I was hosted for this visit by Visit Port Arthur
Tucked away in the far Southeast corner of the State of Texas lies Port Arthur, otherwise known as the Cajun Capitol of Texas. When I say the far corner of the State, I mean it. It is just a bridge crossing away from Louisiana.
Port Arthur Texas traces its founding to 1895 when railroad magnate Arthur E. Stilwell envisioned a city that would be a bustling seaport and resort. Incorporated in 1898, Port Arthur’s trajectory shifted dramatically with the 1901 Spindletop oil discovery, just 10 miles north in Beaumont, sparking an oil boom that birthed global giants like Gulf Oil and Texaco. By 1916, the city housed the world’s first oil refinery, cementing its role as a petrochemical powerhouse, with the Motiva Refinery—North America’s largest—still operating today. Sabine Pass was annexed by Port Arthur in 1978. Sabine Pass adds Civil War significance with the 1863 Battle of Sabine Pass, where Confederate Lt. Richard Dowling’s 46 men thwarted a Union invasion, a feat now commemorated at the Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site.
Culturally, Port Arthur shines as the birthplace of rock icon Janis Joplin and artist Robert Rauschenberg, celebrated at the Museum of the Gulf Coast, along with other notable people ranging from actors, politicians and sports legends. Meanwhile, its Cajun heritage, due to Cajuns flocking to Port Arthur in the 20’s and 30’s oil boom, earns it the title of Texas’s Cajun Capitol. Listed below are a few things to do and experience in The Cajun Capitol of Texas.
The Faith Trail
There are several Churches and Temples in Port Arthur that cater to the areas multiple cultures including Cajun, Italian, Vietnamese, Hispanic and African American citizens. Three of the more popular places to visit are:
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Shrine
The story goes that in 1531 the Virgin Mary appeared in an apparition to Juan Diego on a hill requesting him to build a shrine where she could bless those that came to her. Diego went to the archbishop, of what is now Mexico City, who dismissed him in disbelief and told him to bring proof. Diego returned to the hill and pled for the apparition to reappear. The Virgin reappeared and told him to climb the hill and pick the flowers on top of the hill. The Virgin bundled the flowers into Juan’s cloak, known as a tilma. Juan took the flowers to the archbishop who recognized them as Castilian Roses, which are not found in Mexico. Even more significant was that it was winter and no flowers should be blooming, and the tilma had been miraculously imprinted with the colorful image of the Virgin Mary. The Tilma is displayed in a basilica on the hill in Mexico today. Parishioners of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church built a shrine to commemorate the Virgin Mary’s appearance to Juan Diego with a 17-foot bronze sculpture and a statue of Diego set up on rocks from the apparition site in Mexico. The shrine also includes a Rose Chapel.
Queen of Peace Vietnamese Catholic Church
Port Arthur has a vibrant Vietnamese community and many are Catholic. The Queen of Peace Vietnamese Catholic Church is a fairly large congregation and sitting across the street from the church is the Hoa-Binh (Area of Peace), featuring beautiful gardens and statue of the Virgin Mary three times life size. The parishioners built the garden in gratitude for their welcome to Port Arthur. The grounds include Stations of the Cross statutes and a manicured garden.
Buu Mon Buddhist Temple
In 1980 a Buddhist temple was founded in Beaumont deriving its name Buu Mon from the city. It later moved to Orange Texas before finally settling in Port Arthur in 1986. The temple was previously used as a Baptist Church and a Vietnamese Catholic Church before being redesigned with a four tiered pagoda tower, symbolizing the tenets of Buddhism, and being dedicated in August of 1987. The temple gardens have two sections with one dominated by a statue of Buddha at the head of a reflecting pool. The other section has statues of Buddha sitting and lying prone along with a koi pond and a walking path. The gardens are a peaceful scene with bamboo and fruit trees along with lotuses and water lilies which have garnered national attention for their quality.
Hotels in Port Arthur Texas
Historic Locations
Driving through Port Arthur reminded me of other Texas coastal towns when I was growing up. Some had storied pasts and when people moved away the history was still there, dotted among the buildings, you could see homes that at one time were palatial residences. Port Arthur has some of those as well.
Rose Hill Manor
Built in 1906 by Rome Hatch Woodworth who was a banker and was the third Mayor of Port Arthur, elected in 1902. The home is on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the oldest landmarks in Port Arthur. It has spacious rooms, an elegant stairway, antiques and a grand piano. Over the years guests have used the home as a wedding venue, for parties and events. The 13-foot-wide wrap-around porch with a view of maritime traffic on the Gulf makes for a picturesque view. As with many old buildings, especially those in hurricane prone areas, the home is in need of some repairs so when I visited it was undergoing restoration, but you can still view the outside.
Pompeiian Villa
This building’s history is almost as fascinating as the villa itself. In 1900 this modest 10-room “cottage” was built for Isaac Elwood, “the barbed wire King,” as an authentic copy of a Pompeiian home of 74 AD. Rooms are built around a traditional Roman peristyle, a three-sided courtyard to which each room has access. Costing over $50,000 (about 1.4 million today). Elwood, of DeKalb, Illinois, was a highly successful entrepreneur who patented and sold his own variant of barbed wire, which was big business in 1900.
Elwood never lived in the home and sold it almost immediately after it was built. The second owner, James Hopkins of the Diamond Match Company bought the home in 1901, but he too never lived in the home because his wife hated the mosquitos, mud and humidity of Port Arthur. It wasn’t until Hopkins traded the home to George Craig for 10% share of Texas Company, which became Texaco that the home would find an occupant. Craig helped organize Texaco and would live there until his death in 1950. Oh, and the stock he traded to Hopkins? Well, it would be worth about 5 billion dollars today. To visit inside the home call (409) 982-7000. A tour guide from the Museum of the Gulf Coast will arrange for a meeting time.
The Gates Memorial Library
The Gates Memorial Library was built in 1917 in honor of one of Port Arthur’s major founders, John Warne “Bet-A-Million” Gates. Gates was a barbed wire salesman for the Washburn-Moen Company in 1876 when he traveled to Texas and rented San Antonio’s Military Plaza, constructed a barbed-wire corral, and filled it with longhorn cattle to demonstrate the holding power of barbed wire. The demonstration resulted in orders for more wire than the factory could produce. After being refused a partnership in Washburn-Moen, he quit and helped build the Southern Wire Company into the largest manufacturer and distributor of unlicensed “moonshine/non-patented” barbed wire. He later controlled the Kansas City Southern Railway and formed the Texas Company (now Texaco), in which he owned 46 percent of the stock. Gates’s nickname derived from his fondness for gambling at poker, the stock market, and horse races.
Gates contributed a lot to the city of Port Arthur and in 1909 he set aside land to build a public library. The project was discontinued until after his death in 1911 but by 1916 his widow and local residents joined together to build his vision. The library was completed in 1917 and dedicated the following year, whereupon it was deeded to the city. The library is now part of the Lamar University Campus in Post Arthur. This two-story Classical Revival building was designed by the New York firm Warren & Westmore, architects of several New York landmarks, including Grand Central Station. The library was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and the Texas State Historic Commission.
Tex Ritter Park
When talking about Port Arthur, and things to do and see, you need to understand the local area. Nederland Texas is a small town that is adjacent to Port Arthur. The hotel I stayed at while visiting Port Arthur was about 1 block away from Nederland. The town of Port Neches sits adjacent to Nederland. You can’t tell when you leave one and enter the other, they are all intertwined. Tex Ritter Park is in Nederland Texas. Named after Tex Ritter, the singing cowboy, who spent his youth in Nederland and is buried in Port Neches, the park has two interesting places to visit.
La Maison Acadienne
La Maison Acadienne, The House of Acadia, is a replica of early Acadian homes in South Louisiana. Built in 1976, it shows how early Acadian settlers lived. Soon after Nederland settled, many Acadians came from Louisiana to live and work in the area and the house pays tribute to them. Acadians were French who settled in Canada and later made their way to Louisiana and are the ancestors of modern day Cajuns. The home is a museum, free to the public and open Monday through Saturday.
Dutch Windmill Museum
Adjacent to the House of Acadia, in Tex Ritter Park, is the Dutch Windmill Museum. Why is there a Dutch Windmill in Southeast Texas? Nederland was settled by Dutch immigrants in 1898. The citizens of Nederland built the windmill and the museum holds memorabilia belonging to Tex Ritter, artifacts from early residents and from Holland along with photos and information on early settlers in Nederland. Admission is free and the museum is open Monday through Saturday.
La Maison Beausoleil
Located a few blocks from Tex Ritter Park is the Riverfront Park in Port Neches. The La Maison Beausoleil, is located next to the park and faces the river. The home, built from Cypress sometime around 1810, in St Martin Parish Louisiana. The home was barged down the river to the intercoastal waterway and up the Neches River to where it sits today. The home is an authentic Cajun architectural style home and houses a small museum detailing everyday life. The day I was there it was closed for renovations, but you could still see the house and the outside areas.
Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site
Known as one of the most lopsided battles of the war, the Battle of Sabine Pass, on Sep 8, 1863, ended in a Union defeat. Union flotilla of four gunboats and seven troop transports, under the command of General William Bull Franklin, consisting of 5,000 men. 46 Confederates of Co. F, 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment under the command of Lt Richard William “Dick” Dowling, using six cannon stopped the fleet from entering Sabine Pass. The battle lasted less than 2 hours, 43 Union soldiers dead or missing, over 300 taken prisoner and the USS Clifton and USS Sachem surrendered, along with their 13 guns, ammunition, small arms, medicine and provisions. The remaining Union boats retreated.
During WW2 concrete ammunition magazines were installed at the site along with two 155mm guns along with observation towers, communication towers and search lights as part of the coastal defense of the US. The site was one of many that guarded against German U boats patrolling the Gulf and eastern seaboard.
Today the magazines are still there along with story boards telling the history of the site from the Civil War, Spanish American War and WW2 eras. There is a model showing the fort defense at the time of the battle along with several historic markers. The old Sabine Pass lighthouse is gone, however you can see the lighthouse in Louisiana just across the channel.
Golden Triangle Veterans Memorial Park
When you travel to Port Arthur you might hear reference to “The Golden Triangle”, and wonder is it? Well, it refers to the metropolitan area of Southeast Texas near the Louisiana border, formed by Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange. The term “Golden” refers to wealth that came to the area as a result of the Spindletop oil strike near Beaumont in 1901. Having said that, The Golden Triangle Veterans Memorial Park pays tribute to all those from the Golden Triangle that served their country in the armed forces. I love visiting Military museums and site, so I enjoyed walking the area and reading all the plaques and memorials located in the park. There are static displays of military equipment including a McDonnel Douglas F4D Phantom jet, Tanks, artillery guns and more. The park also has plaques honoring various services, Military units and those that served during wartime and peace. Over 10,000 names of those that served are inscribed along with over 900 that died or went missing. There are sections honoring those in the Spanish American War, Korea, WW2, Global War on Terrorism, and all major conflicts.
The Rainbow Bridge
I have always wanted to drive over the Rainbow Bridge in Texas. Unfortunately, it was closed for repairs by the Texas Department of Transportation when I visited. But that is to be expected I guess since it was completed in 1938. The bridge was originally named the Port Arthur-Orange Bridge but a naming contest was held in 1957 and a 6-yr old girl won. She said she chose the name because the bridge’s arch resembled a “mechanical rainbow.” The Rainbow Bridge was added to the list of National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The Rainbow Bridge is the second tallest bridge on the Gulf Coast, the tallest is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida at 430 ft. The Rainbow Bridge rises to the height of a 20-story building and clears the river by 177 feet. The newer companion bridge, the Veterans Memorial Bridge to the east, has 143 feet of navigational clearance, and its claim to fame is that it is the only cable-stayed bridge built on a Texas Highway. If you ever visit and it is open take the Veterans Memorial Bridge from Port Arthur to Bridge City Texas and then return using the Rainbow Bridge.
Museum of the Gulf Coast
It seems every town and city have museums, and they are rightfully proud of them. Some are great Museums, some are good, some are just okay, and a lot are boring, at least to me. The Museum of The Gulf Coast falls into the great category. The museum is on two floors with the first floor telling the story of the area from the first people known to be in the area to present day times. They have some great displays on the first floor including an area about the Texas Navy.
The second floor has a Notable People Hall of Fame consisting of Golden Triangle residents such as actors, politicians, people from industry and others. I was surprised at all the notable people that came out of the Golden Triangle. From GW Bailey of Police Academy and M.A.S.H fame to Karen Silkwood, who exposed unsafe working conditions in nuclear facilities.
Even Robert Crippen, born in Beaumont who went on to become a Naval officer, test pilot and astronaut traveling to space four times. Francis Fisher of Titanic fame and LQ Jones, born Justus McQueen, who took the name of the first character he played on screen in the movie Battle Cry.
There is also a Music Hall of Fame which celebrates people from the area in the music business. This includes records, guitars, photos and info on people such as Tex Ritter, BJ Thomas, Edgar and Johnny Winter, JP Richardson “The Big Bopper”, and of course Janis Joplin, and many others. They also have a replica of Joplin’s famous hand painted 1965 Porsche.
In addition, the museum has a Sports Hall of Fame recognizing those in sports from the area. Mildred Didrikson “Babe” Zaharias is honored, along with other greats such as Frank Robinson MLB Hall of Famer, Bum Phillips and son Wade Phillips NFL, Bubba Smith NFL, and Jimmy Johnson, football player, NFL coach, and broadcaster.
The day I visited I had the privilege of meeting Tom Neal, the museum Director. Tom is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to the people, history and events in the area. If you visit, ask if he has a few minutes to talk and you will come away with a wealth of knowledge.
The Outdoors
Sea Rim State Park
Sea Rim State Park covers 4,141 acres and over 5 miles of shoreline. The park opened in 1977. The area has been home to people for thousands of years. From the 1870’s to the 1950’s the area was a cattle ranch. The Park has walking trails, campsites, including 1 floating primitive campsite, and room for RV’s. Marshes, lagoons, and wetlands are home to an abundance of wildlife. You can see alligators, otters, mink, muskrats and I almost hit a wild boar near the park entrance, that darted across the highway. There is also a wide species of birds and sea life in and around the park. Horses are allowed at some of the campsites and there is a cabin you can rent. The Park is open daily, and the fees are $4 for those 12ys old and above.
McFaddin Beach
McFaddin Beach is a 20 mile stretch of beach with hard packed sand you can drive on. Located on Hwy 87 South of Port Arthur and mile or two from Sea Rim State Park, the beach is a free public beach and camping is allowed. The beach is usually not too crowded and there is a reason for that. To get to the beach you have to travel down Hwy 87 south from Port Arthur to the community of Sabine Pass which is still considered part of Port Arthur. Sabine Pass is about 14 miles from Port Arthur and has no gas stations a small motel used mainly by plant workers and not much else. Don’t get me wrong, it is a nice little seaside community, just not a place geared towards tourists. McFaddin Beach is another 15 miles west of Sabine Pass at the end of the highway. Once you get there, there is nowhere else to go. Phone reception might not work and you better have whatever you need when you arrive. But when I arrived around 9am, I was greeted by a clean long stretch of beach with the only other vehicle in sight being a pickup truck about ½ mile away. Talk about having the beach to yourself. Just gas up your vehicle before you head there.
Other Outdoor Areas
Port Arthur is known worldwide as a birding site. There are over 25 birding sites in the area and people from all over flock to the area. The Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge is located on Hwy 87 just before you get to Sea Rim State Park. McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge has over 58,000 acres and holds the largest freshwater marsh on the Texas coast. The Sabine Woods Sanctuary is also on Hwy 87 and is a 27-acre site used for birding, run by the Texas Ornithological Society. The J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area is run by Texas Parks and Wildlife. The 25,852-acre area has a wide variety of animals and waterfowl. Hunting, fishing and nature lovers love Port Arthur. With saltwater, freshwater, marshes and lakes there is a reason why people flock to the area.
Pleasure Island
Pleasure Island is an 18.5-mile-long man made island created by the U.S. Corps of Engineers in 1908 from deposits when dredging the Port Arthur Canal. You access the island by taking State Hwy 82 across the Dr Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge near downtown port Arthur. Once on the island you can continue to the end of the island and cross the T.B. Ellison Parkway into Cameron Parish Louisiana. In 1913 a dance hall and roller coaster were built, and in 1941 a private investor built the Pleasure Pier Ballroom, a midway, an Olympic-size swimming pool, and the largest roller coaster in the south. Today there is a marina, an enclave with private homes, a disc golf course, an RV park, music park and lakefront park. There are two levee’s on the east side of the island, the north and south levee, with paved roads you can drive on. When I drove the levee they were filled with cars parked on the side of the road and people were lining the levee’s fishing. Near the Marina they have a fishing pier, which also had a lot of people enjoying the day out. I met a family that drove from Katy, Texas, about 1.5 hours away just to enjoy fishing for the day.
Festivals
It seems Port Arthur has a festival every month and one of the best is The Cajun Heritage Festival, held every April. The Cajun Festival is when everyone gathers to celebrate the Cajun heritage with music, dancing and of course that incredible Cajun food. They even have crawfish races. I’m not sure if they eat the contestants afterwards or not. Check out the festivals listed on the Visit Port Arthur page .
Cigars
Humidor Cigar Lounge
I do love my cigars and when I travel, I always try to see if the destination has a cigar shop or lounge to visit. Port Arthur has the Humidor Cigar Lounge, which I had the opportunity to check out while I was there. If you have ever had a couple of friends that you spend time enjoying a hobby with, whatever it is, you can probably relate. There usually comes a time where the friends say something like, “You know, we should open up a place of our own.” Well, that’s kind of what happened, and the Humidor Cigar Lounge was born.
The Lounge is laid out really nice with a small but nicely stocked walk in humidor. They have a full bar, lockers you can rent to store your personal cigars, a vip area and a huge lounge adjacent to the main area, with another bar and a stage. The lounge has regular events including live music, happy hours, crawfish boils and hosting cigar events. Check out their website for more info.
Port Arthur is reminiscent of old Texas coastal towns. Lines of pickup trucks headed to the refineries and plants to go to work. Stopping on the way home for a beer or heading out to a favorite place for dining and dancing. Families enjoying the parks, people lining the levees and fishing piers, beaches that aren’t crowded, and lots of outdoor activities. It is a different life than the large cities of Houston, San Antonio or Dallas and a nice place to spend a few days exploring.
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