Last Saturday, I decided to take a drive down Memory Lane. While poking around on the MarineTraffic app—which is pretty cool if you want to know where a certain non-military ship is—I was reminded how much I used to rely on it. Back when I was big into photography, I’d use it to see what was coming down the waterways. These days, I mostly use it when I’m put on taxi duty for family members arriving on cruise ships. Tracking a ship’s progress beats sitting around for hours wondering where I can pay to park in that part of Galveston. Weekday struggles near the Strand are real!
I noticed a couple of tankers heading up the Neches River toward Beaumont, so I parked at the boat ramp at Port Neches Park for a bit to watch them pass. Then it occurred to me it would be better to catch up with them at the Sarah Jane Bridge. So off I went, driving past Grigsby’s Bluff (the old asphalt docks), a place I knew very well in the 1990s.
If you’ve read my most-read blog post about the Legend of Sarah Jane Road, then you already know about my friend Bryan. During the first Gulf War, we were taking a line boat to tie up a tanker at the then-called Texaco docks, and it was cold. Bryan—being the lovable degenerate he was—was wearing a ski mask. As we rounded the corner toward the ship, he let out his version of a Rebel Yell… or maybe I should call it the la-la-la yell. Either way, it scared the hell out of the security guard. No aggressive moves, no weapons—just someone who clearly wasn’t ready for that kind of nonsense. (At least it woke security up and got them doing their job.)
I digress.
We worked for Harbor Marine at the base of the Sarah Jane Bridge, and there are plenty of stories I could tell, but I have no idea where most of those people are today. For those interested, here’s a link to my original post about the legend:
Skipping a drive down Procter Street (or is it Proctor Street?) past Eddingston Court, we instead went down Woodworth Boulevard. I couldn’t help but wonder if Port Arthur is trying to match TxDOT in the number of road projects. Woodworth south of Procter is completely torn up, cutting off access to the road in front of Rose Hill Manor. I’m not in the loop on Port Arthur street maintenance, but it looks expensive. Meanwhile, the side streets still seem like they could use a little love—but that’s been a taxpayer issue for as long as I’ve been driving.
Since Lakeshore Drive was unavailable, we headed through downtown via Procter to Houston Avenue. It’s interesting that the train depot demolished in the 1960s was later rebuilt exactly the same, and now houses the Port Arthur International Seafarers’ Center. I guess Sydalise Fredeman couldn’t save everything back then—but she did save the Pompeiian Villa.
Here are a couple of related links:
https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2012/06/19/pompeiian-villa/
https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2022/08/21/thoughts-and-ramblings-don-larson-the-babe-sydalise-fredeman-bob-hope-park-plaza-cinema-joyeux-noel-johnny-janot-felix-the-cat-gets-the-shaft/
If you clicked on the second link, you’d learn that Babe Zaharias was born in Port Arthur, not Beaumont. A little education never hurt anyone. There’s a Texas Historical Commission marker on 7th Street in Port Arthur, in the lot where her home once stood.
The photo taken that day was shot by Dwight Larson, who worked for the Port Arthur News. I bought several of his photos at an estate sale, but somehow I keep getting his first name wrong. In later posts I called him Don, which is incorrect. If I do it again, feel free to call me out—I’m not thin-skinned and have no problem calling out others either.
R.I.P., Dwight.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/dwight-larson-obituary?pid=179123816
Our next stop was over the bridge to Pleasure Island. If you pull over and sit there for a minute, the flying avengers will welcome you—hopping around your windows, waiting for you to open the door. (Don’t.) Mosquitoes, like TxDOT, are the devil. Sabine Pass is even worse, thanks to horse flies attacking from the rear and the flank. Deep Woods Off is mandatory. I would also suggest a flamethrower!
Back in the day, Pleasure Island was the place to go. Many people I’ve talked to over the years remember the Pleasure Pier Ballroom and the youthful shenanigans that went on there. One of them was A.C. Hebert, who owned Abear’s Grocery off Interstate 10, Exit 4, in Louisiana. I spent a lot of time at that first exit in Louisiana between the ages of 18 and 20. I’m not sure what drew me there—maybe the boudin balls. I do remember Rattlesnake wine coolers being pretty good. So was Louisiana’s age-limit loophole for alcohol.
I digress… again.
I also remember someone telling me she drove to Pleasure Island as a teenager, then drove backwards all the way home so the odometer wouldn’t show she’d left the house. These damn Boomer kids! To be clear, she did not drive backwards over the GulfGate/Martin Luther King Bridge (built in 1970). It was the other bridge—the one that kept getting hit by ships.
Which brings me to older history.
If you want a good book on Port Arthur history, visit the Museum of the Gulf Coast. They used to carry—and hopefully still do—Port Arthur Centennial History 1898–1998. The photos are wonderful, and Yvonne Sutherlin’s fingerprints are all over the research. She’s someone else I deeply respect and thank for her contributions to our local history.
Originally, Arthur Stilwell built a boardwalk out into Sabine Lake for visitors and residents to enjoy. From 1910 to 1913, a ferry brought people to the pier. From 1913 to 1927, a drawbridge took its place. My friend Jerry Burnett, a train enthusiast, once told me about the trolley known as the Stringbean, which in 1914 ran from Procter Street to the Pier for a nickel. Judging from the photo (courtesy of Port Arthur Centennial History 1898–1998), it looks like a lawyer’s dream—lawsuit heaven.
All versions of the drawbridge had problems. Ships hit them regularly, among other issues. Finally, in 1968, the GulfGate/Martin Luther King Bridge was built.
And yes—it still gets hit by ships.
One last personal note about Pleasure Island: while I wasn’t around for the Pier era, crabbing in the 1970s was outstanding. We’d fish and crab on the steps of Sabine Lake in line with Woodrow Wilson School and pull in 13 dozen blue crabs in an hour. Fresh crab is hard to beat—and I don’t want to hear about your BBQ seasoning method. Plain boiled is the way to go.
Just a warning on my culinary arts!
My gumbo recipe came from an Italian in New Orleans, so yes—I make shrimp, chicken, and crab gumbo. (Shout out to Emeril!) Surf and poultry, my way. Shout-out to Mrs. Douget for the roux, because I don’t have time for all that stirring. And has anyone priced out a gumbo lately? Over $100 these days.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emerils-country-file-gumbo-3644244
Happy New Year to all. I hope you’re healthy and well.
Until next week…
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