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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]
[edit] HistoryThe city of Beaumont was named by Henry Millard 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. [edit] Government[edit] Local GovernmentAccording 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] [edit] PoliticsBeaumont 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]
[edit] EconomyAccording to the City's 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, [7] the top employers in the city are:
[edit] GeographyBeaumont 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 (30.079912, -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. [edit] ClimateMain article: Climate of Beaumont, Texas 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 4, 2009. 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] [edit] DemographicsAs 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, most of which was African American. [edit] Sports[edit] Culture
[edit] EducationBeaumont 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. [edit] Media[edit] Newspapers
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