By Danburg                                            H.R. No. 1317

         75R17412 BNL-D                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, The recent Capitol restoration project uncovered a

 1-2     century-old artesian well on the southeast grounds of the Capitol,

 1-3     and this rediscovery of a unique piece of our statehouse's grand

 1-4     history is truly deserving of special recognition; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, For many years after its completion in 1890, the

 1-6     well served as a critical source of water for the Capitol,

 1-7     providing  drinking water for weary guests and serving as a

 1-8     reliable irrigation source for the Capitol grounds; a grotto and at

 1-9     least one other artificial pond were fed by the spring, and its

1-10     water was also used to power the building's hydraulic lifts that

1-11     preceded modern elevators; and

1-12           WHEREAS, Tapping into the Trinity aquifer, the well was part

1-13     of what geologists refer to as "the artesian epoch" in Texas

1-14     history, a period during the late 19th century when hundreds of

1-15     such wells were drilled throughout the state; the Capitol's

1-16     artesian well was such a success that the state was able to stop

1-17     purchasing water from Austin's City Water Company for a time, and

1-18     until the completion of Lake Travis in the 1930s, the Capitol well

1-19     provided much-needed potable water to Austin residents when

1-20     droughts or floods compromised the city's public water supply; and

1-21           WHEREAS, Because of its high mineral content, the well

1-22     yielded  drinking water that was a bit too stout and sulphurous for

1-23     refined tastes, but many hailed the potent drink as a medicinal

1-24     wonder; in addition, the well enabled scientists to monitor the

 2-1     water level and quality of the Trinity aquifer, which feeds the

 2-2     growing areas of Dallas-Fort Worth, Waco, and the Texas Hill

 2-3     Country; and

 2-4           WHEREAS, Unfortunately, this lost piece of Capitol history

 2-5     was discovered too late for inclusion in the recent restoration

 2-6     project, but the State Preservation Board, at the urging of

 2-7     interested hydrogeologists, citizens, and legislators, has fitted

 2-8     the well with a temporary cap to permit future restoration; such a

 2-9     project would greatly enhance the extensive work that has been done

2-10     on the Capitol grounds, and future visitors may well have the

2-11     opportunity to drink from the well that played such a pivotal role

2-12     in the development of this great building; now, therefore, be it

2-13           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

2-14     Legislature hereby recognize the historical significance of the

2-15     artesian well on the southeast grounds of the Capitol.