In 1883 E. C. Ogden and J. J. Crichion founded the "Beaumont Iron Works, comprised of a foundry, machine shop, pattern shop, and all auxiliary departments.... Their business extends all over the Southwest and many parts of Louisiana...."
Following completion of Beaumont's first electric power plant in 1889, one source revealed that: "...Beaumont Iron Works presents a most active appearance at night throughout their many buildings.... They carry a large stock of iron pipe, fittings, valves, pumps, boilers, steam engines, and shaftings. They have made a specialty of casting chilled iron rail car wheels...."
Also in 1883, O. B. Greeves opened a machine shop at Orange, and he added a foundry and general iron works in 1885. Also included were "3 moulders, steam driven lathes, drills, milling machine, etc. Greeves Iron Works makes dry kilns and log cars for sawmills and special castings, including car wheels for the tram and railroads, consuming 11,000 pounds of pig iron weekly...." (New Orleans Times-Democrat, Mar. 22, 29, 1889)
As of Feb., 1888, J. J. Crichion was president of Beaumont Iron Works and E. C. Ogden was secretary-treasurer. In 1889 O. B. Greeves of Orange bought out Crichion's controlling interest, and vowed to continue to enlarge the plant. A 1900 article observed:
"...Beaumont Iron Works is located southwest of Southern Pacific Depot on Laurel, and does all kinds of iron work, making both small and large castings. The machine shops are complete; the foundry has made many castings and other machines for the massive dredge boat and derrick barges working on the jetties. The plant is operated day and night to keep up with its orders. It employs 50 men, paying liberal salaries to all...."
In July, 1899, a new business, the Fletcher and Boykin Iron Works, was founded in Beaumont, but the name was soon changed to Neches Iron Works, when E. A. Fletcher bought out his partner. The firm was not nearly as large as its local competitor, but it still performed a variety of castings and general machine and repair work. Rail sidings entered both of the iron works, which did a variety of repairs and services for the locomotives and box cars. (Galv. Daily News, Feb. 18, 1888; Sabine Pass News, May 5, 1900)
The presence of well-equipped iron works in Beaumont also contributed to the founding of other metal-processing companies. The Beaumont Car Works was completed in June, 1991, to build box cars for the railroads, which was an effort to alleviate the perennial car shortages experienced by the sawmills. Another firm founded in 1891 was the Beaumont Exhaust and Blow Pipe Company.
The eruption of oil at Spindletop on Jan. 10, 1901 brougnt many more changes to Beaumont's metal-working industry. Suddenly the oil field needed lumber for derricks, oil tankage, and housing. The two Beaumont iron works plants received orders for castings, metal tanks, oil field boilers, etc., which included the first "Christmas tree" used to cap the Lucas gusher. Another company made wooden and steel oil storage tanks at its plant.
Truly Beaumont's earliest iron-processing industry was spawned by the sawmills and railroads, but luckily it was also there to accommodate the needs of Spindletop's oil entrepreneurs.
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