79R9080 MMS-D

By:  Hopson                                                     H.C.R. No. 111



CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, The East Texas Oil Museum is celebrating two 
momentous milestones on October 3, 2005--the 25th anniversary of 
the museum's opening and the 75th anniversary of the discovery of 
the East Texas Oil Field, the largest and most productive field in 
the contiguous 48 states; and
	WHEREAS, After promoting several unsuccessful drilling 
ventures in the area, which had been deemed barren by major oil 
companies, C. M. "Dad" Joiner, working with geologist Dr. A. D. 
Lloyd and driller Ed Laster, brought in the Daisy Bradford No. 3 in 
Rusk County on October 3, 1930; news of the strike sparked a massive 
boom, and as other wells were quickly sunk it was discovered that 
the field stretched over five counties; although the major 
companies signed leases in the region, it was independent oil men 
such as H. L. Hunt who chiefly developed the field in its early 
years; and
	WHEREAS, The East Texas Oil Museum was conceived by Al Hill, a 
son-in-law of Mr. Hunt's, as a means of honoring that gentleman and 
his achievements, together with preserving the history of the East 
Texas Oil Field, celebrating the free enterprise system, and paying 
tribute to the independent oil men who pioneered the discovery and 
development of the giant oil reservoir; and
	WHEREAS, After discussions among Margaret Hunt Hill, her 
husband, Al Hill, and Dr. Randolph Watson, president of Kilgore 
College, it was decided to build the museum on the Kilgore College 
campus; the choice was a fitting one, for the town of Kilgore had 
served as the center of the East Texas oil boom; construction of the 
facility was financed by the Hunt-owned Placid Oil Company, which 
also created an endowment to support the museum's operation; and
	WHEREAS, On October 3, 1980, the Honorable William P. 
Clements, Jr., governor of Texas, officially dedicated the 
multimillion-dollar facility as Margaret and Al Hill and other Hunt 
family members looked on, joined by dozens of individuals from the 
oil industry and thousands of citizens from throughout the region; 
and
	WHEREAS, The spectacular museum quickly became a cornerstone 
of tourism in East Texas, and it hosted its one-millionth visitor in 
1987; the museum has also garnered numerous accolades, and on 
October 3, 1986, the Texas Historical Commission presented the 
prestigious Texas Award for Historic Preservation to Placid Oil 
Company for making the facility possible; and
	WHEREAS, Over the years, the East Texas Oil Museum has drawn 
the attention of individuals from around the world who are 
interested in building an oil museum in their own cities; moreover, 
the East Texas Oil Museum staff and Docents Guild take great pride 
in the institution's role as a teaching facility; each year it hosts 
some 10,000 schoolchildren from across the region, in addition to 
numerous college and university classes; and
	WHEREAS, Museum staff have also worked with movie makers and 
individuals from public television in the production of such 
documentary films as The Wildcatters, The Prize, and Suicide 
Mission, as well as with Clint Eastwood's company in the making of 
the Hollywood film The Stars Fell on Henrietta, starring Academy 
Award-winner Robert Duvall; and
	WHEREAS, For a quarter of a century, the East Texas Oil Museum 
has transported visitors back to the heady, tumultuous times of the 
region's 1930s-era oil boom, while playing a crucial role in 
preserving the history and culture of that extraordinary period; 
now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas 
hereby commemorate the silver anniversary of the opening of the 
East Texas Oil Museum and the diamond jubilee of the discovery of 
the East Texas Oil Field and extend to all those associated with the 
museum sincere best wishes for a grand and memorable celebration.