Beaumont

City of Beaumont
—  City  —
Location in the state of Texas
Coordinates: 30°04′48″N 94°07′36″W / 30.08°N 94.12667°W / 30.08; -94.12667
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Jefferson
Settled	1835
Incorporation	1838
Gentilic	Beaumonter
Government
- Type	Council-Manager
- City Council	Mayor Becky Ames Dr. Alan B. Coleman W. L. Pate, Jr. Jamie D. Smith Audwin M. Samuel Gethrel ‘Get’ Williams-Wright Nancy Beaulieu
- City Manager	Kyle Hayes
Area
- Total	222.6 km2 (85.9 sq mi)
- Land	220.2 km2 (85.0 sq mi)
- Water	2.4 km2 (0.9 sq mi)
Elevation	5 m (16 ft)
Population (2000)
- Total	113,866
- Density	517.1/km2 (1,339.4/sq mi)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s)	409
FIPS code	48-07000[1]
GNIS feature ID	1330268[2]
Website	www.cityofbeaumont.com

Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States,^[3] within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 113,866 at the 2000 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the Gulf Coast.

Lamar University is based in Beaumont. The city's daily newspaper is The Beaumont Enterprise, while The Examiner is published weekly.

Gulf States Utilities had its headquarters in Beaumont until its absorption by Entergy Corporation in 1993. GSU's Edison Plaza headquarters is still the tallest building in Beaumont (as of 2007). Since 1907, Beaumont has been home of the South Texas State Fair. In 2004, the venue for the Fair changed to Ford Park, a new, larger facility on the west end of Beaumont.

The Beaumont-Port Arthur region is cited as one of the most polluted urban areas in the United States due to various energy industries and chemical plants in the area. It has caused many residents to become sick and has generated debates through the media [1]. Many environmental justice organizations have kept track of cities such as Beaumont-Port Arthur and others in Texas regarding similar pollution, its effect on "...the poor, the minority, the disenfranchised, the children, the elderly..." and lax regulation [2]

History

The city of Beaumont was named by Henry Millard and his long-time friend Joseph Perkins Pulsifer for Jefferson Beaumont. Millard came to Texas in 1835 and, along with his business partners, purchased some land between the settlements of Tevis Bluff and Santa Anna. On this property, they founded the city of Beaumont.

Beaumont became a town on December 16, 1838. Joseph Perkins Pulsifer was a founding citizen of Beaumont.^[4] His firm, J.P. Pulsifer and Company, donated the first 50 acres (200,000 m²) upon which the town was founded. Beaumont's first mayor was Alexander Calder.^[5]

Beaumont was a small center for cattle raisers and farmers in its early years, and with an active riverport by the late 1800s, it became an important lumber and rice-milling town. The Beaumont Rice Mill, founded in 1892 by Joseph Eloi Broussard, was the first commercial rice mill in Texas. Beaumont's lumber boom, which reached its peak in the late 1800s, was due in large part to the rebuilding and expansion of the railroads after the Civil War. By the early 1900s, the city was served by the Southern Pacific, Kansas City Southern, Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe, and Missouri Pacific railroad systems.

Oil was discovered at nearby Spindletop on January 10, 1901. Spindletop became the first major oil field and one of the largest in American history. With the discovery of oil at Spindletop, Beaumont's population grew from 9,000 in January 1901 to 30,000 in March 1901. Oil is, and has always been, a major export of the city, and a major factor contributing to the national GDP.

A race riot took place in Beaumont in June 1943 after workers at the Pennsylvania shipyard in Beaumont learned that a white woman had accused a black man of raping her.^[6]

In 1996, the Jefferson County courts, located in Beaumont, became the first court in the nation to implement electronic filing and service of court documents, eliminating the need for law firms to print and mail reams of documents.

In 2005 and 2008, Beaumont and surrounding areas suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Ike. A mandatory evacuation was imposed upon its residents for about two weeks.

Government

Local Government

According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s various funds had $177.5 million in Revenues, $164.5 million in expenditures, $633.2 million in total assets, $332.7 million in total liabilities, and $122.2 million in cash and investments. ^[7]

Politics

Beaumont is a council-manager form of government. Elections are held annually, with the Mayor and Council members each serving two-year terms. All powers of the City are vested in the Council, which enacts local legislation, adopts budgets, and determines policies. Council is also responsible for appointing the City Attorney, the City Clerk and Magistrates, and the City Manager. The city council is composed of two councilmembers-at-large, and four councilmembers representing four Wards of the city.^[8]

Economy

According to the City's 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, ^[7] the top employers in the city are:

Geography

Beaumont is on Texas' coastal plain, about 30 miles (48 km) inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and just south of the dense pine forests of East Texas. The city is bordered on the east by the Neches River and to the north by Pine Island Bayou. Before being settled, the area was crisscrossed by numerous small streams. Most of these streams have since been filled in or converted for drainage purposes.

The island directly across from Riverfront Park is called Trinity Island. There are also three other islands in the Neches River around the downtown area/port: Harbor, Smith and Clark.

Beaumont is located at 30°4′48″N 94°7′36″W / 30.08°N 94.12667°W / 30.08; -94.12667 (30.079912, -94.126653).^[9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 85.9 square miles (222.6 km²), of which, 85.0 square miles (220.2 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²) of it (1.07%) is water.

Climate

The city of Beaumont, Texas is within the humid subtropical climate regime.^[10] This city is within the Piney Woods, which cover the eastern region of Texas, as well as adjacent Louisiana.^[11] This region of Texas receives the most rainfall in the state, with more than 48 inches (1,200 mm) annually. This is due to the warm gulf waters that carry humid air to the region, where it condenses and precipitates. Hurricanes also strike the region, the most disastrous of which was the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 as well as Hurricane Ike in 2008. Hurricane Ike was the largest and most damaging hurricane to hit Beaumont to date, striking September 13, 2008. Causing $32 billion in damage, it is the third most costly hurricane in United States history.^[12] The humidity of the region greatly amplifies the feeling of heat during the summer. The winters are kept moderate by warm gulf currents. Wintry precipitation is unusual, but does occur. A recent snow event was December 24, 2004, the first such occurrence since 1989. However, more recently, Beaumont and the surrounding areas received a light snow on December 11, 2008. Up to 3 inches in the west end. This is the earliest measurable snowfall at the airport since the late 1800s. It is also an all time record of snowfall for the area for the month of December. The area suffered a severe ice storm in January 1997.

On August 18, 2009 a tornado hit the west end of Beaumont, and caused damage to several local businesses and cars. Injuries were minimal.^[13]

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 113,866 people, 44,361 households, and 29,100 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,339.4 people per square mile (517.2/km²). There were 48,815 housing units at an average density of 574.2/sq mi (221.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 46.39% Caucasian, 45.85% African American, 0.24% Native American, 2.48% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.55% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.93% of the population.

There were 44,361 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,559, and the median income for a family was $40,825. Males had a median income of $35,861 versus $24,255 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,632. About 16.4% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6

Sports

• The American Basketball Association's Southeast Texas Mavericks[3] play at Ford Arena.

Culture

• Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET), with its Perlstein Plaza, dedicated in memory of pioneer real estate developer Hyman Asher Perlstein (1869-1947), who arrived in Beaumont in 1889 as a poor Jewish immigrant from Lithuania and eventually became one of the city's major builders. The museum stands on the site of the Perlstein building, which was the tallest structure between Houston and New Orleans when it was erected in 1907. AMSET, formerly the Beaumont Art Museum, exhibits 19th-21st Century American art and offers 10-14 educational programs in any given year. Admission is free, and the museum is open seven days per week.
• Beaumont Botanical Gardens
• Beaumont's Sister City in Japan Beppu, Oita
• Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum.
• Red Lobster's historical marine museum
• Lamar University
• Edison Museum - about inventor Thomas Edison
• John Jay French Museum. The John Jay French Museum is an historic home that has been converted into a museum. Its purpose is to illustrate the life of a prosperous Texas pioneer family from 1845-1865. The home, built in 1845 by French, a tanner and merchant, showcases period furnishings, clothing and pioneer household utensils. Outbuildings on the grounds include a blacksmith shop, tannery, privy and smokehouse.

Babe Didrikson Zaharias Museum off Interstate 10 in Beaumont

• Babe Didrikson Zaharias Museum. Museum dedicated to the life of the Beaumont native and accomplished athlete.
• Fire Museum of Texas - Home of one of world's largest fire hydrants. Antique fire trucks and equipment chronicle the history of firefighting in Texas. Educational programs stress the importance of fire safety.
• Crockett Street Entertainment Complex
• Dishman Art Gallery
• Julie Rogers Theater
• The Art Studio, Inc. (TASI)], a non-profit arts cooperative and art gallery space that rents subsidized space to visual artists. Also hosts poetry readings, music events, film screenings. Housed in a converted warehouse in the industrial district of Beaumont's downtown.
• The Jefferson Theatre, built in 1927, is an historic theater that presents musical and stage performances as well as limited revival screenings of classic films. It is featured on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
• The McFaddin-Ward House, built in 1905-06 in the Beaux-Arts Colonial style. The structure and its furnishings reflect the lifestyle of the prominent family who lived in the house for seventy-five years. A very large historic home with a substantial carriage house. The entire grounds are currently a public museum with a substantial permanent collection of antique furniture and household items. Educational programs focus on history and are geared toward children and adults.
• The Clifton Steamboat Museum opened its doors on October 26, 1995 with construction beginning in the earlier months of 1994. The theme of the museum is Heroes... Past, Present, and Future and honors our military and civilian heroes. The Clifton Steamboat Museum consists of a 24,000 square feet (2,200 m²), two-story museum that is handicap accessible, and contains various exhibits. Our museum art exhibits bring to life the wars fought in Southeast Texas and Louisiana, as well as the Steamboat Era, World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam. Upper art galleries of the museum feature original bronze sculptures; Native American artists, wildlife, and frontier paintings from famous artists. A special gallery in the museum is dedicated to the Boy Scouts. This boy scouts gallery features many historical scouting artifacts, some dating back before the 1960s, and is sure to spark the interest of boy scouts past and present. There is also the tugboat, "Hercules", standing at 36 feet (11 m) high, 22 feet (6.7 m) wide, and 92 feet (28 m) long which is included on the museum tour.
• Temple Emanuel (Beaumont, Texas) has a notable set of stained glass windows by Israeli artist Ze'ev Raban
• The Lone Star Bagpipe Band is out of Beaumont and plays traditional Scottish and Celtic music on the bagpipes and drums from Lake Charles to Galveston.

Education

Beaumont is served by the Beaumont Independent School District, Premier High School of Beaumont a public charter school, one state university Lamar University and one two-year college Lamar Institute of Technology. The Diocese of Beaumont runs three Catholic elementary schools in Beaumont, St. Anne Catholic School, St. Anthony Cathedral Catholic School, and Our Mother of Mercy Catholic School. Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School is the city's lone Catholic high school. Cathedral Christian School on US 69 enrolls kindergarten through 6th grade, and Legacy Christian Academy, on Highway 105, enrolls 6th through 12th grade.

Media

Newspapers

• Beaumont Enterprise (Daily)
• Examiner (Weekly)
• Southeast Texas Record (Weekly legal journal covering Jefferson & Orange County Courts)

Television

• KFDM 6 (CBS)/DT 6.1 with CW Network on 6.2 (digital RF channel 21 / PSIP 6)
• KBTV 4 (Fox)/DT 40
• KBMT 12 (ABC)/DT 12.1 with NBC on 12.2 (digital RF channel 50 / PSIP 12)
• KITU-TV 34/DT 33 (TBN)
• KUIL-LP 64 /K36ID-D 36 (Independent) (operated by KVHP, the Fox affiliate in Lake Charles, Louisiana)

• The region currently has no PBS station of its own; Houston's KUHT is the region's de facto PBS station.

Radio

• KLULZ 106.1 Rock (Big Dog) Clear Channel (Previously KIOC)
• KCOL 92.5 Oldies (Cool 92.5) Clear Channel
• KVLU 91.3 NPR located at Lamar University with HD-Radio
• KYKR 95.1 Country (Kicker) Clear Channel
• KAYD 101.7 Country (KD 101) Cumulus
• KTCX 102.5 Urban (Magic 102.5) Cumulus
• KQXY 94.1 Top 40 (Q94) Cumulus
• KKMY 104.5 Adult Contemporary (Mix) Clear Channel
• KQBU 93.3 Party 93 Univision (Based out of Houston; licensed to Port Arthur)
• KQQK 107.9 Spanish Top 40 (XO "Equis O") Libermann (Based out of Houston; licensed to Beaumont)
• KFNC 97.5 Sports/Talk (ESPN 97.5 The Ticket) Cumulus (serves Houston market; 2,000 ft (610 m) tower south of Winnie)
• KHJK 103.7 Variety Hits (103.7 Jack FM) Cumulus (serves Houston market; 2,000 ft (610 m) tower NW of Winnie)
• KTJM 98.5 Regional Mexican (La Raza) Liberman (Based out of Houston; licensed to Port Arthur)
• KHPT 106.9 "Best of the 80s and more" COX (serves Houston market from 2,000 ft (610 m) Splendora tower)
• KLVI 560 AM Talk/Fox News Clear Channel
• KOLE 1340 AM //KRCM 1380 AM Fox Radio (1380 is moving to Shenandoah, south of Conroe, soon)
• KBPO 1150 AM Port Neches (off air)
• KZZB 990 AM Martin Broadcasting; poor range and low audio
• KDEI 1250 AM Catholic / Radio Maria
• KIKR 1450 AM Regional Mexican "La Gran D" (simulcast on KBED 1510)

Famous businesses from Beaumont

• Conn's - Chain of Appliance and Electronic stores
• Gulf Oil - Gulf Oil Company founded 1901, now Chevron
• Humble Oil - 50% of Humble Oil sold to Standard Oil of NJ to build its first refinery in Baytown. Merged and renamed Exxon 1972. Now ExxonMobil
• Jason's Deli - Fast Casual chain with locations in 20 states.
• Magnolia Petroleum Company - Startup began in Corsicana in 1898, but became a major company in Beaumont in 1901. Owned KFDM radio, now 560 KLVI in the 30s through the 50s. Its refinery in Beaumont along with Texas Oil Co. & Gulf's in Port Arthur, TX were 3 of the largest in the world. Magnolia later sold 45% ownership to Standard Oil of NY, Socony. Combined companies years later into Mobil now ExxonMobil
• Port of Beaumont - Young town of Beaumont grew quicker around this harbor about 1840 and would mark the spot that would become the port. Ranks consistently among the top 5 ports in the country for tonnage
• Sweet Leaf Tea - A ready-to-drink organic tea company started in Beaumont in 1998 by Clayton Christopher and David Smith, later moved to Austin, TX.
• The Texas Oil Company - Founded in 1902 just west of Beaumont (Sour Lake, Texas) became Texaco;, now owned/part of Chevron formerly Standard Oil Company of California.
• The Texas Coffee Company - Home of Seaport Coffees and Texjoy Steak Seasoning among other products distributed regionally. The company was founded in 1921 by Charles J. Fertitta, Sr. In 1968, the Texas Coffee Company became the first company in the United States to begin packaging coffee in vacuum-packed foil bags (see http://www.texjoy.com/store/pg/37-About-Us.aspx).

Events

• South Texas State Fair
• Dog Jam

Notable residents

• Barbara Lynn
• The Big Bopper
• Mildred Ella ("Babe") Didrikson Zaharias
• Harry James
• Edgar Winter

References

External links

Texas portal

• City of Beaumont
• Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau
• In Southeast Texas - In depth view of the area's events & happenings

• Beaumont, Texas is at coordinates 30°04′48″N 94°07′36″W / 30.079912°N 94.126653°W / 30.079912; -94.126653 (Beaumont, Texas)Coordinates: 30°04′48″N 94°07′36″W / 30.079912°N 94.126653°W / 30.079912; -94.126653 (Beaumont, Texas)

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Jefferson County, Texas County seat: Beaumont Cities Beaumont | Bevil Oaks | China | Groves | Nederland | Nome | Port Arthur‡ | Port Neches | Taylor Landing CDPs Central Gardens Unincorporated communities Beauxart Gardens | Fannett | Hamshire | LaBelle | Viterbo Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v • d • e   State of Texas Austin (capital) Topics Architecture | Climate | Culture | Demographics | Economy | Education | Geography | Government | History | Languages | Literature | Politics | Sports | Texans | Transportation | Symbols | Visitor Attractions Regions Ark‑La‑Tex | Big Bend | Blackland Prairies | Brazos Valley | Central Texas | Coastal Bend | Cross Timbers | Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex | Deep East Texas | East Texas | Edwards Plateau | Galveston Bay | Golden Triangle | Greater Houston | Hill Country | Llano Estacado | Longview–Marshall | Northeast Texas | North Texas | Osage Plains | Panhandle | Permian Basin | Piney Woods | Rio Grande Valley | Southeast Texas | South Plains | South Texas | West Texas Metropolitan areas Abilene | Amarillo | Austin–Round Rock | Beaumont–Port Arthur | Brownsville–Harlingen | College Station–Bryan | Corpus Christi | Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington | El Paso | Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown | Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood | Laredo | Longview | Lubbock | McAllen–Edinburg–Mission | Midland | Odessa | San Angelo | San Antonio | Sherman–Denison | Texarkana | Tyler | Victoria | Waco | Wichita Falls Counties See: Table of Texas counties  or List

v • d • e Mayors of cities with populations of 100,000 in Texas     Bill White (Houston) Julian Castro (San Antonio) Tom Leppert (Dallas) Lee Leffingwell (Austin) Mike Moncrief (Fort Worth) John Cook (El Paso) Robert Cluck (Arlington) Joe Adame (Corpus Christi) Phil Dyer (Plano) Raul Gonzalez Salinas (Laredo) Tom Martin (Lubbock) Ronald E. Jones (Garland) Herbert A. Gears (Irving) Debra McCartt (Amarillo) Pat Ahumada (Brownsville) Charles England (Grand Prairie) Johnny Isbell (Pasadena) John Monaco (Mesquite) Richard F. Cortez (McAllen) Ron Branson (Carrollton) Virginia DuPuy (Waco) Bill Whitfield (McKinney) Mark Burroughs (Denton) Timothy L. Hancock (Killeen) Norm Archibald (Abilene) Becky Ames (Beaumont) Wes Perry (Midland) Alan McGraw (Round Rock) Dean Ueckert (Lewisville) Bill Keffler (Richardson) Lanham Lyne (Wichita Falls)