped with a playground, basketball court, and picnic area as well as a pavilion with a kitchen. There is also a public boat ramp providing access to the canals and bay. Besides its convenience as a close-in West End beach community, Jamaica Beach offers a wide variety of lifestyles with beach, bay, canal, wetland, and dry lot homes available at varying price points.
