H.R. No. 558
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, March 1, 2005, is a day of celebration at the State
Capitol, where residents of Kilgore are gathering to share their
justifiable pride in their beloved hometown; and
WHEREAS, Surrounded by the lush green pine forests and clear
blue lakes of East Texas, Kilgore was founded as a railroad stop in
the 1870s, and was named for Constantine Buckley "Buck" Kilgore, a
farmer, sawmill operator, and federal judge; and
WHEREAS, On October 3, 1930, Columbus "Dad" Joiner struck oil
on the Daisy Bradford No. 3, thus discovering the East Texas
oilfield, a Woodbine sand reservoir measuring 42 miles in length
and averaging 10 miles in width and covering more than 400 square
miles in five counties; and
WHEREAS, With the success of the Lou Della Crim in December of
that same year, Kilgore was established as the center of the East
Texas oilfield, and the town's population grew more than tenfold
during that period; and
WHEREAS, Kilgore's stature as a petroleum producer assumed
new importance during World War II, as the area's fuel production
was instrumental in the Allied victory; as a reminder of this
contribution, the more than 60 oil derricks that dot the town's
skyline are crowned with stars, prompting Kilgore's official
designation as the Texas City of Stars; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, Kilgore has continued to grow in
both size and stature while retaining the small-town friendliness
and sense of community for which it is known; and
WHEREAS, In addition to its importance as a location for
higher learning, Kilgore College is also home to two of the city's
most beloved institutions, the world-famous Kilgore Rangerettes
drill team and the East Texas Oil Museum; and
WHEREAS, Created through the generosity of the Placid Oil
Company and the children of the late H. L. Hunt, the museum honors
Mr. Hunt and his achievements, preserves the history of the East
Texas oilfield, celebrates the free enterprise system, and pays
tribute to the independent oilmen who pioneered the discovery and
development of the oilfield; and
WHEREAS, The year 2005 is a festive one indeed for Kilgore, as
it marks both the silver anniversary of the East Texas Oil Museum
and the diamond anniversary of the discovery of oil in East Texas,
and both events will be celebrated at numerous events throughout
the year by members of the Kilgore community; and
WHEREAS, Among those visiting Austin on this special day are
Roland and Amy Velvin, Mike and Diana Coston, Perry and Carolyn
Johnston, Jimmy and Sharon Breedlove, Mike Wilcox, Candace Gast,
Pat Nault, Jerry Roberts, Kenneth and Norma Plunk, Jack Ward,
Harvey McClendon, Bobby Beane, Gene Keenon, Amanda Nobles, Bill
Woodall, Sammy and Cherisa York, the Reverend Frank and Margaret
Mathews, Bob Ellzey, Wayne McDougal, Dr. Bill Holda, Randy and Ann
Brogoitti, and Tim Vaughn; and
WHEREAS, These proud Texans, like their fellow Kilgore
residents, look forward to what lies ahead for this remarkable
city, for they know that Kilgore is possessed of a future every bit
as bright as its past is colorful; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 1, 2005, as Kilgore Day at the
State Capitol and extend sincere best wishes to all those
associated with this memorable event.
Merritt
Craddick Geren Menendez
Allen of Harris Giddings Merritt
Allen of Dallas Gonzales Miller
Alonzo Gonzalez Toureilles Moreno of Harris
Anchia Goodman Moreno of El Paso
Anderson Goolsby Morrison
Bailey Griggs Mowery
Baxter Grusendorf Naishtat
Berman Guillen Nixon
Blake Haggerty Noriega
Bohac Hamilton Oliveira
Bonnen Hamric Olivo
Branch Hardcastle Orr
Brown of Kaufman Harper-Brown Otto
Brown of Brazos Hartnett Paxton
Burnam Hegar Pena
Callegari Herrero Phillips
Campbell Hilderbran Pickett
Casteel Hill Pitts
Castro Hochberg Puente
Chavez Hodge Quintanilla
Chisum Homer Raymond
Coleman Hope Reyna
Cook of Navarro Hopson Riddle
Cook of Colorado Howard Ritter
Corte Hughes Rodriguez
Crabb Hunter Rose
Crownover Hupp Seaman
Davis of Harris Isett Smith of Tarrant
Davis of Dallas Jackson Smith of Harris
Dawson Jones of Lubbock Smithee
Delisi Jones of Dallas Solis
Denny Keel Solomons
Deshotel Keffer of Dallas Strama
Driver Keffer of Eastland Straus
Dukes King of Parker Swinford
Dunnam King of Zavala Talton
Dutton Kolkhorst Taylor
Edwards Krusee Thompson
Eiland Kuempel Truitt
Eissler Laney Turner
Elkins Laubenberg Uresti
Escobar Leibowitz Van Arsdale
Farabee Luna Veasey
Farrar Madden Villarreal
Flores Martinez Vo
Flynn Martinez Fischer West
Frost McCall Wong
Gallego McClendon Woolley
Gattis McReynolds Zedler
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 558 was adopted by the House on March
1, 2005, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House