What was at the intersection of 7th Street & Texas Avenue in Port Arthur, Texas? A mystery solved.

Not too many outside of Port Arthur, Texas (or Texas for that matter) know the history or what the nickname behind the 7th Street & Texas Avenue means. This news article will explain what exactly was at the corner of 7th Street & Texas Avenue in Port Arthur, Texas. This news article will answer questions and thoughts people had over the years regarding this intersection.


The corner and intersection of 7th Street & Texas Avenue in Port Arthur was a high traffic zone because 7th Street connected to TX 82 which is a major thoroughfare and highway that connects Port Arthur’s oil fields Sabine Lake towards the Gulf Coast. 

The corner and intersection of 7th Street & Texas Avenue in Port Arthur was also a high traffic zone where all the hustlers sold product. Now this intersection was a high traffic hustle zone where drug dealers and hustlers made their money at.



















This intersection has been given the nickname “Short Texas” by UGK and local citizens. Short Texas was the nickname for the corner and intersection of 7th Street and Texas Avenue. The song Short Texas from the 1992 album UGK - Too Hard To Swallow is a reference to that particular intersection. UGK made several references to this intersection in their earlier albums. UGK made the intersection famous in their song Short Texas from their third album (first album on a major record label) Too Hard To Swallow. That term can be heard all over the album.

Short Texas was birthplace of the word ‘trill’ and birthplace for the “Land Of The Trill”.



What was at the intersection of 7th Street & Texas Avenue was a hotel called Ritz Hotel, ILA Hall, a lodge, and a church called Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church. These are the businesses that were located at the intersection of 7th Street & Texas Avenue.

Ritz Hotel first opened as Ritz Cafe and Hotel in 1921. The hotel operated inside a single story maroon colored brick building. Willard G. Fowler owned and operated Ritz Hotel for many decades. This hotel surrounded a portion of what was once ILA Hall and is currently Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/1126208/)

According to the Port Arthur News newspaper, Ritz Cafe and Hotel started serving liquor in 1940. Willard G. Fowler applied for a liquor permit in August 1940. This hotel was the only hotel in Port Arthur known for selling hard liquor. (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/port-arthur-news-aug-16-1940-p-14/)

“Notice is hereby given that Willard G. Fowler, owner of Ritz Cafe and Hotel, 700 Texas Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas, has applied to the Texas Liquor Control Board for a package store permit under the exceptions provided in Section 5, Art. 667-23a, R. S., Texas. WILLARD G. FOWLER”

However according to The Negro Travelers’s Green Book of 1959, Ritz Hotel is listed as being located at 708 Texas Ave instead of 700 Texas Ave. This could meant that Willard G. Fowler could have purchased additional land or had the addressed changed for his hotel. Since this hotel was located on the black side of town, black patrons frequented this hotel. (Ref: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/The_Negro_Travelers%27_Green_Book_1959.pdf)

Curley Adams. Jr. became owner of Ritz Hotel in 1967. This brought forth a few changes some of the buildings around the hotel property were demolished. The maroon colored brick building remained in place while other buildings were demolished such as the manager’s house and a storage building.


Sometime in 2005 is when the maroon colored brick building was demolished. As you can tell, not much remains at all since most of these buildings at this intersection have been demolished. All that remains is Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church.

The former address for Ritz Hotel was 700 Texas Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas, US 77642. The current address of Ritz Hotel is 700 Freeman Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas, US 77642.


Now Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church was formerly the ILA Hall which was built in 1921 as a single story brick building. ILA Hall located in the heart of a black community. The ILA Hall was known as a negro hall. ILA Hall operated for several years. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/1126208/)

Sweet D’s Pool Hall was set up inside the former church in 1991. A man named “L.A.” operated Sweet D’s Pool Hall with Curley Adams, Jr. for a number of years. The pool hall is where drugs were often distributed and sold to users.

A combination of efforts between local and federal law enforcement agencies resulted in the arrest of a man named “L.A.” who was suspected of distributing drugs from Sweet “D’s” Pool Hall on Port Arthur’s west side in late December 1994. “L.A.” was believed to be a major source in the Houston/Port Arthur trafficking organization which regularly brings in large amounts of narcotics. 8 other people were involved at the time. The other man was arrested in Port Arthur.

The investigation into the hall’s owner and his distributors was ongoing for about 10 months. Officers with the Jefferson County Narcotics Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigations simultaneously executed three federal search and arrest warrants in Port Arthur. Both men were charged with felony conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. (Ref: https://portarthurnews.newspaperarchive.com/port-arthur-news/1994-12-23/page-3/)

According to the Port Arthur News newspaper, the ILA Hall was condemned after the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas entered an Order of Forfeiture condemning and forfeiting the property in 1995. Exactly the property was forfeited is unknown. (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/port-arthur-news-nov-19-1995-p-30/)

[IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS BEAUMONT DIVISION UNITED STATES OF AMERICA vs. CURLEY ADAMS, JR. { NO. 1:95-CR-2(1) NOTICE OF FORFEITURE }

Notice is hereby given that on September 18. 1995 in the case of United States of America c. Curley Adams. Jr., Criminal No. 195-CR-2(1), the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas entered an Order of Forfeiture condemning and forfeiting the following property located at 723 Texas Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas, to the United States of America: The property is all that lot or parcel of land. together with Its buildings, improvements, fixtures, attachments and easements located at 723 Texas Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas, said property belonging to Curley Adams, Jr., more particularly described as follows A tract of land out of the B B B & C R R Co. Survey, Pat #346, in Jefferson County, Texas deserted as follows BEGINNING at a point 1590 feet South 40 deg West, and 150 feet South 50 deg East from tire West corner of Lot Number Seven (7), In Block Number Seventy-five (75), of the City of Port Arthur, Texas, at the corner of Eighth Street and Houston Avenue, as per the recorded plat of said City, THENCE first course. South 40 deg West, 50 feet, THENCE second course. South 50 deg East. 100 feet to the North line of the Texarkana & Fort Smith right-of-way; THENCE third course]

A business called Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church was incorporated on the date of 1/9/1997. Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church purchased the property from Curley Adams. Jr. in 1997. The church began operations shortly after. (Ref: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_tx/0142910201)

According to records from Enriched Real Estate, a person named Casey Sitter is currently the owner of this church. This person has this property designed specifically as a lodge (Property type: Lodge). The City of Port Arthur purchased the property from Casey Sitter in 2006. The City of Port Arthur became the owner of the former church. (Ref: https://www.enrichedrealestate.com/723-Freeman-Ave-Port-Arthur-TX-77640/Service/Lodge/)

Enriched Real Estate has the owner name listed as CITY OF PORT ARTHUR; DBA SWEET DS POOL HALL. In 2015, Sweet D’s Pool Hall was set up inside the former church again. The City of Port Arthur owned the property while Sweet D’s Pool Hall leased from them hence their name being listed under the owner name. (Ref: https://www.enrichedrealestate.com/723-Freeman-Ave-Port-Arthur-TX-77640/Service/Lodge/Id=6909347)

Today the City of Port Arthur currently owns this church. A few windows have been boarded up since 2016. Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church is also home to Master Billy Kelley’s School of Martial Arts and Black Tigers Karate. 

The former address for ILA Hall was 723 Texas Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas, US 77642. The current address of ILA Hall is 723 Freeman Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas, US 77642.