It was finally shut down by the Texas Attorney General and Texas Rangers, and tourism declined. After WWII, during the late 1940s – early 1950s, Kemah was notorious for illegal, brazenly open round-the-clock casino gambling that had spread from Galveston. Kemah’s population was about 400 and dropped down to 100 during the Great Depression. Shell was used to build roadbeds back then. Bradford discovered a shell reef that extended from his property several hundred feet into the Bay and was 20-30 feet high in some spots, that was excavated and sold to the nearby Southern & Pacific railroad by the carload.

The storm of 1900 demolished the town and residents were forced to evacuate but returned in 1901 to rebuild and renamed it Kemah.

After Gouldrich mysteriously disappeared, the property changed hands several times until it was acquired by the Kipp and Bradford families who established the town of Evergreen in 1898. It was also “home” to the French pirate, Jean Lafitte in the early 1800s. And the Sports Betting Alliance - an organization made of sports teams, leagues, and betting platforms - marked its debut in Texas politics by registering 20 lobbyists with the state.Kemah began as a 177-acre land grant from the Mexican government to early colonist, Michael Gouldrich in 1824. Las Vegas Sands has hired 89 lobbyists in Texas this year, the most ever. The political action committee of Las Vegas Sands Corp., funded by its largest shareholder, Miriam Adelson, gave more than $2 million to Texas campaigns over the past year.

They’ve managed to win over Republican leadership including Governor Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan, who recently expressed openness to considering full-fledged casinos. Proponents have funneled millions into Texas politics over the past year to support gambling legislation and - after failing during the 2021 legislative session - the winds are starting to shift in their favor. The bill, if passed by two-thirds majorities in the House and Senate, would then go to voters in November elections. State lawmakers have filed legislation to legalize gambling and approve the construction of casino resorts in major cities, an initiative that has bipartisan support, a rarity in Texas politics. Texas voters could soon get a chance to decide whether to bring Las Vegas-style resorts to the Lone Star State, thanks to a campaign by deep-pocketed casino operators and sports team owners.

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