History
Oil put Beaumont on the map in the minds of many when the Spindletop gusher made headlines in 1901. It began an era of prosperity for Southeast Texas that influences Beaumont even today. But, oil is just one facet of Beaumont's rich heritage.
As early as 1824, Noah Tevis settled Tevis Bluff in anticipation of establishing a town. Tevis was followed by Henry Millard in 1835 when he purchased 50 acres on the Neches Bluff. A year later, an article appeared in the Telegraph and Texas Register reading, "We have been informed that a town has lately been laid out on the tidewater of the River Neches, at a place known as Tevis Bluff, 30 miles from Sabine Bay. It has received the name of Beaumont." The name was given in honor of the family of Millard's wife, Mary Beaumont.
Beaumont's earliest industries were lumber, rice and ranching. In 1901, the first great oil well in the world - the Anthony F. Lucas Gusher - blew in at Spindletop, making Beaumont a boomtown. The population grew from 9,000 to 30,000, a deep-water port was established, and the oil discovery energized the economy.
Currently, Beaumont is one of the world's largest refining and petrochemical centers, but paper and rice mills, lumber and pulp products, along with a busy port keep Beaumont growing. Beaumont has also become a source for sophisticated medical instruments and precision industrial equipment. But our city has never lost the southern hospitality and entrepreneurial spirit of its early days. The citizens of Beaumont take great pride in the history, development, and advancement of their city.
Beaumont Facts
The City of Beaumont is the hub city in Southeast Texas. You can arrive via highway, air, rail, or even water. Continental Express serves the Southeast Texas Regional Airport, with worldwide connections available in nearby Houston. For train transportation, Beaumont is on the Amtrak route. We are at the crossroads of Interstate 10 and highways 69/90/96/287, 90 miles east of Houston, 280 miles from San Antonio, and 25 miles from the Louisiana border. Interstate 10 runs adjacent to the downtown area with an average of 100,000 vehicles crossing the Neches River everyday.
Almost half a million people call the greater Beaumont area home. Beaumont, with a population of 114,000, is the region's largest city and the seat of Jefferson County. Jefferson County, Hardin County, and Orange County are home to 385,090 residents. Other counties, including Chambers, Liberty, Jasper, Newton and Tyler, also help make up the work force and life force of the Beaumont area.
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