My first airplane ride was to Beaumont TX with my sister – by ourselves – when I was around six years old. I ate warm peanuts and loved it. Criteria for kids flying alone has certainly changed but last month I had to stop and wonder if Beaumont really had. Every summer I can remember as child was spent in the small, Texas town swimming, riding bikes with the cousins, and of course shopping at the mall. So when I made the “pilgrimage” back to Beaumont TX  and began asking my family for ideas on things should we do, the answer – we can go to the mall. Thus, my investigation went into full-force. THERE HAD TO BE MORE THAN THE MALL! Thankfully, there is quite a bit to do in Beaumont, not to mention a lot of history I missed as a kid. No real surprise, I did love the mall back then.

Things to do in Beaumont TX
Photo by Elaine Schoch

15 Things You (I) May Not Have Known About Beaumont TX

1. Oil was discovered at the Lucas Gusher on Spindletop Hill on January 10, 1901. The gusher/explosion was so intense that nine days later the oil column was still gushing nearly 200 feet high, producing around 100,000 barrels a day. Spindletop became the first major oil field and one of the largest in American history.

2. Home of the original World’s Largest (Working) Fire Hydrant. The giant hydrant was donated to the City of Beaumont by Walt Disney on March 9, 1999 for the re-release of the animated movie “101 Dalmatians” and is housed outside the Fire Museum of Texas. At the time it was the World’s Largest Fire Hydrant but it has since lost the title. However, it does work. The giant fire hydrant weighs 4,500 lbs and can blast 1,500 gallons of water a minute.

Things to do in Beaumont TX
Photo by Elaine Schoch

3. Lamar University and its 15,000 students call Beaumont home.

4. The legal community in the United States must love Beaumont. 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.

5. Since 1907, Beaumont has been home of the South Texas State Fair.

6.  St. Anthony’s Cathedral Basilica was built as the first Catholic Church of Beaumont TX in 1903.  In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI recognized the historical significance of Saint Anthony Cathedral by proclaiming it a Minor Basilica. Beaumont is one of only four Minor Basilicas in the State of Texas.

7. Beaumont is home to Gator Country and its 400 alligators as well as Gary Saurage, a conservationist, owner of Gator Country and the star of CMT’s Gator 911, the first TV show in the United States about alligator rescues. (If you have a chance to visit Gator Country, I do HIGHLY recommend it, more on our visit to Gator Country.)

Things to do in Beaumont TX

8. Beaumont is home to Babe Zaharias – U.S. Olympian and co-founder of the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

9. The McFaddin-Ward House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It was built/completed in 1906 and has the rather convenient address – 1906 Calder Avenue; it’s phone number 409.832.1906.

WINE TRAVEL GUIDE: TEXAS

WHERE TO SIP, STAY & THINGS TO DO

10. Jason’s Deli, a fast casual delicatessen restaurant chain is headquartered in Beaumont, TX.

11. Beaumont dates from 1824 when it was known as Tevis Bluff after Noah and Nancy Tevis – the first settlers. In 1835, Henry Millard and partners bought the Tevis’ property for a planned town. Millard’s wife’s maiden name was Beaumont.

beaumont tx

12. During World War II, Pansy Yount, wife of Beaumont businessman, donated her Ladies Duesenberg as scrap metal for the war cause. Her husband was also known as the “Godfather of Beaumont” because he donated money to the City of Beaumont to finance their payroll during the Great Depression.

13. Beaumont is home to one of only four Happy Half Wit Muffler Men in Texas. He stands about 25 feet in height and is seen holding a muffler, which is actually rather rare as most aren’t holding anything. Others can be found holding items such an ax, a hot dog or a baseball bat.

14. Beaumont is home to rice in Texas. The Beaumont Rice Mill was the first commercial rice mill in Texas and is still operating today.

15. The Big Bopper – aka Jiles Perry “J. P.” Richardson, Jr. – grew up in Beaumont TX and graduated from Beaumont High School in 1947. He’s best known for the song “Chantilly Lace”. He died in a plane crash that killed rockers Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. J.P. is buried in Beaumont.

 

Sip in More of Texas

17 Comments

    1. yea I would love to

  1. I was born and raised in Beaumont and I thought you might like to know Babe is buried there too 🙂 she was my hero growing up. http://www.babedidriksonzaharias.org

    My dad took me to see her graves site a a young child and I will always remember what I read:

    “It’s not weather you win or lose but how you played the game”

    1. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing another fun fact about Beaumont. Much appreciated!

    2. Hi there, Babe Zaharias is buried in Beaumont at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

      1. Interesting, sorry I missed that one. Thanks for letting me know.

  2. I believe country artists Mark Chesnutt and Tracy Lawrence are from Beaumont. Tracy Byrd from Vidor.

    1. Interesting! It appears Mark Chesnutt is but Tracy Lawrence is originally from Nederland, TX. Or so my research told me. Thanks for stopping by and sharing some more fun fact.

  3. How interesting! Now I’m going to have to have Matt take me there to visit!

    1. Make sure to go to Gator Country – so much fun! If you go in the summer, you can swim with gators. Not that I’d advising that but…

  4. I like going back to places we visited as a kid and look at them with fresh eyes. We don’t travel nearly as much as you do, but I always wonder if my children’s only memory of certain cities will be the hotel pool since it seems to be their favorite activity.

    1. Ha! That seems to be my kids favorite thing too BUT I’m always surprised when they bring something up out of the blue about a trip we took. (I also take a lot of pictures so at least I can tell them about things later.)

  5. I love this post! I have never been to Beaumont but it sounds like an interesting place!

  6. Terry Neel says:

    A few other items: Big Band leader and trumpeter Harry James was also from Beaumont. The late Senator John Tower graduated from Beaumont High. The Jefferson Theatre was the first air conditioned building between Houston and New Orleans. The building was built in 1926 at a cost of $1 million, if I remember correctly, and the Robert Morton pipe organ in it is one of the few left still working in the building for which it was built.

Comments are closed.