Editing Dickinson, Texas (section)

==History==
{{Further|History of the Galveston Bay Area}}

[[File:Queen of Angels Church -- Dickinson, Texas.jpg|200px|thumb|Queen of Angels Church in Dickinson, Texas]]
Dickinson is located on a tract of land granted to John Dickinson in 1824, and named after him. A settlement had been established in this area on [[Dickinson Bayou]] before 1850. The Galveston, Houston, and Henderson Railroad was built directly through Dickinson. This line was used in the [[American Civil War]] to successfully retake Galveston.

The Dickinson Land and Improvement Association was organized in the 1890s by Fred M. Nichols and eight other businessmen. It marketed to potential farmers with claims of the soil's suitability for food crops, and to socialites with the creation of the Dickinson Picnic Grounds and other attractions. By 1911, the [[Galveston–Houston Electric Railway]] had three stops in Dickinson, and the Oleander Country Club was a popular destination for prominent Galvestonians.

In 1905, Italian [[ambassador]] Baron Mayor des Planches convinced about 150 Italians from crowded eastern cities to move to Dickinson. They joined the dozens relocated there after flooding in [[Bryan, Texas|Bryan]] forced them to seek new homes.

During the 1920s, Dickinson became a significant tourist destination resulting from investment by the Maceo crime syndicate, which [[Free State of Galveston|ran Galveston]] during this time. The syndicate created gambling venues in the city such as the Silver Moon casino.<ref name="TM: Grande Dame">{{cite journal|title=Grande Dame of the Gulf |journal=Texas Monthly |date=December 1983 |page=168 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LywEAAAAMBAJ}}</ref>
 
The City of Dickinson constructed a new multimillion-dollar city hall and library complex that was dedicated June 30, 2009. The complex is located at 4403 Highway 3.

In May 2009, the city began hosting a crawfish festival, called the Red, White and Bayou Crawfish Festival. The city decided in 2018 not to continue with the festival. In August 2022, the city resumed the festival.<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 29, 2022 |title=Red, White & Bayou Texas Music Festival |url=https://www.click2houston.com/houston-life/2022/08/29/red-white-bayou-texas-music-festival/ |access-date=October 12, 2022 |website=KPRC |language=en}}</ref>

In August 2017, Dickinson was devastated by [[Hurricane Harvey]]. About 90% of the city was flooded during the storm and 50% was destroyed by flooding.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jonathan Alexander and Hurricanes in Dickinson |url=http://www.catchingfoxes.fm/106?t=2950 |website=Catching Foxes |access-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref> The city received international attention after they tried to force citizens to sign loyalty pledges to Israel to receive relief aid. Local officials said it was required, due to Texas' strict [[anti-BDS laws]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gajanan |first=Mahita |date=2017-10-20 |title=Texas City Will Give You Hurricane Aid if You Promise Not to Boycott Israel |url=https://time.com/4992101/hurricane-harvey-texas-dickinson-israel/ |access-date=2024-09-29 |website=TIME |language=en}}</ref>

In January 2021, Dickinson made national news by the mayoral election run-off ending in a tie (1,010 votes each), Mayor Sean Skipworth was selected by drawing a name out of a hat.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mayor of Houston suburb chosen by pulling a name from hat |url=https://apnews.com/article/dickinson-mayor-chosen-via-name-from-hat-db87901ec568ee0949c8495931f7d573 |access-date=October 12, 2022 |website=AP NEWS |date=January 8, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

In August 2021, Dickinson made national news again when Council Member Position 1, H. Scott Apley died of the COVID-19 virus after making many antimask and antivaccine social-media posts.<ref>{{Cite news |title=A Texas GOP leader railed against vaccines and masks. Then he died of covid. |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/05/texas-gop-leader-antimask-antivax-dies-covid/ |access-date=October 12, 2022 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Johnnie Simpson Jr., a United Methodist pastor, won the seat after earning 49% of the vote in a four-way special election, and 60.3% of the vote in a runoff.<ref>{{Cite news|last=DeLapp |first=John |date=December 8, 2021 |title=Pastor wins Dickinson City Council seat |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/bayarea/article/Pastor-wins-Dickinson-City-Council-seat-16685509.php |access-date=October 12, 2022 |website=Houston Chronicle |language=en-US}}</ref>