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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, February 27, 2007, is a day of celebration for |
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residents of Kilgore who have gathered at the State Capitol to share |
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their justifiable pride in their beloved hometown; and |
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WHEREAS, Present in the chamber on this day are the following |
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community leaders: Mike and Diana Coston, Jimmy and Sharon |
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Breedlove, Roland Velvin, Dr. Charles Whiteside, Kenneth and Norma |
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Plunk, Sammy and Cherisa York, Carolyn Johnston, Gene Keenon, Lisa |
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Denton, Donna and Ricky Beets, Jim and Ricki Oubre, Darryl |
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Stratton, Bill Gibbs, Bobby and Sherry Bustin, Carol Windham, |
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Harvey and Donna McClendon, Jimi and Tamera Mankins, Patty Ford, |
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Rodney Bell, Jeff Howell, Dr. Bill Holda, Carol Hinton, and Mike |
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Wilcox; and |
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WHEREAS, The history of their city can be traced to 1871, when |
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the site was first settled by soldier, lawyer, and judge |
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Constantine Buckley "Buck" Kilgore; the International-Great |
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Northern Railroad laid track through the area the following year, |
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and when Judge Kilgore sold the railroad his land the town of |
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Kilgore was born; and |
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WHEREAS, Kilgore was a quiet center for cotton farming until |
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1930, when Marion "Dad" Joiner's famous Daisy Bradford No. 3 well in |
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neighboring Rusk County resulted in a gusher; by 1931, the newly |
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discovered East Texas Oil Field was producing 1 million barrels of |
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oil a day, and almost overnight sleepy Kilgore became a boomtown; up |
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to 1,100 oil wells were drilled within the city limits of Kilgore |
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itself and on the city block known as the "World's Richest Acre" |
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stood the greatest concentration of oil derricks in the world; and |
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WHEREAS, From its role as one of the oil field's most |
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important production and distribution hubs, Kilgore's population |
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swelled from under 500 in 1930 to 12,000 by 1936; speculators, |
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roughnecks, lease hounds, and camp followers soon poured into town, |
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and by 1931 Governor Ross Sterling declared martial law and called |
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in the Texas Rangers to restore order; and |
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WHEREAS, Oil continues to be important to Kilgore today, with |
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the presence of such companies as Halliburton Energy Services, |
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Weatherford International, Inc., the Hanover Company, and Key |
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Energy Services; manufacturing is also a significant part of |
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Kilgore's diverse economy, with such employers as the Skeeter Boats |
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division of Yamaha Motor Company, the Southern Plastics Division of |
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Alcoa CSI, and General Dynamics/VertexRSI; and |
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WHEREAS, Kilgore is one of the most important educational and |
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cultural centers in East Texas; Kilgore College is not only a fine |
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two-year college, providing adult and online education, but is also |
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home to the Texas Shakespeare Festival, the East Texas Oil Museum, |
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and the famous Kilgore Rangerettes, the world's first women's |
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precision drill team; and |
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WHEREAS, Thanks to the efforts of the Kilgore Historical |
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Preservation Society, 60 replica oil derricks throughout the town |
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help remind residents and visitors of Kilgore's lively boomtown |
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history; decorated with Christmas lights and stars every year from |
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Thanksgiving until New Year's Day, the derricks helped the city |
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earn its title as the state's official "City of Stars"; and |
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WHEREAS, One of the most storied towns in the Lone Star State, |
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Kilgore celebrates its colorful past while looking forward to a |
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dynamic future, and it is indeed appropriate to take this |
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opportunity to honor it; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby recognize February 27, 2007, as Kilgore Day at the State |
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Capitol and extend best wishes to the visiting delegation for an |
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enjoyable and informative stay in Austin. |