HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, On March 27, 2001, residents from Kilgore are
1-2 gathering in Austin to celebrate Kilgore Day at the State Capitol;
1-3 and
1-4 WHEREAS, Established in 1872 when the International-Great
1-5 Northern Railroad built a line between Longview and Palestine,
1-6 Kilgore is uniquely situated in the Piney Woods of East Texas and
1-7 is named for Constantine Buckley Kilgore, who was a delegate at the
1-8 Constitutional Convention of 1875 and served as a state senator and
1-9 U.S. congressman from the area; Kilgore is on the Green Carpet
1-10 Route and is located in the Texas-Louisiana border region; the city
1-11 is 60 miles from Shreveport, Louisiana, and 120 miles east of
1-12 Dallas; and
1-13 WHEREAS, In its infancy, the city relied on its cotton crops
1-14 to spur its economy; Kilgore underwent a dramatic transformation in
1-15 1930 with the discovery of the East Texas oilfield, which helped to
1-16 spark a boom that would see more than 1,100 oil-producing wells
1-17 spring up in the city; one block of downtown Kilgore had the
1-18 greatest concentration of derricks in the world and came to be
1-19 known as the "World's Richest Acre"; and
1-20 WHEREAS, Today, the city has a multifaceted economy that
1-21 revolves around petroleum, manufacturing, government, mining,
1-22 tourism, and various other business enterprises; and
1-23 WHEREAS, Kilgore features such diverse attractions as the
1-24 East Texas Oil Museum, the World's Richest Acre Park, and Kilgore
2-1 College; the home of the Kilgore Rangerettes, who are world
2-2 renowned for their trademark high-kick routines, the college is
2-3 also the site of the popular Rangerette Showcase; in addition, at
2-4 9:42 a.m. on Wednesday, June 10, 1998, the East Texas Oil Museum
2-5 welcomed its one millionth visitor; moreover, Laird Memorial
2-6 Hospital celebrated its 50th anniversary in March 2001; and
2-7 WHEREAS, Kilgore is the home of James M. Logan, who was the
2-8 first recipient of the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor and a
2-9 recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor; it is also the home
2-10 of Van Cliburn, a world-renowned pianist who received the Texas
2-11 Medal of Arts Lifetime Achievement Award on March 20, 2001; along
2-12 those same lines, former Kilgore resident Wayne Bell, who attended
2-13 Kilgore Heights Elementary School with Van Cliburn and took piano
2-14 lessons from Van Cliburn's mother, was accorded the Texas Medal of
2-15 Arts Award in architecture on March 20, 2001; and
2-16 WHEREAS, The citizens of Kilgore are embracing the myriad
2-17 challenges and opportunities of the future while continuing to
2-18 build on their colorful history and rich culture; it is indeed most
2-19 appropriate that Kilgore and its fine citizens be recognized for
2-20 their contributions and accomplishments at this time; now,
2-21 therefore, be it
2-22 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-23 hereby designate March 27, 2001, as Kilgore Day at the State
2-24 Capitol and extend sincere best wishes to the delegation here today
2-25 for an enjoyable and memorable visit.
Merritt
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 229 was adopted by the House on
March 27, 2001, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 229 was adopted by the Senate on
March 27, 2001, by a viva-voce vote.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________________
Date
__________________________
Governor