Port Neches, Texas
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Port Neches is a city in Jefferson County,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, United States. The population was 13,692 at the 2020 census, an increase over the figure of 13,040 tabulated in 2010. It is part of the
Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area The Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan statistical area is a three-county region in Southeast Texas. The metropolitan area shares borders with the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area to the west and the Lake Charles metropoli ...
.


History

The area known as Port Neches was once inhabited by tribes of the coastal-dwelling Karankawa and
Atakapa The Atakapa Sturtevant, 659 or Atacapa were an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, who spoke the Atakapa language and historically lived along the Gulf of Mexico in what is now Texas and Louisiana. They included several distinct b ...
Native Americans. Smith's Bluff (the future site of Sun Oil and
Union Oil Union Oil Company of California, and its holding company Unocal Corporation, together known as Unocal was a major petroleum explorer and marketer in the late 19th century, through the 20th century, and into the early 21st century. It was headqu ...
of California riverside property) and Grigsby's Bluff (now Port Neches) were the only two high land bluffs on the
Neches River The Neches River () begins in Van Zandt County west of Rhine Lake and flows for through the piney woods of east Texas, defining the boundaries of 14 counties on its way to its mouth on Sabine Lake near the Rainbow Bridge. Two major reservoirs ...
south of Beaumont, whose name is believed to have been derived from the
Caddo The Caddo people comprise the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Binger, Oklahoma. They speak the Caddo language. The Caddo Confederacy was a network of Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, who ...
word "Nachawi", meaning "wood of the bow", after Spanish settlers called it ''Río Neches''. Before 1780, Grigsby's Bluff, specifically that part of Port Neches immediately east of Port Neches Park, had been a Native American town for at least 1,500 years, at first of the Karankawa tribe, whose skeletons were often found in the burial mounds there; and after 1650 of the Nacazils, a sub-tribe of the Attakapas, who were a short and stocky people before their extinction about 1780. As of 1841, there were six large burial mounds at Grigsby's Bluff, size about wide, tall, and long, consisting entirely of clam and sea shells, skeletons, pottery shards, and other Native American artifacts. Between 1841 and 1901, all six of the mounds disappeared, a result of human actions. Grigsby's Bluff became a post office in 1859 (there was also a store and sawmill there), but the office was discontinued in 1893. Port Neches was the site of Fort Grigsby, a set of
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
-era defenses intended to stop a Union advance up the Neches River. The fort was constructed in October 1862 and abandoned sometime after July 1863. Its guns, munitions, and stores were moved to the then-unfinished Fort Griffin, the site of the
Second Battle of Sabine Pass The Second Battle of Sabine Pass (September 8, 1863) was a failed Union Army attempt to invade the Confederate States of America, Confederate state of Texas during the American Civil War. The Union Navy supported the effort and lost three gunboa ...
, often credited as the most one-sided Confederate victory of the American Civil War. A pioneer of Port Neches was Will Block Sr., born on August 2, 1870. In 2003, his son, W. T. Block Jr., was appointed a Knight of the Royal Order of Orange-Nassau for his work in reconstructing the history of Dutch settlers in the area. The city of Port Neches was incorporated in April 1927. The greater Neches River Basin is an attraction for fishing, hunting, birding, and boating. TPC Group's
Port Arthur Refinery The Motiva refinery is an oil refinery located in Port Arthur, Texas. It is the second largest oil refinery in the United States. The first processing units of the Port Arthur Refinery were constructed in 1902 by the Texas Company, later Texaco ...
, a chemical processing facility, was opened in 1944 by Neches Butane Products Co. On November 27, 2019, two
explosions An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume of a given amount of matter associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Explosions may also be generate ...
occurred at the plant injuring at least eight people, three of them plant workers who were treated in hospital. Several buildings, including homes, were damaged in Port Neches and the surrounding area. The blasts started a chemical fire that prompted a mandatory
evacuation Evacuation or Evacuate may refer to: * Casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), patient evacuation in combat situations * Casualty movement, the procedure for moving a casualty from its initial location to an ambulance * Emergency evacuation, removal of pers ...
of approximately 60,000 residents from several nearby cities. The fire was finally put out on December 3 after burning for six days. The next day air monitors posted elevated levels of
butadiene 1,3-Butadiene () is the organic compound with the formula CH2=CH-CH=CH2. It is a colorless gas that is easily condensed to a liquid. It is important industrially as a precursor to synthetic rubber. The molecule can be viewed as the union of two ...
, prompting a second evacuation. The explosions occurred just days after the U.S. EPA eased chemical plant safety regulations.


Geography

Port Neches is located inland from the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 5.39%, are water.


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,692 people, 4,707 households, and 3,245 families residing in the city. As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 13,601 people, 5,280 households, and 3,975 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,656 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.75%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.93%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.47% Native American, 1.57% Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.18% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 5.07% of the population. There were 5,280 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $47,523, and the median income for a family was $53,729. Males had a median income of $43,089 versus $27,847 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $22,273. About 4.4% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.


Education

Most of the city is served by the
Port Neches–Groves Independent School District Port Neches–Groves Independent School District is a public school district based in Port Neches, Texas (USA). In addition to most of Port Neches, the district also serves most of the city of Groves, as well as portions of the neighboring cit ...
. Parts of the city fall within the
Nederland Independent School District Nederland Independent School District is a public school district based in Nederland, Texas ( USA). Originally organized in 1920, the Nederland Independent School District has served the community for 100 years. The first school was built on ...
. The Effie & Wilton Hebert Public Library is the community library. It was named after Wilton Hebert, who sponsored the construction of the current library. It originated with a bookmobile service established in 1930 managed by the Tyrell Public Library of Beaumont, as the Jefferson County Commissioner's Court had requested a library for people outside of Beaumont and Port Arthur the previous year. The Jefferson County Library System established a one-room library facility between 1932 and 1934, sponsored by the Lion's Club. In 1966 the George Boyd Memorial Library, named after Port Neches city employee George Travis Boyd, opened; the Port Neches city council approved of its construction in 1964. It had a cost of $75,000 with $10,000 from the municipal government. It was across from the Port Neches city hall. The current library building had its groundbreaking on Thursday, October 15, 1981, and opened on November 12, 1982.


Controversy

The Port Neches-Groves Independent School District has a long history involving its continued use of their mascot, the Indians, despite years of controversy and calls of racism. Their drill team performs wearing decorative war bonnets. Their chants include the words "Scalp 'em, Indians", their yearbook is the "War Whoop", their newspaper is called "The Pow Wow news" and their stadium is called "The Reservation." In 2020, the Cherokee Nation requested that the school stop using their mascot, rescinding an outdated approval given to the school from 1980. Despite a nearly 150,000 signature petition requesting the name change, along with the request of the Cherokee Nation, the town voted to keep the mascot. In 2022, the Indianettes were filmed performing at Walt Disney World. According to Disney, when the school sent their audition video for approval, the Indianettes were not included and the school was instructed that their members could not wear their war bonnets during the performance. Their inclusion was not approved by Disney and was a decision made by the school. During the performance at the park, the team shouted chants of "Scalp 'em" and enacted simulated war dances. The school has not issued a statement though many residents have defended their actions and stand by their refusal to change. After the performance, Cherokee Nation's Principal Chief, Chuck Hoskin Jr, released a statement once again requesting that the school remove the mascot stating: "Port Neches-Groves Independent School District continues to use offensive and stereotypical depictions of our tribe, and this is yet again exampled by their cheer team recently in Orlando. For the past couple of years, we have written to the Port Neches superintendent and school board asking them to cease using this offensive imagery, chanting, symbolism and other practices in their school traditions as this does nothing but dishonor us and all Native American tribes who are making great strides in this country. School leaders need educating on cultural appropriateness, should apologize for continuing to ignore our requests to stop and need to make swift changes to correct these offensive displays across their school district."


Notable people

*
Andrew Dismukes Andrew Vincent Dismukes (; born June 21, 1995) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. Dismukes was hired as a writer for the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' in 2017, ahead of its Saturday Night Live (season 43), 43rd season. ...
, comedian and writer for ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' is a native of Port Neches *
Lee Hazlewood Barton Lee Hazlewood (July 9, 1929 – August 4, 2007) was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s ...
, country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer *
Roschon Johnson Roschon Johnson (born January 31, 2001) is an American professional football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was selected by the Bears in the fourth ...
, football player, University of Texas and Chicago Bears * L. Q. Jones, actor and director *
Andrew Landry Andrew Dwain Landry (born August 7, 1987) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Early life Born in Port Neches, Texas, Landry played college golf at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he was a three-time A ...
, professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour since 2016 *
Wade Phillips Harold Wade Phillips (born June 21, 1947) is a former American football coach. He has served as head coach of the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Roughnecks and San Antonio Brahmas. He has also served as interim head coa ...
, former NFL head coach *
Tex Ritter Woodward Maurice "Tex" Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was a pioneer of American country music, a singer, and an actor from the mid-1930s into the 1960s. He was the patriarch of the Ritter acting family (son John Ritter, grandso ...
(interred at Oak Bluff Memorial Park cemetery)


References


External links


City of Port Neches official website
*
PortNechesCOOL.com
community website {{authority control Cities in Jefferson County, Texas Cities in Texas Cities in the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area