Port Arthur is on the lower west bank of Sabine Lake in southeastern Jefferson County. It was founded by Arthur E. Stilwell, a Kansas railroad promoter in December 1895. Stilwell envisioned Port Arthur as a major tourist resort as well as an important seaport due to its proximity to the lake and a mild climate convinced him that visitors could be easily attracted to the area. A mayor-council government was established, but it gave way to the commission system in 1911. Port Arthur became an official port of entry in 1906, and by 1908 the Sabine-Neches canal had been deepened and extended up the Neches River to Beaumont and Orange.
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