Sabine-Neches Canal

Situated between Port Arthur and Lake Sabine and drainages of the Sabine and Neches Rivers, the Sabine-Neches Canal is a vital route for commerce from the Gulf of Mexico to port facilities in Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange and other areas. Interest in development of the waterway increased after the success of the Port Arthur Canal, which was integral to the growth of the city. Construction of the canal began following a joint resolution of Congress in 1898 and planning by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was to link and merge with the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), which runs from Brownsville to Florida and north to New Jersey. The canal would run from the ICW to the Port Arthur Canal, southeast of the city. Construction began around 1908 and took two years to complete. Original plans called for it to be built through Sabine Lake; however, land companies and residents chose to have the canal sited separately, hoping it would provide a levee system against tropical storms. A drawbridge linked port Arthur with Pleasure Island. It was replaced by what is now the Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge. In 1929, Governor Dan Moody signed legislation for a seawall system around Port Arthur that included the Rue Des Soldats (Street of the Soldiers) and parks. Due to its low elevation, the city closed the road in 1966, replacing it in 1981 with an improved levee system that included the elevated seawall drive along the historic Sabine-Neches Canal. (2007)

Sabine-Neches Canal is a historical marker in Port Arthur, Jefferson County, dedicated in 2007. It is one of 109 historical markers documented in Jefferson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 137 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.8894, -93.9152 near Port Arthur. The nearest cataloged historic site is The Woodworth House (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Site of Old Aurora, Morris-Booz-White House, and Sparks Settlement Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507014028. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.