1-1                                     1                                  
 1-2                           SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 4
 1-3           WHEREAS, On January 10, 1901, on the Texas Gulf Coast,
 1-4     an oil gusher unlike any the world had ever known blew in at
 1-5     Spindletop, stamping the image of an immense petroleum plume
 1-6     on the opening page of the 20th century; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, Towering more than 100 feet above the plain,
 1-8     the gusher roared for nine days, spilling an estimated 100,000
 1-9     barrels of oil a day across a field near Beaumont; and
1-10           WHEREAS, This spectacular strike, the first salt-dome oil
1-11     discovery in Texas, launched the first oil boom in the state
1-12     and spurred petroleum exploration in Texas and the Southwest;
1-13     Spindletop also ushered in dramatic changes on the upper
1-14     Texas Gulf Coast, as people poured in to develop this and other
1-15     nearby fields, and as an industrial infrastructure of refineries
1-16     and storage facilities, linked by pipelines, rose up in Beaumont,
1-17     Port Arthur, Sabine Pass, and Orange; and
1-18           WHEREAS, For much of the 20th century, petroleum
1-19     production was the driving force in the Texas economy; the
1-20     industry has also enriched the public treasury, in consequence of
1-21     an oil-production tax authorized in 1905, and oil-based wealth has
 2-1     supported major philanthropic donations to the arts, education,
 2-2     scientific research, and local organizations and institutions
 2-3     around the state; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, The availability of cheap petroleum fueled the
 2-5     automobile industry, which in Texas, as elsewhere, precipitated
 2-6     the paving of roads and highways; inexpensive gasoline also led
 2-7     to the mechanization of farm machinery, which increased efficiency;
 2-8     in addition to these pervasive changes, the oil industry left its
 2-9     mark on Texas culture, seeping into books, films, and folklore; and
2-10           WHEREAS, Together with natural gas, oil began to supplant
2-11     coal as the primary fuel in industry, railroads, and shipping;
2-12     within the United States, the discovery at Spindletop broke the
2-13     Standard Oil Company's 40-year monopoly in petroleum production;
2-14     two giant corporations, Texaco and Gulf, had their origins in
2-15     the Spindletop field, and a number of other companies flourished
2-16     there; and
2-17           WHEREAS, Production at Spindletop rose and fell over the
2-18     course of the century:  in its second year, the  field yielded
2-19     17.5 million barrels of oil, but the frenzy of well drilling quickly
2-20     depleted the topmost deposit; in the mid-1920s, discovery of oil
2-21     on the flanks of the salt dome produced another boom, and in 1927
2-22     production peaked at 21 million barrels; additional deposits were
2-23     found in 1951 and in the 1960s, and by 1985 cumulative production
2-24     at the field totaled over 153 million barrels; and
 3-1           WHEREAS, Throughout this centennial year, the
 3-2     Spindletop 2001 Commission, assisted by the Friends of Spindletop,
 3-3     is coordinating a series of projects and events designed to
 3-4     celebrate this historic find, to honor the men and women whose
 3-5     efforts sustained the development of the field, and to spotlight
 3-6     Beaumont as the birthplace of the modern oil industry; and
 3-7           WHEREAS, In addition to the activities scheduled for
 3-8     January 10, 2001, in Beaumont, plans include a film festival
 3-9     and a symposium on the depiction in film of Texas oil and
3-10     those connected with the industry; improvements to the
3-11     Gladys City Boomtown Museum, a re-creation of the Spindletop
3-12     boomtown situated on the campus of Lamar University; an
3-13     interactive museum exhibit at the Texas Energy Museum in
3-14     Beaumont; a curriculum module developed in cooperation with
3-15     the Texas State Historical Association and designed to educate
3-16     55,000 Texas students about the social and economic significance
3-17     of Spindletop; the creation of an overlook with interpretive
3-18     material adjacent to the site of the discovery well, the fabled
3-19     Lucas No. 1; and a reproduction of the Lucas gusher that can be
3-20     activated by visitors; and
3-21           WHEREAS, The discovery of the Spindletop Oil Field was a
3-22     truly pivotal moment in the history of the Lone Star State; the
3-23     developments it set in motion foretold the emergence of the
3-24     modern petroleum industry, a colossus that would change the
3-25     face of Texas and transform the lives of countless millions
 4-1     around the world; now, therefore, be it
 4-2           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
 4-3     77th Legislature, hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary
 4-4     of the discovery of the Spindletop Oil Field, one of the most
 4-5     momentous and legendary events in the annals of our state.
 4-6                                                                 Bernsen
 4-7                                  ______________________________________
 4-8                                          President of the Senate
 4-9                                       I hereby certify that the above
4-10                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
4-11                                  on January 11, 2001.
4-12                                  ______________________________________
4-13                                          Secretary of the Senate
4-14                                  ______________________________________
4-15                                           Member, Texas Senate