Nederland, Texas
Encyclopedia
Nederland is a city in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Texas
Jefferson County is a county located in the state of Texas, United States. As of 2000, the population was 252,051. Its county seat is Beaumont, and it is named for the former U.S...

, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 17,547 at the 2010 census.

The city is adjacent to the Southeast Texas Regional Airport
Southeast Texas Regional Airport
Jack Brooks Regional Airport , is a public airport located near Port Arthur, Texas, United States, nine miles southeast of the central business district of Beaumont and northeast of Port Arthur...

 in Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...

, which serves the nearby cities of Beaumont
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...

 and Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...

. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area
Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area
The Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Area is defined by the United States Census Bureau as a three-county region in Southeast Texas, east of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The area is also known as the Golden Triangle...

. Also referred to as the "Golden Triangle Area, due the triangular shape the bordering cities make.

Geography

Nederland is located at 29°58′23"N 93°59′48"W (29.973113, -93.996715).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²), of which, 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²) of it is land and 0.18% is water.

History

Nederland was founded in 1897 by Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 settlers (Nederland is the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

 name for "The Netherlands" or "Low lands")as a repayment for financial services of Dutch bankers who financed the Kansas City Southern railroad line that runs through the center of the city. The more prominent families were named Rienstra, Doornbos and Van Oostrom, and their descendants still live in the area today. Tradition says they were attracted to the flat coastal terrain that reminded them of their homeland (although the heat most certainly did not). The downtown area bears its English and Dutch street names still today.

Nederland's early economy was driven by rice and dairy farming. However, the depression of 1907 and overproduction caused the rice industry in the town to collapse. Many Dutch settlers moved away from the area during this time, but a small percentage remained. After the Spindletop
Spindletop
Spindletop is a salt dome oil field located in the southern portion of Beaumont, Texas in the United States. The Spindletop dome was derived from the Louann Salt evaporite layer of the Jurassic geologic period. On January 10, 1901, a well at Spindletop struck oil . The new oil field soon produced...

 gusher discovery of 1901 and the establishment of the Sun Oil terminal near Nederland, the town became a residential community for the workers of the nearby oil terminals.

Nederland became incorporated as a township in 1940. The surrounding larger cities of Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...

 came to be known as the Golden Triangle
Golden Triangle (Texas)
The Golden Triangle is an area of Southeast Texas between the cities of Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange. The "golden" refers to the wealth that came from the Spindletop oil strike in Beaumont in 1901...

. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Port of Beaumont was as important as New Orleans or Houston/Galveston, and Nederland thrived as a result.

The refineries also attracted a large population of blue-collar
Blue-collar worker
A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled, manufacturing, mining, construction, mechanical, maintenance, technical installation and many other types of physical work...

 laborers into the area. The area drew particularly heavily from southern Louisiana, and a strong Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...

 flair is evident throughout the community. With the decline of oil prices in the 1980s, the local economy suffered and Nederland experienced slight population losses, but has stablized in the late 1990s and 2000s.

On September 23, 2005, Nederland was hit by Hurricane Rita, a category 3 hurricane.

On September 13, 2007, Nederland was hit by Hurricane Humberto, "no tropical cyclone in the historic record has ever reached this intensity at a faster rate near landfall" reported by the National Hurricane Center. The eye of the hurricane passed over the city.

On September 13, 2008, Nederland was hit by hurricane-force winds of Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...

.

Historical Buildings Past/Present

The Orange Hotel was built in November of 1897 , was eventually abandoned and torn down around 1912.

Nederland Pharmacy- opened in 1902

Langham Elementary was originally built where the current elementary's playground. The current Langham building was built in 1940.

Setzers Hardware was built in 1898 as a rice storage facility and still stands today.

Attractions

The Dutch Windmill Museum is an authentic replica of a Dutch windmill and was created to honor the settlers from Holland that founded Nederland. It was built in 1969 and contains donated items from Nederland's history. The museum is located in Tex Ritter Park on Boston Avenue in the downtown area.
The Le Maison De Acadiens house is a replica of houses used by early French settlers of the area, many who still have descendants living in the region. It is located next to the Windmill Museum.

The Nederland Heritage Festival began on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the town in 1973 as part of the city's Diamond Jubilee and has become known area wide and attracts over 100,000 people over the week of festivities, and includes multiple events during the week.

Economy

According to the City of Nederland's 2010 Annual Financial Report the top employers in the city are:
Ranking Employer # of Employees
1 Nederland Independent School District
Nederland Independent School District
Nederland Independent School District is a public school district based in Nederland, Texas .In addition to Nederland, the district also serves the communities of Central Gardens and portions of Port Neches and Port Arthur....

 
674
2 Equistar Chemical 275
3 Phillpott Motors  215
4 Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...

 
132
5 City of Nederland  104
6 Promise Hospital Healthcare  76
7 Sun Oil Co.  69
8 Unocal  65
9 Air Liquide
Air Liquide
L'Air Liquide S.A., or Air Liquide , is a major French company supplying industrial gases and services to various industries including medical, chemical and electronic manufacturers. Founded in 1902, it is first in the world market in its field, now operating in over 80 countries. It is...

 
40


Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

 of 2010, there were 17,547 people, 7,122 households, and 4,944 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 3,063.2 people per square mile (1,182.2/km²). There were 7,226 housing units at an average density of 1,270.5 per square mile (490.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.8% White, 4% African American, 0.33% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 3.4% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.7% of the population.

There were 7,122 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.3 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $53,231, and the median income for a family was $61,149. Males had a median income of $43,691 versus $25,457 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $26,285. About 5.4% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Primary and Secondary Schools

The city is served by the Nederland Independent School District
Nederland Independent School District
Nederland Independent School District is a public school district based in Nederland, Texas .In addition to Nederland, the district also serves the communities of Central Gardens and portions of Port Neches and Port Arthur....

.
The schools in Nederland include four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.

The four elementary schools are:
  • Langham Elementary School
  • Helena Elementary School
  • Highland Park Elementary School
  • Hillcrest Elementary School


The two middle schools are:
  • C.O.Wilson Middle School
  • Central Middle School


The one high school is Nederland High School
Nederland High School
Nederland High School is a 4A high school located in Nederland, Texas, USA and is part of the Nederland Independent School District which covers a portion of eastern Jefferson County.In 2009, the school was rated "Academically Acceptable" by the...

. http://www.nederland.k12.tx.us/

Lamar University

Lamar University
Lamar University
Lamar University, often referred to as Lamar or LU, is a comprehensive coeducational public research university located in Beaumont, Texas, United States. Lamar confers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher...

 is located in nearby Beaumont, Texas and offers four-year degrees in multiple deciplines, including Engineering, Business, Nursing, Art and Science.

Lamar Institute of Technology

Lamar Institute of Technology
Lamar Institute of Technology
Lamar Institute of Technology is a public technical school in Beaumont, Texas. LIT was formerly a part of Lamar University, but became a separate institution when the university joined the Texas State University System in 1995.- Accreditation :...

 offers two-year degrees and certifications for the region, as well as paths to four-year degrees at other universities.

Lamar Port-Arthur

Lamar Port-Arthur is located in Port Arthur,Texas south of Nederland and offers two-year degrees with degree paths leading to four-year degrees at Lamar University.

City Government

Nederland is a Council-Manager system
. Current City officials are:

Mayor: R. A. "Dick" Nugent

Mayor Pro Tem: Bert Rogers

Councilmember : Billy Neal

Councilmember : Talmadge Austin

Councilmember : Don Albanese

City Manager : Christopher Duque

State Government

Alan Ritter : State Representative for District 21, District office is located in Nederland.

Tommy Williams: State Representative for District 4, Based in the Woodlands, Texas

US Government

Ted Poe: United States Representative for the 2nd District of Texas

Kay Bailey Hutchison United States Senator

John Cornyn United States Senator

The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

 Nederland Post Office is located at 223 North 14th Street.

Road travel

Nederland is served by US 69/US 287/US 96, SH 347 and FM 365. Approximately 15 miles north is Interstate 10
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...

 which serves as a main East -West corridor from Florida to California.

US 69/287/96 runs along the west side of Nederland, from Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...

 to Beaumont and merges with I 10.

Texas 347 runs along the east side of Nederland from Port Arthur to Beaumont and merges with US 69/287/96.

| runs along the south side of Nederland from Port Neches to Winnie and merges with I 10.


Air Travel

Nederland is served by the Southeast Texas Regional Airport
Southeast Texas Regional Airport
Jack Brooks Regional Airport , is a public airport located near Port Arthur, Texas, United States, nine miles southeast of the central business district of Beaumont and northeast of Port Arthur...

 located on the west side of the city. This airport serves as a link to airports in Houston and Dallas.

Natives

  • Clay Buchholz
    Clay Buchholz
    Clay Daniel Buchholz pitches for the Boston Red Sox of major league baseball. On September 1, 2007, in just his second major league start, he recorded a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles, becoming the third MLB pitcher since 1900 to throw a no-hitter in his first or second start...

    , professional baseball player for Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

    's Boston Red Sox
    Boston Red Sox
    The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

  • Davy Arnaud
    Davy Arnaud
    Davy Arnaud is an American soccer player who currently plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-College:Arnaud played college soccer at West Texas A&M University from 1999 to 2001, finishing his career with 31 goals and 11 assists...

    , professional soccer player for Major League Soccer
    Major League Soccer
    Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

    's Kansas City Wizards
    Kansas City Wizards
    Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...

  • Walt Davis, 1952 Olympics
    1952 Summer Olympics
    The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...

     gold medalist in the high jump
  • Kendrick Perkins
    Kendrick Perkins
    Kendrick Perkins is an American professional basketball player who plays as a center for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA....

    , professional basketball player of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder
    Oklahoma City Thunder
    The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....

  • Bum Phillips
    Bum Phillips
    Oail Andrew "Bum" Phillips is a retired American football coach and the father of Wade Phillips, the Defensive Coordinator for the Houston Texans...

    , former NFL head coach whose son Wade Phillips
    Wade Phillips
    Wade Allen Phillips is the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans and former head coach for the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills. He was also an interim head coach for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons...

     was the head coach
    Head coach
    A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

     of the Dallas Cowboys
    Dallas Cowboys
    The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

  • Tex Ritter
    Tex Ritter
    Woodward Maurice Ritter , better known as Tex Ritter, was an American country music singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting...

     (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974), American country singer and actor and the father of actor John Ritter
    John Ritter
    Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...

  • Lance Watson
    Lance Watson
    Lance Watson is an American soccer player currently playing for Austin Aztex in the USSF Division 2 Professional League.-College and Amateur:...

    , professional soccer player for Major League Soccer
    Major League Soccer
    Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

    's Kansas City Wizards
    Kansas City Wizards
    Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...

  • Brian Sanches
    Brian Sanches
    Brian Sanches is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Florida Marlins.In 1996, Sanches graduated Nederland High School in Texas where he played baseball, basketball, football, and ran track. Sanches attended Lamar University in Texas where he played for the Lamar Cardinals Baseball team...

     , pitcher for the MLB's Florida Marlins
    Florida Marlins
    The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...

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