Griffing Park, Port Arthur, Texas

Griffing Park is an area of Port Arthur, Texas, United States that used to be a separate city in Jefferson County.

In 1929 Port Arthur began its attempts to annex Griffing Park, which incorporated on November 13 of that year. In 1983 Port Arthur annexed Griffing Park. Handbook of Texas describes the 1983 merging process as "kicking and screaming."

Consolidation official, marks ‘step forward’

At precisely 10:30 a.m .on February 01 of 1983, the quiet and normal procedures of City Council chambers were broken by the sound of a telephone. “ Mayor Sadler,” the voice on the other end said. It was City Secretary Carolyn Dixon, calling from the secretary of state s office in Austin. Her voice sounded strong and sure. “ I have this morning officially filed papers" for consolidation of Griffing Park and Port Arthur, she said, and added, “ I have received certification from the Secretary of State.” It was done. The years of battling between Port Arthur and her sister town. Griffing Park, had officially come to an end A round of enthusiastic applause broke out in the filled Council chambers as Port Arthur Mayor Berms Sadler hung up the phone, smiling “The area is moving forward when we unify ourselves,” Sadler said. He spoke of division in Port Arthur that has existed and has been most obvious during the Port Arthur/Griffing Park skirmish. “We build little fences around ourselves and the rest of the world runs by,” he said. This consolidation, he concluded, will be a way to help end all that. William McNeil, who until today was mayor of Griffing Park, made comments after the historic phone call. Surrounding himself with former Griffing Park city officials, he joked that he had "just been elected citizen.” "This tim e yesterday I was a little more than citizen,” he said. He said he was happy about the moment just passed, and said “ confrontation . .. this time has come out good.” Former Griffing Park town aldermen, standing with McNeil, had their comments. too. Merle Murphy, now the former treasure for Griffing Park, said she was happy to be a citizen of Port Arthur, and Gloria Britain, who served as city secretary, said she will "cooperate in every way." The aldermen and McNeil will remain in the limelight for at least five years, said Sadler, as advisors to Port Arthur. Sadler said the advisory committee is necessary for "communication” between the two entities. Similar councils were used in Lakeview and Pear Ridge after they too consolidated with Port Arthur.

FROM THE FEBRUARY 01,1983 PORT ARTHUR NEWS

Consolidation put into operation

Like the anti-climactic feeling that comes after an elaborate wedding, the furor surrounding the Port Arthur/Griffing Park consolidation has all but ended. The official announcement of the merger was announced Tuesday during the regular Port Arthur City Council meeting am id speeches, smiles and applause But the honeymoon is a short-lived one, and the gutsy work that will make consolidation of the two municipalities a reality is continuing a t a steady pace. Officials of both cities m et at 2 p.m . Tuesday at the Grifting Park town hall to begin the tedious underpinnings that will make the merger a solid one. Bank accounts and court cases must be transferred from Griffing Park to Port Arthur. Problem s must be identified and now handled by the Port Arthur City Council. Port Arthur must now -and will -assume both the assets and liabilities of Griffing Park , said City Manager George Dibrell. Money in the Grifting Park treasury must now be transferred to Port Arthur’s bank account. Griffing Park ’s debts will also be assumed by Port Arthur. Dibrell said Tuesday those include a $30,000 note incurred as part of an interim financing arrangement caused this year when tax rolls were held up. Port Arthur also now assumes the $250,000 note received by Griffing Park from the Texas Water Development Board for upgrading of the town’s sewer system . Dibrell explained further. “ The assets will be passed over from the town to the city ,” he said. “ If there a recurs or similar equipment, the various departments of the city will assume control.” As of 10:30 a.m . Tuesday, Port Arthur police units were patrolling the streets of Griffing Park , and Port Arthur fire department employees were checking the water pressure in the fire hydrants Fire hydrant problems, as well as those in the sewer and water systems, will be referred to Port Arthur’s maintenance department for attention and rep air. An advisory council made up of the former Griffing Park aldermen has been established to help in the transformation phase of the consolidation.

Goodbye to Gritting Park: Former Griffing Park Mayor William McNeil speaks after formal announcement from Austin of consolidation. He is flanked by former council members Bob Meeker, left, Jim Minner (former mayor-pro-tem), Doris Logsdon, Merle Murphy and Gloria Britain. The consolidation between Griffing Park and Port Arthur complete, there have been some concerns expressed over the preservation of town landmarks. Some of those landmarks in question are the old water tower and the signs that welcome passers-by to Griffing Park William McNeil, the former mayor of Griffing Park, chuckled noticeably Tuesday at the Port Arthur City Council meeting when asked when the welcome signs would come down. “Well, never!” he said blithely, yet firmly. “ Those signs . . . we’re not going to take them down!” McNeil is right. City Manager George Dibrell said Tuesday that under the consolidation plan, It was agreed that the identity of Griffing Park would remain . . . as a symbol of the history of the town and its existence. The signs, Dibrell said, will stay. On the question of the water tower, Dibrell said Port Arthur maintenance crews will inspect it and paint it if necessary. But again, it stays. A symbol it is and a symbol it will remain. PA police begin new coverage Police protection for Griffing Park got a boost Tuesday at 10:30 a m. when Port Arthur patrol units began manning the streets, heralding the continuation of transition work in that department. Police Chief James Newsom said maps detailing Griffing Park streets had been passed on to police officers some time ago, so that when City Secretary Carolyn Dixon’s announcement came over the phone Tuesday, the troops were ready to roll. On the specifics of transition, Newsom said only two Griffing Park police officers were eligible employees for the Port Arthur police force. At the present time, he said, one of them has been hired, but only as a trainee and not as a sworn officer. The other, he said, is still under consideration for hire and is not a trainee as yet. Both the new trainee and the tentative employee, if accepted, must go through the police academy at Lamar University before they become sworn officers of the police department, he said. The two GP police cars will be assumed by the Port Arthur squad, Newsom said. One will probably be put in the detective division, he said, while the other “is in bad shape and may be scrapped.” Newsom said a I-man patrol car will travel Griffing Park’s streets 24-hours a day, and said a supervisor may patrol at times. “They will get ample police protection out there, probably more than they had before,” Newsom said. Newsom said he has been given authorization by City Manager George Dibrell to hire five additional people in the police department to meet some of the needs that will or have been presented by the consolidation. Three civilian personnel will be hired for jobs now held by regular sworn officers, Newsom said. The civilians will work at the complaint desk, in the identification department and in the property room, said the police chief. “That will free some of our sworn officers up so they can be on the streets,” the chief said.

THANKS TO PORT ARTHUR NEWS ARCHIVES AND STAFF WRITER WITH THE PORT ARTHUR NEWS SUE WILLIAMS. (more to come)

Education

Griffing Park is within the Port Arthur Independent School District.

External links

• Griffing Park, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online