The city of Beaumont was founded in 1838.[6] The pioneer settlement had an economy based on the development of lumber, farming, and port industries. In 1892,Joseph Eloi Broussard opened the first commercially successful rice mill in Texas, stimulating development of rice farming in the area; he also started an irrigation company (since 1933, established as theLower Neches Valley Authority) to support rice culture. Rice became an important commodity crop in Texas and is now cultivated in 23 counties.[7]
A big change occurred in 1901 with theSpindletop gusher, which demonstrated that a huge oil field lay underneath and adjacent to the city. With Spindletop, several energy companies developed in Beaumont, and some remain. The area rapidly developed as one of the country's major petrochemical refining areas. Along withPort Arthur andOrange, Beaumont forms theGolden Triangle, a major industrial area on the TexasGulf Coast.
Beaumont is home toLamar University, a nationalCarnegie doctoral research university with over 14,000 students, including undergraduates and postgraduates. Over the years, several corporations have been based in this city, including Gulf States Utilities, which had its headquarters in Beaumont until its takeover byEntergy Corporation in 1994. GSU'sEdison Plaza headquarters remains the tallest building in Beaumont.
TheExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery and Petrochemical Complex is the largest private employer in the city and occupies more than 2,000 acres of the city and port.
In 1824 Noah and Nancy Tevis settled on the west bank of theNeches River and developed a farm. Soon after that, a small community grew up around the farm, which was namedTevis Bluff orNeches River Settlement.[8] In 1835 the land of Tevis, together with the nearby community ofSanta Anna (in total, 50 acres (20 ha)), was purchased byHenry Millard (c. 1796–1844),[9] Joseph Pulsifer (1805–1861),[10] andThomas Byers Huling (1804–1865).[11] They began planning a town to be laid out on this land.[8] Their partnership, J.P. Pulsifer and Company, controlled the first 50 acres (200,000 m2) upon which the town was founded.[10] This town was named Beaumont, after Mary Dewburleigh Barlace Warren Beaumont, the wife of Henry Millard.[12] They added more property for a total of 200 acres.
Beaumont became a town on December 16, 1838. Beaumont's first mayor wasAlexander Calder.[13] From the town's founding in 1835, business activities included real estate, transportation, and retail sales. Later, other businesses were formed, especially in railroad construction and operation, new building construction, lumber sales, and communications. The Port of Beaumont became a successful regional shipping center. Beaumont was a small center for cattle raisers and farmers in its early years. With an active riverport by the 1880s, it became an important lumber and rice-milling town. The city exported rice as a commodity crop. Beaumont's lumber boom, which reached its peak in the late 19th century, was stimulated by the rebuilding and expansion of the railroads in the state and region after theCivil War.[14]
The Beaumont Rice Mill, founded in 1892 byJoseph Eloi Broussard, was the first commercially successful rice mill in Texas.[7] In addition, Broussard cofounded the Beaumont Irrigation Company in 1898 to operate an irrigation system to support rice culture. The company along with four others established around the same time helped stimulate the expansion of rice cultivation from 1500 acres in 1892 to 400,000 acres in 23 counties by his death in 1956.[7] The other companies were The Port Arthur Rice and Irrigation Company, The McFaddin-Wiess-Kyle Canal Company, the Treadaway or Neches Canal Company, and the Taylors-Hillebrand complex.[15] The holdings of those companies formed the basis for theLower Neches Valley Authority established by the state legislature in 1933.[16]
The rise of Beaumont's mill economy drew many new residents to the city, many of them immigrants.[17] By the early 20th century, the city was served by the Southern Pacific; Kansas City Southern, Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe; and Missouri Pacific railroad systems.[18]
Oil was discovered at nearbySpindletop on January 10, 1901. Spindletop became the first majoroil field and one of the largest in American history. With the discovery of oil at Spindletop, Beaumont's population more than tripled in two months from 9,000 in January 1901 to 30,000 in March 1901.[citation needed]
William Casper Tyrrell, nicknamed "Captain W.C.", was a leading businessman and oil tycoon in the city in the early 20th century, developing businesses during theTexas Oil Boom. An entrepreneur from Pennsylvania and Iowa, he arrived after the gusher atSpindletop, and invested in development of a commercial port in the city, and an irrigation system to support the local rice industry, as well as residential and retail development of suburban property. He was also a philanthropist. He purchased and donated First Baptist Church, whose congregation had moved to a new facility, to use as the city's first public library, now known as theTyrrell Historical Library.[19]
When the city became a major center for defense shipbuilding duringWorld War II, tens of thousands of rural Texans migrated there for the new high-paying jobs. The Roosevelt administration ordered the defense industry to be integrated, and many Southern white males were working closely with black males for the first time. Housing was scarce in the crowded city, and racial tensions increased. In June 1943 after workers at thePennsylvania shipyards in Beaumont learned that a white woman had accused a black man of raping her, nearly 2,000 went to the jail where a suspect was being held, attracting more men along the way and reaching a total of 4,000.[20] Ultimately the white mob rioted for three days, destroying major black neighborhoods and killing five persons. No one was prosecuted for the deaths. The riot inBeaumont was one of several in 1943 which centered in the defense industry, includingLos Angeles,[21]Detroit,[22] andMobile, Alabama as well as other cities across the country.[23] The wartime social disruption was similar towar time riots which had occurred in other parts of the country during and followingWorld War I.
During the war years, airmen cadets from the Royal Air Force, flying from their training base at Terrell, Texas, routinely flew to Beaumont on training flights. The community served as a stand-in for the British for Paris, France, which was the same distance from London, England as Beaumont is from Terrell.[24]
In the postwar years, Beaumont's port continued in importance. As was typical with other cities, post-war highway construction led to the development of new suburbs and dispersal of the population in search of new housing. Recently, there has been some renewal in Downtown Beaumont and in other areas of the city.
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. This eliminated the need for law firms to print and mail reams of documents.
In 2005 and 2008, Beaumont and surrounding areas suffered extensive damage fromHurricane Rita andHurricane Ike, respectively.[25][26] Mandatory evacuations were issued in advance of both storms.
In August 2017, Beaumont and surrounding areas experienced severe flooding as a result ofHurricane Harvey.[27][28] Due to the flooding, Baptist Hospital of Southeast Texas evacuated all of its highest level of acuity patients with the help of National Guard helicopters.[29] In addition, many Beaumont residents had to be rescued by both boats and helicopters as a result of the floodwaters. As of March 2019[update], many residents in the area are still attempting to recover from the hurricane as the city received emergency assistance.[30]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 85.8 square miles (222.3 km2), of which 82.8 square miles (214.5 km2) are land and 3.1 square miles (7.9 km2), or 3.53%, are water.[31]
Beaumont lies on Texas' coastal plain, about 30 miles (48 km) inland from theGulf of Mexico, 85 miles (137 km) east ofHouston, and just south of the dense pine forests ofEast Texas. The city is bordered on the east by theNeches River and to the north byPine 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 thedowntown area/port: Harbor, Smith and Clark. Beaumont is relatively flat compared to other Texas cites at being 16 ft. above sea level. South of Beaumont, Port Arthur is only 7 ft. above sea level.
Several towns and communities have been absorbed into the city of Beaumont. These include: Amelia, established in 1885 and incorporated into Beaumont in 1956; Elizabeth, the depot of Amelia that was established around 1903 or after and annexed into Beaumont in 1957; Elwood, established sometimes in the late 1800s, changed to Voth in 1902, and annexed into Beaumont in 1957; Guffey, post office was established in 1901 and closed in 1925 but is part of Beaumont now; Santa Anna, became part of Beaumont when it was founded; Tevis Bluff, became part of Beaumont when it was founded in 1835.[32]
Beaumont has 8 buildings over 100 feet (30 m) tall, the tallest being theEdison Plaza, which is 254 feet (77 m) tall.[33] The oldEdson Hotel, built in 1928 is nearly the same height at 240 feet (73 m).[34] One of the most prominent downtown buildings is the 15-storySan Jacinto Building. Built in 1921, it sports one of the largest four faced clock towers in the nation, each dial being 17 feet (5.2 m) in diameter.[35] In 1922 the 11-storyHotel Beaumont was built across the street from the San Jacinto. The Hotel Beaumont bears a resemblance to the oldWinecoff Hotel inAtlanta.
The secondoil boom of 1925 brought more people and wealth to Beaumont, the same year the 12-story American National Bank Building (nowOrleans Building), was erected, and in 1926 Forrest Goodhue built the 12-storyGoodhue Building which included a penthouse. In 1928, the Edson Hotel was built. No other buildings were built until Century Tower in 1962 and in 1982 Edison Plaza was built. In 1994 the 12-story LaSalle Hotel, built in 1927, was demolished.
TheJefferson Theatre was built in 1927 by the Jefferson Amusement Company for $1 million and was Beaumont's showpiece for many years. In 1928 the City Hall and Auditorium was built. It is now theJulie Rogers Theater.
Beaumont'sJefferson County Courthouse is one of the tallest county courthouses in the state and is an excellent example of Art Deco architecture.[36] Across the street from theJack Brooks Federal Building is theKyle Building, built in 1933. The storefront was recently restored and is considered to be one of the best examples of Zig-Zag architecture in Texas.[37] TheOaks Historic District has many restored historic homes.
The Beaumont–Port Arthur region has historically been cited as one of the most polluted urban areas in the United States due to various energy industries and chemical plants in the area. Even so, as of July 2014[update], the Beaumont-Port Arthur region was not under anyEnvironmental Protection Agency non-attainment restrictions; however, counties in theGreater Houston area, theDallas–Fort Worth metroplex, andEl Paso were.[38] As of October 2014[update], the Beaumont-Port Arthur area was not under anyTexas Commission on Environmental Quality attainment compliance deadlines.[39] Regardless, according to an article published in 2007 focusing onPort Arthur, a neighboring city to the southeast of Beaumont, pollution was believed to have caused some area residents to become sick. This has generated debates throughout the local media.[40]
Rainfall map of Hurricane Harvey over Beaumont and Houston
The city of Beaumont experiences ahumid subtropical climate and is within the Piney Woods region of eastern Texas.[41][42] The area around Beaumont receives the most rainfall in the state, and some of the most rain in the country: more than 65 inches (1,700 mm) annually. The city has two distinct seasons, awet season from April to October and adry season from November to March. Hurricanes also pose a threat to the city and greater metropolitan area.
Hurricane Rita in 2005 andHurricane Ike in 2008 both caused significant damage.[43][44] BothHurricane Harvey in 2017 andTropical Storm Imelda in 2019 caused historic flooding throughout the city.[45]Hurricane Laura in 2020 posed a significant threat to the town,[46] as it was forecasted to make landfall at the border of Texas and Louisiana, almost following the same track as Hurricane Rita in 2005. The storm turned more northerly close to landfall, and spared Beaumont the worst impacts and damage. Minor damage was reported with winds gusting around hurricane-force for a short period of time as Laura moved overLake Charles, Louisiana. Also,Hurricane Delta in 2020 passed near the region as it made landfall inSouthwest Louisiana.[47] Impacts were about the same with Delta as they were with Laura.
On August 18, 2009, a tornado hit the west side of Beaumont, causing damage to cars and several local businesses. Injuries were minimal.[48]
While wintry precipitation is unusual, it does occur. The most recent significant wintry event to occur was December 8, 2017 when theSoutheast Texas Regional Airport recorded 3 inches (76 mm) of snowfall.[49] December 11, 2008 and December 4, 2009, were also days that Beaumont saw measurable snowfall.[50][51] Snow also fell across the Beaumont area on Christmas Eve 2004.[52] In January 1997, a severe and historic ice storm struck the region, leaving thousands without power and major tree damage in its wake.[53] In unofficial records, Beaumont received as much as 30 inches (760 mm) of snow during the blizzard of February 1895 that impacted the Gulf Coast.[54]
Climate data for Beaumont, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1901–present)
Map of racial distribution in Beaumont, 2020 U.S. census. Each dot is one person:⬤ White⬤ Black⬤ Asian⬤ Hispanic⬤ Multiracial⬤ Native American/Other
Beaumont city, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The city of Beaumont and its metropolitan statistical area have experienced slight population decline and stagnation since 2015's census estimates, while modest increases in population have assisted in the area's demographic sustainment.[61] Similar to its population fluctuations from 1980 to 1990, Beaumont's population has shifted from roughly 115,000 to 118,000 residents from the2020 and2010 United States census.[4][3] According to the 2010 United States census there were 118,296 people, 45,648 households, and 28,859 families residing in the city limits. Per the 2020 United States census, its population slightly declined to 115,282 residents. In 2010, Beaumont's population density was 1,339.4 inhabitants per square mile (517.1/km2). Housing units were at an average density of 574.2 per square mile (221.7/km2).
Of the 45,648 households at the 2010 United States census, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 19.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families; 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.12. Among its population at the 2019American Community Survey, the median age was 34.6 and the average family size was 3.23.[3] From an estimated 45,435 occupied housing units in 2019, 52.1% were owner-occupied and the median selected monthly costs for units with a mortgage were $1,366 and $412 without a mortgage.[62]
The median income for a household in the city was $39,699, according to the American Community Survey during 2010, and the median income for a family was $49,766. The per capita income for the city was $23,137. About 17.6% of families and 22.1% of the population lived at or below the poverty line. From 2014 to 2019, its median income for households was $54,488; families had a median income of $61,069; married-couple families $78,239; and non-family households $29,415. In 2019, an estimated 16.7% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.[3]
Religiously,Sperling's BestPlaces estimated roughly 78.6% of the population were religious.[66]Christianity, since colonial times, has remained the dominant religion by identification in Beaumont and its surrounding area. Among the Christian community,Baptists were the largestProtestant Christian tradition and spread among numerous denominations; the most notable denominational affiliations among Baptists were theSouthern Baptist Convention and National Baptist Convention (USA andAmerica).[67]Roman Catholicism, however, remained the largest single denomination in the city as a result ofSpanish colonialism and missionary work,[68] and its increasing Hispanic or Latino population (reflecting nationwide trends);[69] Roman Catholics have been primarily served by theRoman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont which is a jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Galveston–Houston.
Beyond Christianity, the second largest religion in the city and metropolitan area has beenIslam, with religious Jews comprising the third largest religiously-affiliated demographic in Beaumont; Jewish Beaumonters settled the area in the 19th century, primarily affiliated withOrthodox Judaism.[70][71] As the area has a substantial Islamic community, interfaith efforts among the dominant religions have occurred,[72] and the Islamic Society of the Triplex completed a 9,000 square foot mosque in 2017.[73][74]
A significant element of the region's economy is thePort of Beaumont, one of the largest seaports by tonnage in the United States. The 842nd Transportation Battalion and the 596th Transportation Group are both stationed at the port in Beaumont.[76]
In addition to companies doing business within the city limits, several large industrial facilities are located within the city's five-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction boundaries including theExxonMobil Beaumont refinery and chemical plants,Goodyear Beaumont chemical plant, and DuPont chemical plant.
Jason's Deli has its headquarters in Beaumont.[77]Conn's Appliances did have its headquarters in Beaumont; however, in mid-2012, Conn's moved its corporate headquarters toThe Woodlands.[78] OriginallySweet Leaf Tea Company had its headquarters in Beaumont.[79] The headquarters moved to Austin in October 2003.[80] Other prominent businesses which have been associated with the city and area have included the following:Bethlehem Steel/Trinity Industries Shipyard, where over eight hundred (800) vessels were built and repaired at the shipyard including barges, ships, and offshore drilling rigs including seventy-two (72) jack up offshore drilling rigs,[81] the second-most offshore drilling rigs built in the United States, and seventy-one (71)Type C1 ships built for theU.S. Maritime Commission duringWorld War II;[82]Dresser Industries, a Dresser-Ideco plant was a major employer for seventy-seven years; the plant, with around 350 employees, closed in 1985;[83]Gulf Oil;Humble Oil;Magnolia Petroleum Company; The Texas Oil Company; The Texas Coffee Company, the first company in the United States to begin packaging coffee in vacuum-packed foil bags;[84] and Universal Coin & Bullion, one of the largest retailers in precious metals and rare coins.[85]
Art Museum of Southeast Texas, notice the last remaining column from the Perlstein Building.John Jay French MuseumMcFaddin-Ward House
Beaumont hosts many museums and buildings open for tours within theSoutheast Texas region. TheArt Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET), with its Perlstein Plaza, was 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.[86] The museum stands on the site of the Perlstein building, which was the tallest structure betweenHouston andNew Orleans when it was erected in 1907. Only one column still remains from the building. AMSET, formerly the Beaumont Art Museum, exhibits 19th–21st century American art with a collecting focus on Texas art and Folk Art and offers 10–14 educational programs in any given year. Admission is free, and is the only museum open seven days per week. Likewise,Beaumont Children's Museum started in 2008 and opened in 2012; the museum moved to a temporary location in 2015 to theBeaumont Civic Center.[87]Babe Didrikson Zaharias Museum is another notable museum dedicated to the life of the Beaumont native and accomplished athlete.
TheBeaumont Art League is the oldest non-profit art gallery in the area, operating for 70 years. The two gallery spaces (at the old Fairgrounds on Gulf Street) host art exhibitions and juried shows year-round, including the notable BAL National Exhibition (formerly the Tri-State Show), which attracts artists from across the country. Within the city, the historic Chambers House, built in 1906, this home is open for tours. It is filled with period furniture, personal items, and artifacts used in the home.[88]
Among other museums, Clifton Steamboat Museum opened on October 26, 1995. The theme of the museum is "Heroes... Past, Present, and Future", honoring military and civilian heroes. The Clifton Steamboat Museum consists of a 24,000 square feet (2,200 m2), two-story museum. 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 theBoy Scouts of America. This gallery features many historical scouting artifacts, some dating before the 1960s. The tugboat,Hercules, 36 feet (11 m) high, 22 feet (6.7 m) wide, and 92 feet (28 m) long, is included on the museum tour.[89]
Dishman Art Museum is the university art museum ofLamar University. The museum features 19th and 20th century European and American Art, as well as Tribal Art from Africa and New Guinea. NearbyEdison Museum (about inventorThomas Edison) and theFire Museum of Texas (home of one of world's largestfire hydrants) are also located within the city. Antique fire trucks and equipment at the Fire Museum of Texas chronicle the history of firefighting in Texas.
TheMcFaddin-Ward House was built in 1905–1906 in the Beaux-Arts Colonial style and is located in theOaks Historic District. The structure and its furnishings reflect the prominent family who lived in the house for seventy-five years. This very large historic home has a substantial carriage house. The complex has a substantial permanent collection of antique furniture and household items. Educational programs focus on history and are geared toward children and adults.Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum includes several reconstructed buildings reminiscent of the original Gladys City. The buildings contain artifacts from the period. TheTexas Energy Museum of Beaumont opened on January 10, 1990, the anniversary of the Spindletop gusher.[90]
Jefferson Theatre
Jefferson Theater, built in 1927, is a historic theater that presents live musical and stage performances as well as limited revival screenings of classic films. It is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and recognized also as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. Founded in 1953 as the Beaumont Symphony Orchestra, theSymphony of Southeast Texas has been performing several performances each year since then. Several guest artists includingVan Cliburn andFerrante & Teicher have appeared with the symphony.
TheBeaumont Botanical Gardens is located near the entrance to the 500 acreTyrrell Park. On its 23.5 acre grounds, it includes over ten themed gardens, the 10,000 sq ft Warren Loose Conservatory and a large collection ofbromeliads.[91] Additionally,Tyrrell Park and Cattail Marsh features botanical gardens and conservatory, the Henry Homberg Municipal Golf Course, a 900-acre cattail marsh nature area, and a 2.8 mile nature trail.[92][93][94] There are also restrooms, shelters, the Babe Zaharias Drive Monument, baseball backstop, lighted basketball goals, benches, drinking fountains, 2.8-mile (4.5 km) nature trail, and picnic tables.
As downtown Beaumont is the center of business for the metropolitan statistical area, governance and night time entertainment within Southeast Texas, downtown features theCrockett Street Entertainment Complex with entertainment options from dancing, to live music to dining or a bar. In addition to the night time entertainment downtown also features a museum district with five distinct museums. Other entertainment and recreation venues located downtown include the following:Beaumont Civic Center; the Event Centre and plaza features include a twelve-acre great lawn for concerts and a walking path, and a 3,800 sq ft canopy with stage overlooks the great lawn, and a 14,000 sq ft canopy overlooks a two-acre lake with a thirty-five foot fountain;[95][96] and Beautiful Mountain Skate Plaza, opened in 2013.[97] The park includes ledges, rails, banks, bank-to-bank, quarter pipes, and stairs. The park also has an amphitheater for other events.[98][99][100]
Beaumont is acouncil–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, thecity clerk andmagistrates, and thecity manager. The city council is composed of two council members electedat-large, and four council members each elected fromsingle-member districts, the four Wards of the city.[103]
According to the city's 2015 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $219.0 million in revenues, $202.8 million in expenditures, $900.1 million in total assets, $586.8 million in total liabilities, and $202.2 million in cash and investments.[104]
Beaumont has one state university, Lamar University, which is a part of theTexas State University System. Lamar University was established in 1923 as South Park Junior College. The university is classified as a national university. It is also classified as a "Doctoral Research University – Moderate Research Activity" by theCarnegie Foundation.[155] With over 100 degrees offered, the university's main academic offerings are in business, nursing, teaching and engineering. Lamar University's enrollment has grown tremendously in the first decade of the 21st century.[156] This has prompted a building boom at the campus. The school's enrollment as of Fall, 2015 was above 14,966 students.[157]
Lamar Institute of Technology, located directly adjacent to Lamar University, serves as the region's technical college for two-year degrees and certificates. Originally a part of Lamar University and its predecessors since 1923, Lamar Institute of Technology was chartered in 1949 when the Lamar College Bill was passed. The bill was sponsored in the Texas Legislature by State Representative Jack Brooks and Senator W.R. Cousins, Jr. of Beaumont. Lamar Institute of Technology became a separate entity in 1995.[158][159] As of Fall, 2014, enrollment totaled 2,920 students.
The Roman Catholic 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.Legacy Christian Academy, on Highway 105, enrolls PK–3 through 12th grade.
TheBeaumont Enterprise is the only daily newspaper serving Beaumont. Operating since 1880The Enterprise is one of the oldest continually operated business in Beaumont. It is operated by theHearst Corporation. Two weekly publicationsThe Examiner andThe Southeast Texas Record serve Beaumont and the area. The Examiner is primarily an investigative reporting paper. theSoutheast Texas Record is a legal journal that coversJefferson andOrange County courts.
Lamar University's video services,LUTV andLUTV Channel 7, (respectively) provideC-SPAN-like coverage on local government proceedings and original programming from students. Neither channel has an over the air channel and are available only on cable TV.
The region currently has noPBS member station of its own;KUHT on channel 8 (licensed to Houston, which is carried on cable and satellite providers in most of the market) and KLTL on channel 20 (aLouisiana Public Broadcasting affiliate licensed to Lake Charles, which is carried on cable providers in the market's extreme eastern portions) do not reach the area. KUHT has a construction permit for a digital translator on RF 24, which would share KFDM's antenna on 25, but the University of Houston has had financial cutbacks and recently cancelled a translator application in Victoria. What outcome this will have on the Beaumont facility remains to be seen.
^Rienstra, Ellen Walker; Linsley, Judith Walker (2003).Historic Beaumont: An Illustrated History. Historical Publishing Network. p. 21.ISBN1-893619-28-1.
^Robert S. Maxwell (February 21, 2012)."Lumber Industry". Texas State Historical Association. RetrievedSeptember 11, 2018.
^Robert L. Schaadt, "The Business of Beaumont Prior to 1880,"Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record 2006 42: 34–53
^Carolyn Davis Smith, "Captain William Casper Tyrrell: Philanthropist Extraordinaire and the Legacy of Philanthropy in Beaumont,"Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record 2002 38: 5–18
^"Detroit Race Riots 1943". WGBH Educational Foundation. Archived fromthe original on March 1, 2017. RetrievedSeptember 22, 2015.In many cities the demands of wartime were manifesting themselves in outbursts of intolerance. Race riots had already erupted in Los Angeles, as well as Mobile, Alabama, and Beaumont, Texas.
^"Station: Beaumont City, TX".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. RetrievedAugust 27, 2021.
^"Frank Robinson". BASEBALL REFERENCE. COM. RetrievedNovember 1, 2013.
^"Kevin Russell".AllMusic. RetrievedJanuary 19, 2015.When Kevin was in junior high, his dad moved them from Beaumont, TX, to Houston. Unsettled by the change from a blue-collar neighborhood to the high-class suburbs, Russell turned to guitar and writing songs.
"Banking in Beaumont 1960–2006",Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record (Nov 2007), Vol. 43, pp 2–6; Examines the banking system since the 1960s and the effects of the One Bank Holding Company Act of 1970.
Faucett, William T. "Shipbuilding in Beaumont during World War II",Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record 2005 41: 55–65.
Linsley, Judith Walker; Rienstra, Ellen Walker; and Stiles, Jo Ann.Giant under the Hill: A History of the Spindletop Oil Discovery at Beaumont, Texas, in 1901 (Austin: Texas State Hist. Assoc., 2002). 304 pp.
