[7] A big change occurred in 1901 with the Spindletop gusher, which demonstrated that a huge oil field lay underneath and adjacent to the city.

Along with Port Arthur and Orange, Beaumont forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the Texas Gulf Coast.

[8] In 1835 the land of Tevis, together with the nearby community of Santa Anna (in total, 50 acres (20 ha)), was purchased by Henry Millard (c. 1796–1844),[9] Joseph Pulsifer (1805–1861),[10] and Thomas Byers Huling (1804–1865).

Beaumont's lumber boom, which reached its peak in the late 19th century, was stimulated by the rebuilding and expansion of the railroads in the state and region after the Civil War.

[19] When the city became a major center for defense shipbuilding during World War II, tens of thousands of rural Texans migrated there for the new high-paying jobs.

In June 1943 after workers at the Pennsylvania shipyards in Beaumont learned that a white woman had accused a black man of raping her, nearly 2,000 went to the jail where a suspect was being held, attracting more men along the way and reaching a total of 4,000.

[20] Ultimately the white mob rioted for three days, destroying major black neighborhoods and killing five persons.

The riot in Beaumont was one of several in 1943 which centered in the defense industry, including Los Angeles,[21] Detroit,[22] and Mobile, Alabama as well as other cities across the country.

As was typical with other cities, post-war highway construction led to the development of new suburbs and dispersal of the population in search of new housing.

[27][28] Due to the flooding, Baptist Hospital of Southeast Texas evacuated all of its highest level of acuity patients with the help of National Guard helicopters.

As of March 2019[update], many residents in the area are still attempting to recover from the hurricane as the city received emergency assistance.

Even so, as of July 2014[update], the Beaumont-Port Arthur region was not under any Environmental Protection Agency non-attainment restrictions; however, counties in the Greater Houston area, the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and El Paso were.

[38] As of October 2014[update], the Beaumont-Port Arthur area was not under any Texas Commission on Environmental Quality attainment compliance deadlines.

[39] Regardless, according to an article published in 2007 focusing on Port Arthur, a neighboring city to the southeast of Beaumont, pollution was believed to have caused some area residents to become sick.

[40] The city of Beaumont experiences a humid subtropical climate and is within the Piney Woods region of eastern Texas.

Minor damage was reported with winds gusting around hurricane-force for a short period of time as Laura moved over Lake Charles, Louisiana.

On August 18, 2009, a tornado hit the west side of Beaumont, causing damage to cars and several local businesses.

The most recent significant wintry event to occur was December 8, 2017 when the Southeast Texas Regional Airport recorded 3 inches (76 mm) of snowfall.

[52] In January 1997, a severe and historic ice storm struck the region, leaving thousands without power and major tree damage in its wake.

[53] In unofficial records, Beaumont received as much as 30 inches (760 mm) of snow during the blizzard of February 1895 that impacted the Gulf Coast.

[80] Other prominent businesses which have been associated with the city and area have included the following: Bethlehem Steel/Trinity Industries Shipyard, where over eight hundred (800) vessels were built and repaired at the shipyard including barges, ships, and offshore drilling rigs including seventy-two (72) jack up offshore drilling rigs,[81] the second-most offshore drilling rigs built in the United States, and seventy-one (71) Type C1 ships built for the U.S. Maritime Commission during World War II;[82] Dresser Industries, a Dresser-Ideco plant was a major employer for seventy-seven years; the plant, with around 350 employees, closed in 1985;[83] Gulf Oil; Humble Oil; Magnolia Petroleum Company; The Texas Oil Company; The Texas Coffee Company, the first company in the United States to begin packaging coffee in vacuum-packed foil bags;[84] and Universal Coin & Bullion, one of the largest retailers in precious metals and rare coins.

On its 23.5 acre grounds, it includes over ten themed gardens, the 10,000 sq ft Warren Loose Conservatory and a large collection of bromeliads.

[92][93][94] There are also restrooms, shelters, the Babe Zaharias Drive Monument, baseball backstop, lighted basketball goals, benches, drinking fountains, 2.8-mile (4.5 km) nature trail, and picnic tables.

Other entertainment and recreation venues located downtown include the following: Beaumont Civic Center; the Event Centre and plaza features include a twelve-acre great lawn for concerts and a walking path, and a 3,800 sq ft canopy with stage overlooks the great lawn, and a 14,000 sq ft canopy overlooks a two-acre lake with a thirty-five foot fountain;[95][96] and Beautiful Mountain Skate Plaza, opened in 2013.

The American Basketball Association's Southeast Texas Mavericks were once headquartered in the city until moving to Shreveport, Louisiana in 2013.

The university brought back football in 2010; as part of the return, Provost Umphrey Stadium was completely renovated.

All powers of the city are vested in the council, which enacts local legislation, adopts budgets, and determines policies.

[153] The Texas Department of Corrections operates three facilities of various custody types in unincorporated areas of Jefferson County, with a total capacity of about 7500 inmates.

The bill was sponsored in the Texas Legislature by State Representative Jack Brooks and Senator W.R. Cousins, Jr. of Beaumont.

The region currently has no PBS member station of its own; KUHT on channel 8 (licensed to Houston, which is carried on cable and satellite providers in most of the market) and KLTL on channel 20 (a Louisiana Public Broadcasting affiliate licensed to Lake Charles, which is carried on cable providers in the market's extreme eastern portions) do not reach the area.