William Perry Herring McFaddin (1856-1935), known as Perry, was a rancher and early landowner in the early years of Beaumont, Texas

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...

. Under William McFaddin, the McFaddin Ranches of Beaumont reached their greatest extent. 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...

 oil gusher was located on land leased from McFaddin. The site of Port Arthur, Texas

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...

, was purchased from McFaddin by Arthur Edward Stilwell. Former pieces of the McFaddin Ranches now make up Sea Rim State Park

Sea Rim State Park

Sea Rim State Park is a state park in southeast Texas.The park is located on the Gulf of Mexico in southern Jefferson County, south of Port Arthur and just west of Sabine Pass. The park was closed for several years due to extensive damage from Hurricanes Rita and Ike . The park has recently...

, the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge, and the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area. The McFaddin-Ward House

McFaddin-Ward House

The McFaddin-Ward House was built in 1905 - 1906 in the Beaux-Arts Colonial Revival style in Beaumont, Texas. The historic home is and furnishings reflect the lifestyle of the prominent family who lived in the house for seventy-five years...

 was erected on his homestead and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Quotes

"Sister, don't give up the land.
They are not making land anymore."
W.P.H. McFaddin, quoted by Mamie McFaddin Ward
in the Beaumont Enterprise

Beaumont Enterprise

The Beaumont Enterprise is a newspaper of the Hearst Corporation, headquartered in Beaumont. It has been in operation since 1880.In addition to BeaumontEnterprise.com and the daily newspaper, The Enterprise produces several weeklies—the Jasper Newsboy, the Hardin County News, the Mid County...

(Feb. 1961)