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Deep Water: The Story of Beaumont and Its Port
"At the turn of the twentieth century, as a result of the discovery of oil at Spindletop, Beaumont rapidly transformed from a sleepy little timber town with a natural port into an industrial Mecca. In just a few years, extensive railroad connections, new refineries and pipelines lined the Neches River. Sophisticated wharves and docks replaced the natural wharves, and the river was forced to adapt to new commerce. A series of river improvements including deepening and widening the river led Beaumont to be recognized as a deepwater port in March 1916. Since its recognition as a deepwater port one hundred years ago, and the creation as a governmental entity, the port has worked diligently to expand and improve its facilities furthering its role as a major partner in worldwide commerce. With well over two hundred ships visiting the port annually the port has become the economic engine of Southeast Texas generating jobs, taxes, and salaries. The Port of Beaumont is recognized in the transportation industry as the 'Premier Gulf Coast Port' for virtually every type of cargo and is the number one military cargo port in the world. Book is the history of the Port of Beaumont, Texas, which celebrates 100 years in 2016. Includes approx. 150 photos"--Provided by publisher.
112 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2016
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May 25, 2022
Month of May 2022: Local History
This is a great book that touches on the highlights of the history of the Port of Beaumont, which is 42 miles in from where the Sabine Pass meets the Gulf of Mexico, and packed with A LOT of great old mid-1800’s and 1900’s early photos. I recognized a couple of names that were mentioned in ”Giant Under the Hill” (the previous book read), but no ancestors of mine mentioned.
I basically know nothing about the Port of Beaumont. I once attended a Blues Festival down there on the Riverfront. Also, back in 1987, I took a tour of the “Elissi” that stopped at the port for a few days.
I’ve since learned that the discovery of oil at Spindletop in 1901 helped pump up the volume for the Port of Beaumont to insure its success as a major deep water port in the U.S.
“Oil is a rare organic raw material from which the yield is nearly 100 percent. There is no waste by-product.” (p. 64) Every bit of the refined product is used in production. How is it that we are so dependent on Russia for our crop fertilizer, when, according to this author, pure nitrogen, a crop fertilizer, is produced from the by-product of oil…oil that is produced right here in the U.S. What the heck?
Lumber, rice and cotton were the major exports out of Beaumont. In fact, Beaumont still sports the very first rice mill in the state of Texas. It was built in 1907. [I need to go check it out one day.] Southeast Texas had become so important for its rice production that the U.S. government designated the area as a “rice station”. It became headquarters for developing at least nine different strains of rice to help feed the planet, especially during times of famine.
Because of the high demand of U.S.-grown grain, in 1962-63, the Port of Beaumont was pouring concrete for 62 grain silos and a first of its kind, state-of-the-art conveyor system to deliver the grains into ships. So, what the hell happened? Here it is 60 years later, and we are expecting major shortages in food because we are so dependent on grains from the Ukraine, which is getting hammered by Russia in a war. According to this author, keeping in mind the book was just recently published in 2016, just 6 years ago, the elevator is still in use today filling ships full of wheat, soybeans and corn for export all over the world…but not here in America? When it actually becomes a real need here, will they stop exporting it? No! They won’t! The government owns and controls the ports.
The Port of Beaumont was very instrumental in all the wars: Civil War and World Wars I & II. The author provides great, interesting tidbits of the ports participation and efforts in the wars. The U.S. government had leased the entire port throughout the duration of World War II, and didn’t release them for other local business use until late 1946. But, the government continued their business with the Port of Beaumont, which became one of nine Maritime Reserve Fleet. At the port were reserved more than fifty ships until needed in times of wars ( the Korean and other wars we were involved in) and were there until 2011. I NEVER KNEW THAT!! But, my husband did…and he’s from Kansas…lol. They were paid $19,000 per vessel to maintain them. As of 2016, the Port of Beaumont was still an important and vital home for Department of Defense logistics. Not sure how it stands today.
The river was originally discovered to be 60 feet deep…but just at the Port of Beaumont…and 350 feet wide. The whole river has now been dredged four times over the years as ships got larger and larger. The whole river now runs 40 feet deep and 400 feet wide, and the U.S. government has allocated more dredging for deepening the Sabine-Neches Waterway to 48 feet or more to the tune of $748 million. The rest of the funding, up to a total of $1.1 billion needed, will come from a local level, the Sabine Neches Navigation District, and will take ten years to complete. We are currently six years in, with four more to go.
I never would have dreamed how important our little old Port of Beaumont really was and continues to be.
This is a great book that touches on the highlights of the history of the Port of Beaumont, which is 42 miles in from where the Sabine Pass meets the Gulf of Mexico, and packed with A LOT of great old mid-1800’s and 1900’s early photos. I recognized a couple of names that were mentioned in ”Giant Under the Hill” (the previous book read), but no ancestors of mine mentioned.
I basically know nothing about the Port of Beaumont. I once attended a Blues Festival down there on the Riverfront. Also, back in 1987, I took a tour of the “Elissi” that stopped at the port for a few days.
I’ve since learned that the discovery of oil at Spindletop in 1901 helped pump up the volume for the Port of Beaumont to insure its success as a major deep water port in the U.S.
“Oil is a rare organic raw material from which the yield is nearly 100 percent. There is no waste by-product.” (p. 64) Every bit of the refined product is used in production. How is it that we are so dependent on Russia for our crop fertilizer, when, according to this author, pure nitrogen, a crop fertilizer, is produced from the by-product of oil…oil that is produced right here in the U.S. What the heck?
Lumber, rice and cotton were the major exports out of Beaumont. In fact, Beaumont still sports the very first rice mill in the state of Texas. It was built in 1907. [I need to go check it out one day.] Southeast Texas had become so important for its rice production that the U.S. government designated the area as a “rice station”. It became headquarters for developing at least nine different strains of rice to help feed the planet, especially during times of famine.
Because of the high demand of U.S.-grown grain, in 1962-63, the Port of Beaumont was pouring concrete for 62 grain silos and a first of its kind, state-of-the-art conveyor system to deliver the grains into ships. So, what the hell happened? Here it is 60 years later, and we are expecting major shortages in food because we are so dependent on grains from the Ukraine, which is getting hammered by Russia in a war. According to this author, keeping in mind the book was just recently published in 2016, just 6 years ago, the elevator is still in use today filling ships full of wheat, soybeans and corn for export all over the world…but not here in America? When it actually becomes a real need here, will they stop exporting it? No! They won’t! The government owns and controls the ports.
The Port of Beaumont was very instrumental in all the wars: Civil War and World Wars I & II. The author provides great, interesting tidbits of the ports participation and efforts in the wars. The U.S. government had leased the entire port throughout the duration of World War II, and didn’t release them for other local business use until late 1946. But, the government continued their business with the Port of Beaumont, which became one of nine Maritime Reserve Fleet. At the port were reserved more than fifty ships until needed in times of wars ( the Korean and other wars we were involved in) and were there until 2011. I NEVER KNEW THAT!! But, my husband did…and he’s from Kansas…lol. They were paid $19,000 per vessel to maintain them. As of 2016, the Port of Beaumont was still an important and vital home for Department of Defense logistics. Not sure how it stands today.
The river was originally discovered to be 60 feet deep…but just at the Port of Beaumont…and 350 feet wide. The whole river has now been dredged four times over the years as ships got larger and larger. The whole river now runs 40 feet deep and 400 feet wide, and the U.S. government has allocated more dredging for deepening the Sabine-Neches Waterway to 48 feet or more to the tune of $748 million. The rest of the funding, up to a total of $1.1 billion needed, will come from a local level, the Sabine Neches Navigation District, and will take ten years to complete. We are currently six years in, with four more to go.
I never would have dreamed how important our little old Port of Beaumont really was and continues to be.
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