Port Arthur is The Cajun Capital of Texas
We’re the official Cajun Capital of Texas, cher!
As long as we can remember, we’ve called ourselves The Cajun Capital of Texas. And for good reason. As of June 2023, the Texas Legislature voted and we’re happy to announce, we’re official.
Texas Legislature’s Resolution H.C.R. No. 61
Community leaders, community members and Cajun Capital supporters joined Visit Port Arthur and the Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce to secure this fitting designation. City proclamations, letters of support, several capitol visits and lots of votes later, we’re announcing what we knew all along!
Port Arthur became “Port-Are-Ture”
Cajuns flocked to Port Arthur from 1927 when the Great Mississippi Flood brought farmers looking for black gold. Big refineries meant big jobs here in Southeast Texas. Our coastline, bayous, rivers and marshlands allowed Cajuns to provide for their families while living the same bayou lifestyle reminiscent of their years spent in southern Louisiana – just across the Causeway Bridge on Pleasure Island. The Cajuns settled here and brought with them their language, music, lifestyle, Cajun food and joy de vivre.
Visit Port Arthur’s Alligator Wedding
The Port Arthur Convention and Visitors Bureau has used the Cajun Capital phrase in marketing efforts clear back to the ’70s to describe the historical, cultural and modern makeup of Port Arthur and Sabine Pass. Alli and Elli Gator have fallen in love and exchanged wedding vows in front of motorcoach tourists since 1980 while enjoying multi-course meals and that famous Cajun Cake by our very own Cajun Queen, Esther Benoit.
Ça C’est Bon (That’s Good)
We know the French appeared in Novia Scotia and ventured to Louisiana and the Acadians became Cajuns. When they converged in Port Arthur, Port Arthur’s coastal economy was just right for what they brought to Texas. They were finally where they needed to be.
Resolutions and Proclamations
Government talk has a lot of “whereases” and fancy language. Here’s where we break it down and just tell you what we are proud to convey:
- Port Arthur’s coastal economy and appetite is fueled by the shrimping industry serving and sales of Cajun delicacies such as crawfish, gumbo and boudain that bring joy to restauranteurs, shopkeepers, residents and visitors.
- Residents have been two-stepping and toe-tapping for generations to Cajun, Zydeco and Creole music, including that from Harry Choates, called “Godfather of Cajun Music’ and “The Fiddle King of Cajun Swing.” Choates lived in and is buried in Port Arthur, and his 1946 recording of “Jolie Blon” is considered iconic. On his tombstone is written, “left us with his Cajun Music in our hearts forever.”
Letting the Good Times Roll
- These new Lone Star lovers set their hearts to work in fields, refineries and myriad occupations. They still celebrate good family times with events such as Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas — founded in Port Arthur and first celebrated in 1993 – and Cajun Heritage Festival in Port Arthur. There were fais do do house parties and family-style Cajun dancing at the historic Rodair Club and Larry’s French Market and Cajun Cafeteria. The desire remains to “laissez les bon temps rouler,” or “let the good times roll.”
- The lowly washboard, patented in 1833 and sometimes used as a percussive instrument, reached international status in Cajun Zydeco music. It fused with Creole music. Clifton Chenier and metalworker Willie Landry designed the wearable frottoir in 1946 when they worked at Port Arthur’s Texaco Refiner. This wearable board frottior, (FWA-TVJAH) meaning “to rub” in French, is considered one of the few musical instruments invented entirely in the United States. Chenier received a Grammy for his music and his brother, Cleveland, commenced to creating music on these boards using bottle openers.
- The rich and reedy notes of the accordion are known to waft from dance halls, crawfish boils and back porches, with many of these instruments made by local, Jude Moreau.
Sabine Pass Shares in the Story
- The fishing village of Sabine Pass, a neighborhood of Port Arthur, was the home of world-class restaurant “Granger’s Seafood” founded and operated from 1927 until it was destroyed by fire in 1958.
- In the deep darkness of the era known as Prohibition, on the back ridge of the Port Arthur suburb called Sabine Pass, Cajun extraordinaire and whiskey smith Jack LaBove would emerge to bring light into the darkness by establishing two historic distilleries to produce his much sought-after libations that were hailed as “the best corn and rye whiskeys in the region.”
Crawfish Racing and the Judice Family
Former State Senator Carl A. Parker introduced Port Arthur Days in Austin, with Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce members and Cajuns gathering at the capitol, and proposed Jim Braud and A.J. Judice as Crawfish Racing Commissioners, and that the days grew into ever-larger events dubbed Golden Triangle Days in Austin.
- Port Arthur supporters and Allie and Ellie Gator themselves have for years have filled the capitol with fiddle music, Esther Benoit’s legendary gumbo from Esther’s Seafood, the famous restaurant open for decades under the towering Rainbow Bridge, and Cajun esprit de corps during Golden Triangle Days in Austin in support of legislative action to benefit our community.
- Personalities including A.J. Judice, “The Crazy Frenchman” became ambassadors of Cajun Culture; and Judice’s mother, Lariza “Maw Maw” Judice and family opened Judice’s French Market in 1927 in their single car garage becoming the first store in Texas to sell life crawfish and hot boudain, and other seafood said to have “slept in the Gulf last night” and extended family operated Judice’s French Market in nearby Groves; and the family is credited with making crawfish season as popular as football season in Port Arthur; and Texas Gov. Preston Smith appointed him as Texas Crawfish Racing Commissioner.
Got Gators?
- Port Arthur’s coastal marshes and wetlands provide a home one of the state’s highest concentration of alligators to sun themselves, and these wetlands are a bridge away, connecting Jefferson County, Texas to Cameron Parish, Louisiana
- The heritage of this culture’s early life in the area is displayed with an Acadian home display at Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur and in our neighboring towns of Nederland, via La Maison des Acadienne in Nederland in Port Neches, at La Maison Beausoliel.
Welcome and Bienvenue – Port Arthur is all about the Cajuns!
Port Arthur is a city of diverse cultures, Mexican-American, Vietnamese, African-American, Italian, etc each celebrating their own proud identity. These cultures continue to include the “bon ami” or “good friend” welcoming relationship of the Cajun culture to all residents and visitors as they “laissez les bons temps rouler,” or “let the good times roll.” Collectively, we are proud to be the Cajun Capital of Texas, and we hope to welcome you to our celebratory Cajun Party soon!
