R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, On January 10, 1901, on the Texas Gulf Coast, an oil
1-2 gusher unlike any the world had ever known blew in at Spindletop,
1-3 stamping the image of an immense petroleum plume on the opening
1-4 page of the 20th century; and
1-5 WHEREAS, Towering more than 100 feet above the plain, the
1-6 gusher roared for nine days, spilling an estimated 100,000 barrels
1-7 of oil a day across a field near Beaumont; and
1-8 WHEREAS, This spectacular strike, the first salt-dome oil
1-9 discovery in Texas, launched the first oil boom in the state and
1-10 spurred petroleum exploration in Texas and the Southwest;
1-11 Spindletop also ushered in dramatic changes on the upper Texas Gulf
1-12 Coast, as people poured in to develop this and other nearby fields,
1-13 and as an industrial infrastructure of refineries and storage
1-14 facilities, linked by pipelines, rose up in Beaumont, Port Arthur,
1-15 Sabine Pass, and Orange; and
1-16 WHEREAS, For much of the 20th century, petroleum production
1-17 was the driving force in the Texas economy; the industry has also
1-18 enriched the public treasury, in consequence of an oil-production
1-19 tax authorized in 1905, and oil-based wealth has supported major
1-20 philanthropic donations to the arts, education, scientific
1-21 research, and local organizations and institutions around the
1-22 state; and
1-23 WHEREAS, The availability of cheap petroleum fueled the
1-24 automobile industry, which in Texas, as elsewhere, precipitated the
2-1 paving of roads and highways; inexpensive gasoline also led to the
2-2 mechanization of farm machinery, which increased efficiency; in
2-3 addition to these pervasive changes, the oil industry left its mark
2-4 on Texas culture, seeping into books, films, and folklore; and
2-5 WHEREAS, Together with natural gas, oil began to supplant
2-6 coal as the primary fuel in industry, railroads, and shipping;
2-7 within the United States, the discovery at Spindletop broke the
2-8 Standard Oil Company's 40-year monopoly in petroleum production;
2-9 two giant corporations, Texaco and Gulf, had their origins in the
2-10 Spindletop field, and a number of other companies flourished there;
2-11 and
2-12 WHEREAS, Production at Spindletop rose and fell over the
2-13 course of the century: in its second year, the field yielded 17.5
2-14 million barrels of oil, but the frenzy of well drilling quickly
2-15 depleted the topmost deposit; in the mid-1920s, discovery of oil on
2-16 the flanks of the salt dome produced another boom, and in 1927
2-17 production peaked at 21 million barrels; additional deposits were
2-18 found in 1951 and in the 1960s, and by 1985 cumulative production
2-19 at the field totaled over 153 million barrels; and
2-20 WHEREAS, Throughout this centennial year, the Spindletop 2001
2-21 Commission, assisted by the Friends of Spindletop, is coordinating
2-22 a series of projects and events designed to celebrate this historic
2-23 find, to honor the men and women whose efforts sustained the
2-24 development of the field, and to spotlight Beaumont as the
2-25 birthplace of the modern oil industry; and
2-26 WHEREAS, In addition to the activities scheduled for January
2-27 10, 2001, in Beaumont, plans include a film festival and a
3-1 symposium on the depiction in film of Texas oil and those connected
3-2 with the industry; improvements to the Gladys City Boomtown Museum,
3-3 a re-creation of the Spindletop boomtown situated on the campus of
3-4 Lamar University; an interactive museum exhibit at the Texas Energy
3-5 Museum in Beaumont; a curriculum module developed in cooperation
3-6 with the Texas State Historical Association and designed to educate
3-7 55,000 Texas students about the social and economic significance of
3-8 Spindletop; the creation of an overlook with interpretive material
3-9 adjacent to the site of the discovery well, the fabled Lucas No. 1;
3-10 and a reproduction of the Lucas gusher that can be activated by
3-11 visitors; and
3-12 WHEREAS, The discovery of the Spindletop Oil Field was a
3-13 truly pivotal moment in the history of the Lone Star State; the
3-14 developments it set in motion foretold the emergence of the modern
3-15 petroleum industry, a colossus that would change the face of Texas
3-16 and transform the lives of countless millions around the world;
3-17 now, therefore, be it
3-18 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
3-19 Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
3-20 discovery of the Spindletop Oil Field, one of the most momentous
3-21 and legendary events in the annals of our state.
Ritter
_______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 40 was adopted by the House on
January 10, 2001, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House