Groves, Texas, Jefferson County. (original) (raw)

Eastern Jefferson County, Texas Gulf Coast

29�56'50"N 93�54'57"W (29.947113, -93.915829)

State Hwy 73, 87, and 347
16 Miles SE of downtown Beaumont the county seat
N of Port Arthur
3 miles NW of Sabine Lake, an estuary of the Gulf of Mexico
ZIP code 77619
Area code 409
Population: 15,480 Est. (2019)
16,144 (2010) 15,733 (2000) 16,744 (1990)

Groves, Texas Area Hotels Beaumont Hotels | Port Arthur Hotels

History in a Seashell

Groves dates from 1886 with the arrival of the Sam Lee family. In 1916 Griffing Brothers bought land here and established a nursury business. The centerpiece of the operation (planted in 1919) was a substantial grove of Pecan trees.

In the early 1920s, the Port Arthur Land and Development Company created a subdivision appropriately named Pecan Grove. Since everyone knew what a pecan tree looked like, in time the name was simply shortened to Groves, which coincidently was the surname of Asa Groves, a resident of Port Arthur who supervised development.

A posty office was applied for and was granted in 1927, closely followed by a school and library. It was added to the stops on the Kansas City Southern Railroad which insured its permanence. A refinery opened in the mid 1930s and by the 1950 census, it was estimated there were 1,300 residents.

In a 1952 vote to incorportate, the measure was overwhelmingly passed and with independence now established, the new city grew to over 17,000 by 1960. The 1970 census reported a peak population in 1970 of just over 18,000 which has declined over the years to just over 16,000.

Groves is Jefferson County's forth largest city and is the former home of author and memorist Mary Karr.

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