Imagine a town built not once, but twice. That is the story of Mont Belvieu. This Texas town has a unique past. It involves oil, explosions, and a community’s resilience.
Mont Belvieu sits where State Highway 146 meets Farm Road 1942. It is slightly north of Interstate Highway 10. The town is about 32 miles east of Houston.
Its story began in 1849. Amos Barber built the first home on a hill. The community became Barbers Hill. Postal officials wanted to avoid confusion with similar names. So, in 1890, the post office opened as Mont Belvieu. Z. T. Winfree became the first postmaster.
Oil changed everything. The Barbers Hill oilfield started commercial production in 1918. The Goose Creek and Dayton Railroad arrived the next year. Mont Belvieu was growing. Marion, Amanda, J. W., and Daisy Williams filed the townsite plat in May 1922. A cotton gin operated from 1924 to 1935. The biggest change was discovering more oil in the late 1920s.
The Great Depression hit hard. But, the Work Projects Administration helped Mont Belvieu weather the storm. A weekly newspaper, the Mont Belvieu Citizen, closed after a short run in 1932. By the mid-1930s, about 30 businesses served the growing oil town. By the 1940s, the town had about 500 residents.
Mont Belvieu incorporated by 1970. The population then was 1,144. By 1980, it grew to 1,730. The town became closely tied to Houston-Baytown. Local industries boomed.
But, growth had a dark side. In 1985, an explosion at a plant threatened the salt dome. This dome stored liquid propane gas. Townspeople wanted petrochemical industries to buy out homes near the plants. By 1990, a dozen corporations bought about 200 families’ homes.
With industry help, Mont Belvieu rebuilt two miles east. The new site included a city hall, seven churches, and a public school. In 1990, the rebuilt town had 1,323 people. By 2000, the population grew to 2,324.
Today, Mont Belvieu is a growing city. The population in 2024 is over 10,000. It is known as the site of the largest underground storage facility for liquefied petroleum gas in the US. The US LPG market pricing relies on Mont Belvieu prices.
Mont Belvieu stands as a testament to community. It shows how a town can rebuild. It also shows how it can adapt after disaster. The story of Mont Belvieu is one of change and resilience.