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