Considerable acreages of rice were grown in southeast Texas as early as 1853 by William Goyens and in Beaumont in 1863 by David French. The latter is
often considered the first major rice farmer in Texas. Modern commercial production in Texas derived largely from the completion of the southern
transcontinental railroad in 1883 and its acquisition by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1885, coupled with the availability of cheap land on
the coastal prairies, the introduction of modern rice mills, and an influx of immigrants from Louisiana
-Photo through the car window while traveling at 75 mph (120 km/h) Don't worry! Tom was driving.-