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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Public-spirited citizens of Kilgore are gathering |
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in Austin on March 2 and 3, 2009, to celebrate Kilgore Days at the |
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State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Present in the chamber on this occasion are |
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community leaders Mr. and Mrs. Sammy York, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth |
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Plunk, Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Hale, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Coston, Theresa |
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Ferguson, Tammy Ritter, B. J. Owens, Amanda Nobles, Barbara |
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Garrett, Mr. and Mrs. Kent Bryson, Gerey Dillinger, Gene Keenon, |
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Dr. Charles Whiteside, Jeff Howell, Randy Brogoitti, Mr. and Mrs. |
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Harvey McClendon, and Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Bell; and |
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WHEREAS, Set among the lush pinewoods of East Texas, Kilgore |
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was founded in 1872 along the International-Great Northern Railroad |
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and named after community leader Constantine Buckley "Buck" |
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Kilgore, a state senator and Confederate veteran; and |
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WHEREAS, Initially the town developed as a center for cotton |
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farming, and it thrived until the onset of the Great Depression, |
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when its population abruptly fell by half; the discovery of oil in |
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1930, however, turned the hard-pressed community into a lively |
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boomtown; within six years, Kilgore's population swelled from 500 |
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to 12,000; at the peak of the boom, there were 1,100 oil wells |
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within the city limits; one downtown block, known as the "World's |
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Richest Acre," held the greatest concentration of oil derricks in |
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the world at the time; and |
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WHEREAS, Today Kilgore is an important center for both the |
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oil and high-tech industries, with such major employers as |
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Halliburton Energy Services, General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies, |
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Skeeter Products, and Exterran having a presence in the city; and |
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WHEREAS, Kilgore College is the educational and cultural hub |
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of the area; home to the Texas Shakespeare Festival and the famous |
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Kilgore Rangerettes, reputed to be the world's first women's |
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precision drill team, the campus is also host to the East Texas Oil |
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Museum, where the history of the oil boom of the 1930s is colorfully |
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re-created through exhibits and dioramas; another notable |
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attraction is the exciting new baseball franchise, the East Texas |
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Pump Jacks of the Texas Collegiate League, which played its |
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inaugural season in 2008; and |
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WHEREAS, The community has honored its colorful past with the |
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placement of 60 replica oil derricks throughout the town; each |
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holiday season, the derricks are decorated with Christmas lights |
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and stars, helping Kilgore to earn the title "City of Stars"; and |
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WHEREAS, Celebrating their rich history as they prepare to |
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meet the opportunities that lie ahead, the citizens of Kilgore are |
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justifiably proud of their community, and it is a privilege to honor |
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their contribution to the story of the Lone Star State; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby declare March 2 and 3, 2009, as Kilgore Days at the State |
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Capitol and extend best wishes to the visiting delegation for an |
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enjoyable and memorable stay in Austin. |