Timeline of Beaumont, Texas

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Beaumont, Texas, USA.

19th century

 * 1838 – Beaumont site designated seat of Jefferson County.
 * 1845 – John Jay French house (residence) built.
 * 1872 – First Baptist Church established.
 * 1876 – Lumber mill in business (approximate date).
 * 1880 – Beaumont Enterprise newspaper begins publication.
 * 1881
 * Beaumont Fire Company #1 organized.
 * Aldermanic form of government adopted.
 * 1889 – Beaumont Journal newspaper begins publication.
 * 1890 – Population: 3,296.
 * 1892 – Rice mill in business.
 * 1900 – Population: 9,427.

20th century

 * 1901
 * January 10: Oil discovered at Spindletop.
 * Texas Fuel Company (later Texaco) in business.
 * Synagogue built.
 * 1903
 * Chamber of Commerce founded.
 * YMCA built.
 * 1907 – Beaumont Fair (later South Texas State Fair) begins.
 * 1910 – Population: 20,640.
 * 1913 – Port Arthur-Beaumont Interurban Railway begins operating.
 * 1916 – River channel dug.
 * 1917 – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People branch organized.
 * 1918 – Rio Theatre in business.
 * 1919 – "City-manager and commission form of government" adopted.
 * 1920 – Population: 40,422.
 * 1923 – Tyrrell Public Library founded.
 * 1924 – KFDM radio begins broadcasting.
 * 1925
 * November: More oil discovered at Spindletop.
 * Gulf States Utilities Company in business.
 * 1927
 * "30-foot ship canal" dug.
 * Jefferson Theatre in business.
 * 1930
 * "32-foot channel" dug for ships.
 * Beaumont Little Theater built.
 * Population: 57,732.
 * 1932 – Jefferson County Courthouse built.
 * 1936 – Beauxart Gardens housing for urban poor created near Beaumont (approximate date).
 * 1943 – June: Beaumont race riot of 1943.
 * 1943–1944 – Beaumont served as a stand-in for Paris, France for Royal Air Force airmen cadets flying on frequent training missions from their base in Terrell, Texas.
 * 1950 – Population: 94,014.
 * 1955 – KFDM-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
 * 1961 – KBMT-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
 * 1966 – Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont established.
 * 1967 – Beaumont Heritage Society formed.
 * 1983 – McFaddin–Ward House museum established.
 * 1987 – Texas Energy Museum established.
 * 1991 – Southeast Texas Food Bank established.
 * 1998 – City website online (approximate date).

21st century

 * 2007 – Becky Ames becomes mayor.
 * 2010 – Population: city 118,296; megaregion 19,728,244.
 * 2013 – Randy Weber becomes U.S. representative for Texas's 14th congressional district.