Beaumont is flaaaaaat

On the surface, Beaumont is flat and—geographically, at least—about as interesting as a parking lot. The first settlers of record, in 1824, were named Noah and Nancy Tevis, and their settlement was called Tevis Bluff. The name must have been either a joke or a reference to a gambling strategy, because the elevation in Beaumont ranges from a few inches above sea level to a whopping twenty-two feet. Texans brag about how big everything out there is, but I have to say, no self-respecting Tennessean would even think of using the word "bluff" to describe a landscape you could scarcely stub your toe on.

Dr. Bill Bass & Jon Jefferson, Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science (New York: HarperCollins, 2007), p. 214