Birthplace of Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Babe's father, Ole, was a seaman and carpenter, and her mother, Hannah, had been an accomplished skater in Norway, according to the Handbook of Texas. The family left Port Arthur for Beaumont in 1915. The president of the Port Arthur Historical Society told the Port Arthur News that her brothers lived on Seventh Street until the 1915 hurricane and flood, then moved to higher ground. In Beaumont, Ole built rustic gymnasium equipment in the backyard, where the children became skilled performers with their parents' encouragement.

What the plaque says

Birthplace of Babe Didrikson Zaharias (June 26, 1911 - September 27, 1956) One of seven children, Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson was the daughter of Norwegian immigrants Hannah Marie (d. 1945) and Ole Didrikson (d. 1943). For the first several years of her life, the family occupied a frame house at this location. Later they moved to Beaumont. The Didriksons encouraged their children to develop their natural athletic abilities. Called "Baby" by her family, Mildred was later nicknamed "Babe" for baseball star Babe Ruth. Babe first demonstrated her athletic skill as a high school basketball star. After training in track and field events, she won two gold medals at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. An exceptionally versatile athlete, Babe excelled in baseball, bowling, tennis, and other sports. Eventually she concentrated her efforts on golf and won many tournaments as both an amateur and a professional. The Associated Press named her the "Woman Athlete of the First Half of the 20th Century." In 1938 Babe married George Zaharias. Popular with sports fans for her skill and personality, she won further admiration during a long and courageous battle against cancer. She died in Galveston and was buried in Beaumont. (1979)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Museum of the Gulf Coast — 1.1 mi
  Port Arthur's regional museum in a former bank building: fossils, Native Americans, the petroleum story, a 125-foot history mural and Halls of Fame for musicians, athletes and artists.
• Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site — 11 mi
  A waterfront park at the mouth of the Sabine where the earthwork of Fort Griffin stood, with a Dowling statue, a Union memorial, wartime magazines and a walkway for fishing.
• Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum — 14 mi
  A re-created oil boomtown on the Lamar University campus, with a derrick, period shops, a 1941 granite monument and an optional re-enactment of the January 1901 Lucas gusher.
• Sea Rim State Park — 14 mi
  Texas's far southeast corner: nearly two miles of Gulf shoreline backed by 4,000 acres of marsh, reached by boardwalk or paddle trail, rebuilt after Rita and Ike.

More markers nearby

• Pompeiian Villa — 0.4 mi
• Federated Women's Clubs of Port Arthur — 0.4 mi
• Gates Memorial Library — 0.6 mi
• Port Arthur College — 0.6 mi