By Deshotel                                            H.R. No. 133
         76R5086 GMW-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to join
 1-2     the citizens of Port Arthur in the joyous celebration of Port
 1-3     Arthur Day at the Capitol on February 22, 1999; and
 1-4           WHEREAS, Located just nine miles from the Gulf of Mexico in
 1-5     Jefferson County, Port Arthur was founded by Arthur E. Stilwell in
 1-6     1895; a railroad promoter, Mr. Stilwell was looking for a town to
 1-7     serve as the terminus of his railroad connecting Kansas City to the
 1-8     Gulf of Mexico, and the city that came to bear his name seemed
 1-9     ideally situated to serve as both a commercial seaport and a
1-10     tourist resort; and
1-11           WHEREAS, Mr. Stilwell's expansive vision for the city was
1-12     secured in 1901 when the nearby Spindletop eruption ushered in the
1-13     great Texas oilfield boom; by 1914, Port Arthur was the second
1-14     largest oil-refining point in the nation, and the city's motto "We
1-15     Oil the World" continues to hold true, as nearly one million
1-16     barrels of crude oil are refined there each day; and
1-17           WHEREAS, Throughout the years Port Arthur has established an
1-18     enduring commitment to educational excellence, serving as the first
1-19     city in Texas to adopt the 12-grade public school system and as the
1-20     proud home to Lamar University at Port Arthur since 1909, when it
1-21     was founded as Port Arthur College; and
1-22           WHEREAS, With its abundance of both freshwater and saltwater
1-23     fishing sites, Port Arthur has long been hailed as a fisherman's
1-24     paradise, and outdoor enthusiasts enjoy further recreational
 2-1     opportunities at Sea Rim State Park and the McFaddin and Texas
 2-2     Point national wildlife refuges; both of the wildlife refuges are
 2-3     home to a tremendous variety of waterfowl, and the McFaddin Refuge
 2-4     contains one of the densest populations of American alligators in
 2-5     Texas; and
 2-6           WHEREAS, Rich in history and tradition, Port Arthur is a
 2-7     forward-looking community and a leading participant in the state's
 2-8     dynamic growth, and it is truly a pleasure to salute this
 2-9     remarkable city and its people on such an auspicious occasion; now,
2-10     therefore, be it
2-11           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
2-12     Legislature hereby recognize February 22, 1999, as Port Arthur Day
2-13     at the Capitol and join the citizens of that city in paying tribute
2-14     to one of the Lone Star State's finest communities.