Current and historic US Highway ends in Port Arthur TX
Additional research and/or photo credits: Nathan Edgars; Stephen
Taylor
| Highway | Approx. time period |
|---|---|
| US 59 | 1934-1939 |
| US 69 | 1935-present |
| US 96 | 1939-present |
| US 287 | 1939-present |
US 59 was commissioned in 1934 to run from the Canada border to Port Arthur. The US 69 designation arrived the next year, south from Kansas City. Then in 1939, US 59 was rerouted to go south and west from Tenaha (as it does today), so US 96 was commissioned to replace the old segment of US 59 between Tenaha and Port Arthur. That same year, the US 287 designation was extended into Texas. It meets US 69 at Woodville, and is co-signed with it to Port Arthur. So, although US 59 was the first of the federal routes to serve Port Arthur, it's also the only US route that was ever removed from there.
Initially, highway traffic between Beaumont and Pt. Arthur used the road that is today designated as TX hwy. 347 (Twin City Highway). In the Griffing Park neighborhood, the route did a couple jogs and traffic ended up heading south on 9th Avenue, reaching TX hwy. 87 at 16th Street (now known as Gulfway Drive). This route was probably used by US 59 and US 69, but that didn't last long: today's road (Woodworth Boulevard/Memorial Boulevard) was built between 1935 and 1938. So US 96 and US 287 probably never used the old route.
But that uncertainty is not relevant to the question of endpoints, because initially the US routes did not end at their junction with TX 87. Instead, they turned southwest on Gulfway and headed towards the downtown area, co-signed with TX 87. After almost three miles, the US route designations ended at Houston Avenue, while TX 87 continued southwest out of town. The map below illustrates this:
TXDoT,
c. 1961
At the time of that map, US 69/96/287 came in on Woodworth (at upper right), but then you can see how traffic was directed to turn onto 16th (today's Gulfway). The * at far left marks where the US designations ended. Why at Houston? Probably because that road provides access to the downtown area, the courthouse, and city hall. In fact, for a time there was a signed business loop off Gulfway, formed by Houston, Procter Street, and Woodworth.
This first photo shows the last southbound signage on the route:
Taylor,
2000
That's heading southeast on Woodworth. That particular location would be more appropriate for a "JCT TX 87" sign, because the traffic signal just beyond is where the US routes end at Gulfway. At far left you might just be able to make out a blue hospital sign; that's shown closeup below, along with additional signage there:
Taylor,
2000
Today that's where US 69/96/287 ends. But as the map above shows, the routes used to turn right on Gulfway. The shot below shows where they originally ended at Houston:
Google Maps Street View,
2008
Not only is that the historic endpoint of US 69/96/287, but it was also the south end of US 59 between 1934-1939. Below we're heading the opposite direction (north on TX 87/Gulfway):
Google Maps Street View,
2008
To the right on Houston was the south beginning of the business loop, and straight ahead is where the US routes began. Continuing ahead about 3 miles, we come the intersection shown below:
Taylor,
2000
The current beginning of US 69/96/287 is to the left on Woodworth. To the right on Woodworth was the north beginning of the business loop.