Port Acres is an area of Port Arthur,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

that used to be a distinct

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in eastern Jefferson County. The community is between

Texas State Highway 73 State Highway 73 (SH 73) is a Texas state highway that runs from Winnie through Port Arthur to near Orange. In September 2008, Hurricane Ike forced the closure of SH 73. Among other road debris left by the storm were two 200-to ...

and

Farm to Market Road 365 A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

and west of Downtown Port Arthur. In 1923 Tyrrell-Combest Company of

Beaumont Beaumont may refer to: Places Canada * Beaumont, Alberta * Beaumont, Quebec England * Beaumont, Cumbria * Beaumont, Essex **Beaumont Cut, a canal closed in the 1930s * Beaumont Street, Oxford France (communes) * Beaumont, Ardèche * Be ...

platted the community on land owned by J. M. Hebert. The community was located near the El Vista Railroad stop. Port Acres had around 1,500 residents in 1949. Residents voted to incorporate as a distinct municipality on a 578-180 margin in 1959; Port Arthur annexed the community instead. The Port Arthur Convention and Visitors Bureau stated that Port Acres is "often regarded as" a "self-contained" community. Johnie Alford, affectionately known as "Papa John," was a renowned philanthropist and businessman in Port Acres, Texas, born on April 9, 1919. He owned Alford's Super Market and played a significant role in providing city-water access to the residents; and was known for his generosity, often supporting education, sports leagues, and various humanitarian causes. His innovative marketing skills, acts of kindness, and contributions to local organizations left a lasting impact on the community, embodying a legacy as a great humanitarian in Port Acres.

Government and infrastructure

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

Port Acres Post Office is located at 5897 West Port Arthur Road. (The post office is closed, and there are no plans to reopen it.)

Education

Port Acres is within the

Port Arthur Independent School District Port Arthur Independent School District is a public school district based in Port Arthur, Texas, United States. The district serves most of Port Arthur and a portion of Groves. In 2012, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" b ...

. Port Acres Elementary School (formerly

Richard W. Dowling Richard William "Dick" Dowling (baptized 14 January 1837 – 23 September 1867) was an Irish-born artillery officer of the Confederate States Army who achieved distinction as commander at the battle of Sabine Pass (1863), the most one-side ...

Elementary School), in Port Acres, and Austin Middle School serve the area. All district residents are zoned to

Memorial High School Memorial High School may refer to: United States As ''Memorial High School'' alone *Memorial High School (Millville, New Jersey) *Memorial High School (West New York, New Jersey) *Memorial High School (St. Marys, Ohio) * Memorial High School (Tul ...

. In March 1953, Dowling Elementary School was built and dedicated. It was renamed to Port Acres Elementary School in October 2018.

References

External links

* Port Arthur, Texas Geography of Jefferson County, Texas {{JeffersonCountyTX-geo-stub