document_title: Father's Day

question_text: when was the first father's day observed

question_tokens: when was the first father 's day observed

text: Father's Day

text: History and traditions[edit]

text: Early history[edit]

text: A customary day for the celebration of fatherhood in Catholic Europe is known to date back to at least the Middle Ages, and it is observed on 19 March, as the feast day of Saint Joseph, who is referred to as the fatherly Nutritor Domini ("Nourisher of the Lord") in Catholicism and "the putative father of Jesus" in southern European tradition. This celebration was brought to the Americans by the Spanish and Portuguese, and in Latin America, Father's Day is still celebrated on 19 March. The Catholic church actively supported the custom of a celebration of fatherhood on St. Joseph's day from either the last years of the 14th century or from the early 15th century, apparently on the initiative of the Franciscans.

text: In the Coptic Church, the celebration of fatherhood is also observed on St Joseph's Day, but the Copts observe this celebration on July 20. This Coptic celebration may date back to the fifth century.

text: In the US[edit]

text: Beginnings[edit]

text: Father's Day was not celebrated in the US, outside Catholic traditions, until the 20th century. As a civic celebration in the US, it was inaugurated in the early 20th century to complement Mother's Day by celebrating fathers and male parenting.

text: After Anna Jarvis' successful promotion of Mother's Day in Grafton, West Virginia, the first observance of a "Father's Day" was held on July 5, 1908, in Fairmont, West Virginia, in the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South, now known as Central United Methodist Church.[1] Grace Golden Clayton was mourning the loss of her father, when in December 1907, the Monongah Mining Disaster in nearby Monongah killed 361 men, 250 of them fathers, leaving around a thousand fatherless children. Clayton suggested that her pastor Robert Thomas Webb honor all those fathers.[2][3][4][5]

text: Clayton's event did not have repercussions outside Fairmont for several reasons, among them: the city was overwhelmed by other events, the celebration was never promoted outside the town itself and no proclamation of it was made by the city council. Also, two events overshadowed this event: the celebration of Independence Day July 4, 1908, with 12,000 attendants and several shows including a hot air balloon event, which took over the headlines in the following days, and the death of a 16-year-old girl on July 4. The local church and council were overwhelmed and they did not even think of promoting the event, and it was not celebrated again for many years. The original sermon was not reproduced by the press and it was lost. Finally, Clayton was a quiet person, who never promoted the event and never talked to other persons about it.[3][4][5]

text: Failed attempts at establishing a Father's Day[edit]

text: In 1911, Jane Addams proposed that a citywide Father's Day celebration be held in Chicago, but she was turned down.[6]

text: In 1912, there was a Father's Day celebration in Vancouver, Washington, suggested by Methodist pastor J. J. Berringer of the Irvington Methodist Church. They mistakenly believed that they had been the first to celebrate such a day.[1] They followed a 1911 suggestion by the Portland Oregonian.[6]

text: Harry C. Meek, a member of Lions Clubs International, claimed that he had first come up with the idea for Father's Day in 1915.[1][6] Meek said that the third Sunday in June was chosen because it was his birthday.[6] The Lions Club has named him the "Originator of Father's Day".[1] Meek made many efforts to promote Father's Day and make it an official holiday.[1][6]

text: Establishment of the holiday[edit]

text: On June 19, 1910, a Father's Day celebration was held at the YMCA in Spokane, Washington by Sonora Smart Dodd.[7][8] Her father, the civil war veteran William Jackson Smart, was a single parent who raised his six children there.[7] She was also a member of Old Centenary Presbyterian Church (now Knox Presbyterian Church),[9] where she first proposed the idea. After hearing a sermon about Jarvis' Mother's Day in 1909 at Central Methodist Episcopal Church, she told her pastor that fathers should have a similar holiday to honor them.[7] Although she initially suggested June 5, her father's birthday, the pastors did not have enough time to prepare their sermons, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday in June.[1][6] Several local clergymen accepted the idea, and on June 19, 1910, the first Father's Day, "sermons honoring fathers were presented throughout the city".[10]

text: However, in the 1920s, Dodd stopped promoting the celebration because she was studying at the Art Institute of Chicago, and it faded into relative obscurity, even in Spokane.[11] In the 1930s, Dodd returned to Spokane and started promoting the celebration again, raising awareness at a national level.[12] She had the help of those trade groups that would benefit most from the holiday, for example the manufacturers of ties, tobacco pipes, and any traditional present for fathers.[13] By 1938, she had the help of the Father's Day Council, founded by the New York Associated Men's Wear Retailers to consolidate and systematize the holiday's commercial promotion.[14] Americans resisted the holiday for its first few decades, viewing it as nothing more than an attempt by merchants to replicate the commercial success of Mother's Day, and newspapers frequently featured cynical and sarcastic attacks and jokes.[15] However, the said merchants remained resilient and even incorporated these attacks into their advertisements.[16] By the mid-1980s, the Father's Day Council wrote, "(...) [Father's Day] has become a Second Christmas for all the men's gift-oriented industries."[17]

text: A bill to accord national recognition of the holiday was introduced in Congress in 1913.[18] In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson went to Spokane to speak at a Father's Day celebration[19] and he wanted to make it an officially recognized federal holiday, but Congress resisted, fearing that it would become commercialized.[20] US President Calvin Coolidge recommended in 1924 that the day be observed throughout the entire nation, but he stopped short at issuing a national proclamation.[19] Two earlier attempts to formally recognize the holiday had been defeated by Congress.[19][21] In 1957, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a Father's Day proposal accusing Congress of ignoring fathers for 40 years while honoring mothers, thus "[singling] out just one of our two parents".[21] In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day.[20] Six years later, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.[19][20][21][22]

text: In addition to Father's Day, International Men's Day is celebrated in many countries on November 19 in honor of men and boys who are not fathers.

text: Spelling[edit]

text: In the United States, Dodd used the "Fathers' Day" spelling on her original petition for the holiday,[7] but the spelling "Father's Day" was already used in 1913 when a bill was introduced to the U.S. Congress as the first attempt to establish the holiday,[18] and it was still spelled the same way when its creator was commended in 2008 by the U.S. Congress.[23]

text: Dates around the world[edit]

text: The officially recognized date of Father's Day varies from country to country. This section lists some significant examples, in order of date of observance.

text:
Gregorian calendar

Occurrence
Dates
Country

February 23

 Russia (Defender of the Fatherland Day[24])*

St Joseph's Day

March 19

 Andorra (Dia del Pare)
 Angola
 Belgium (Antwerp)
 Bolivia
 Croatia[25]
 Honduras[26]
 Italy (Festa del papà)
 Liechtenstein
 Mozambique (Dia do Pai)
 Portugal (Dia do Pai)
 Spain (Día del Padre)
  Switzerland (Canton Ticino)

May 7

 Kazakhstan

May 8

 South Korea (Parents' Day)

Second Sunday in May

May 8, 2016
May 14, 2017
May 13, 2018

 Romania[27] (Ziua Tatălui)

Third Sunday in May

May 15, 2016
May 21, 2017
May 20, 2018

 Tonga

Ascension Day

May 5, 2016
May 25, 2017
May 10, 2018

 Germany

First Sunday in June

Jun 5, 2016
Jun 4, 2017
Jun 3, 2018

 Lithuania (Tėvo diena)
  Switzerland

June 5

 Denmark[28] (also Constitution Day)

Second Sunday in June

Jun 12, 2016
Jun 11, 2017
Jun 10, 2018

 Austria
 Belgium

Third Sunday in June

Jun 19, 2016
Jun 18, 2017
Jun 17, 2018
Jun 16, 2019

 Afghanistan
 Algeria
 Albania
 Antigua and Barbuda
 Argentina[29]
 Aruba
 Bahamas
 Bahrain
 Bangladesh
 Barbados
 Belize
 Bermuda
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Brunei
 Burkina Faso
 Cambodia
 Canada
 Chad
 Chile[30]
 China**
 Colombia
 Comoros
 Costa Rica[31]
 Cuba[32]
 Curaçao
 Cyprus
 Czech Republic
 Dominica
 Ecuador
 Ethiopia
 France
 Georgia
 Ghana
 Greece
 Guyana
 Hong Kong
 Hungary
 India
 Ireland
 Isle of Man
 Jamaica
 Japan
 Kenya
 Kuwait
 Laos
 Macao
 Mali
 Madagascar
 Malaysia
 Maldives
 Malta
 Mauritius
 Mexico[33]
 Mozambique
 Myanmar
 Namibia
 Netherlands
 Nigeria
 Oman
 Pakistan
 Panama[34]
 Paraguay
 Peru[35]
 Philippines[36]
 Puerto Rico
 Qatar
 Saint Lucia
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 Saudi Arabia
 Senegal
 Singapore
 Sierra Leone
 Slovakia
 South Africa
 Sri Lanka
 Suriname
 Trinidad and Tobago
 Tunisia
 Turkey
 Uganda
 Ukraine[37]
 United Kingdom[38]
 United States
 Venezuela
 Vietnam
 Zambia
 Zimbabwe[39]

June 17

 El Salvador[40]
 Guatemala[41]

June 21

 Egypt
 Jordan
 Lebanon[42]
 Palestine
 Syria
 United Arab Emirates

June 22

 Guernsey
 Jersey

June 23

 Nicaragua
 Poland

Last Sunday in June

Jun 26, 2016
Jun 25, 2017
Jun 24, 2018

 Haiti

Second Sunday in July

Jul 10, 2016
Jul 9, 2017
Jul 8, 2018

 Uruguay

Last Sunday in July

Jul 31, 2016
Jul 30, 2017
Jul 29, 2018

 Dominican Republic

August 8

 Taiwan
 Mongolia

Second Sunday in August

Aug 14, 2016
Aug 13, 2017
Aug 12, 2018

 Brazil
 Samoa

Last Monday in August

Aug 29, 2016
Aug 28, 2017
Aug 27, 2018

 South Sudan

First Sunday in September

Sep 4, 2016
Sep 3, 2017
Sep 2, 2018

 Australia
 Fiji
 New Zealand
 Papua New Guinea

Second Sunday in September

Sep 11, 2016
Sep 10, 2017
Sep 9, 2018

 Latvia

First Sunday in October

Oct 2, 2016
Oct 1, 2017
Oct 7, 2018

 Luxembourg

Second Sunday in November

Nov 13, 2016
Nov 12, 2017
Nov 11, 2018

 Estonia (Isadepäev)
 Finland (Isänpäivä)
 Iceland
 Norway
 Sweden

November 12

 Indonesia

December 5

 Thailand (The birthday of King Bhumibol)[43]

December 26

 Bulgaria

Hindu calendar

Definition
Sample dates
Country/territory

Bhadrapada Amavasya
(Gokarna Aunsi)

Between August 30 and September 30

   Nepal[44]

Islamic calendar

Occurrence
Sample dates
Country/territory

13 Rajab, Ali Ibn Abi Talib birthday

April 21, 2016
April 10, 2017

 Iran
 Kuwait
 Bahrain
 Iraq
 Oman
 Qatar
 Egypt
 Yemen
 Syria
 Lebanon
 Somalia
 Sudan
 Mauritania

text:
*Officially, as the name suggests, the holiday celebrates people who are serving or were serving the Russian Armed Forces (both men and women). But the congratulations are traditionally, nationally accepted by all fathers, other adult men and male children as well.[citation needed]
**In China during the Republican period prior to 1949, Father's Day on August 8 was first held in Shanghai in 1945.

text: International history and traditions[edit]

text: Argentina[edit]

text: Father's Day in Argentina is celebrated on the third Sunday of June.

text: There have been attempts to change the date to August 24, to commemorate the day on which the Father of the Nation José de San Martín became a father.[29] In 1953, the proposal to celebrate Father's Day in all educational establishments on August 24, in honor of José de San Martín, was raised to the General Direction of Schools of Mendoza Province. The day was celebrated for the first time in 1958, on the third Sunday of June, but it was not included in the school calendars due to pressure from several groups.[45]

text: Schools in the Mendoza Province continued to celebrate Father's Day on August 24, and, in 1982, the provincial governor passed a law declaring Father's Day in the province to be celebrated on that day.[45]

text: In 2004, a proposal to change the date to August 24 were presented to the Argentine Chamber of Deputies as a single, unified project.

text: Aruba[edit]

text: In Aruba, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday.

text: Australia[edit]

text: In Australia, Father's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of September, which is the first Sunday of Spring in Australia, and is not a public holiday. At school, children handcraft their present for their fathers. Consumer goods companies have all sorts of special offers for fathers: socks, ties, electronics, suits, and men's healthcare products. Most families present fathers with gifts and cards, and share a meal to show appreciation, much like Mother's Day.

text: YMCA Victoria continues the tradition of honouring the role fathers and father figures play in parenting through the annual awarding of Local Community Father of the Year in 32 municipalities in Victoria. The Father's Day Council of Victoria annually recognises fathers in the Father of the Year Award.[46]

text: Austria[edit]

text: In Austria, Father's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of June and it is not a public holiday.

text: Belgium[edit]

text: In Belgium, Father's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of June and it is not a public holiday.

text: Brazil[edit]

text: In Brazil Father's Day (Dia dos Pais, in Portuguese) is celebrated three months after Mother's Day, on the second Sunday of August. Publicist Sylvio Bhering picked the day in honor of Saint Joachim, patron of fathers. While it is not an official holiday (see Public holidays in Brazil), it is widely observed and typically involves spending time with and giving gifts to one's father or father figure.

text: Canada[edit]

text: In Canada, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday. Father's Day typically involves spending time with one's father or the father figures in one's life. Small family gatherings and the giving of gifts may be part of the festivities organized for Father's Day.

text: China[edit]

text: In People's Republic of China, the official Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday. This date was set according to international norms.

text: Prior to the People's Republic, when the Republic of China (1912-1949) governed from Nanjing, Father's Day was celebrated on August 8. This was determined by the fact that the eighth (ba) day of the eighth (ba) month makes two "eights" (八八, ba-ba), which sounds similar to the colloquial word for "daddy" (ba-ba，爸爸). It is still celebrated on this date in areas still under the control of the Republic of China, including in Taiwan.

text: Costa Rica[edit]

text: In Costa Rica, the Unidad Social Cristiana party presented a bill to change the celebration of Father's Day from the third Sunday of June to March 19, the day of Saint Joseph.[47] That was in order to give tribute to this saint, who gave his name to the capital of the country San José, Costa Rica, and so family heads will be able to celebrate the Father's Day at the same time as the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker.[31] The official date is still the third Sunday of June.

text: Croatia[edit]

text: In Croatia, according to the Roman Catholic tradition, fathers are celebrated on Saint Joseph's Day (Dan svetog Josipa), March 19. It is not a public holiday.

text: Denmark[edit]

text: In Denmark, Father's Day is celebrated on June 5.[28] It coincides with Constitution Day.

text: Estonia[edit]

text: In Estonia, Father's day ("Isadepäev") is celebrated on the second Sunday of November. It is an established flag day and a national holiday.

text: Finland[edit]

text: In Finland, Father's Day (Isänpäivä, Fars dag) is celebrated on the second Sunday of November. It is an established flag day.

text: France[edit]

text: In France lighter manufacturer "Flaminaire" introduced the idea of father's day first in 1949 for commercial reasons. Director "Marcel Quercia" wanted to sell their lighter in France. In 1950, they introduced "la Fête des Pères", which would take place every third Sunday of June (following the American example). Their slogan « Nos papas nous l'ont dit, pour la fête des pères, ils désirent tous un Flaminaire » (Our fathers told us, for father's day, they all want a Flaminaire). In 1952, the holiday was officially decreed. A national father's day committee was set up to give a prize for fathers that deserved it most (originally, candidates were nominated by the social services of each town hall's/mayor's office); This complements "la Fête des Mères" (Mother's day) which was made official in France in 1928 and added to the calendar in Vichy in 1941.

text: Germany[edit]

text: In Germany, Father's Day (Vatertag) is celebrated differently from other parts of the world.[48] It is always celebrated on Ascension Day (the Thursday forty days after Easter), which is a federal holiday. Regionally, it is also called men's day, Männertag, or gentlemen's day, Herrentag. It is tradition for groups of males (young and old but usually excluding pre-teenage boys) to do a hiking tour with one or more smaller wagons, Bollerwagen, pulled by manpower. In the wagons are wine or beer (according to region) and traditional regional food, Hausmannskost. Many men use this holiday as an opportunity to get drunk.[48] According to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, alcohol-related traffic accidents multiply by three on this day.[49] The tradition of getting drunk is especially prevalent in Eastern Germany.[48]

text: These traditions are probably rooted in Christian Ascension Day's processions to the farmlands, which has been celebrated since the 18th century.[50][51] Men would be seated in a wooden cart and carried to the village's plaza, and the mayor would award a prize to the father who had the most children, usually a big piece of ham.[50] In the late 19th century the religious component was progressively lost, especially in urban areas such as Berlin, and groups of men organized walking excursions with beer and ham.[50] By the 20th century, alcohol consumption had become a major part of the tradition.[50][52] Many people will take the following Friday off at work, and some schools are closed on that Friday as well; many people then use the resulting four-day-long weekend for a short vacation.

text: Haiti[edit]

text: In Haiti, Father's Day (Fête des peres) is celebrated on the last Sunday of June and is not a public holiday. Fathers are recognized and celebrated on this day with cards, gifts, breakfast, lunch brunch or early Sunday dinner; whether enjoying the day at the beach or mountains, spending family time or doing favourite activities .

text: Children exclaim "bonne fête papa", while everyone wishes all fathers "bonne Fête des Pères". (Happy Father's Day)

text: Hong Kong[edit]

text: In Hong Kong, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday.

text: Hungary[edit]

text: In Hungary, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday.

text: India[edit]

text: India traditionally has a two-week celebration since ancient days dedicated to celebrate ancestors called the Pitru Paksha. Father's Day is not celebrated in all of India. But is observed on the same day as the USA, the third Sunday of June by mostly westernized urban centers. The event is not a public holiday. The day is usually celebrated only in bigger cities of India like Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad and others. After this day was first observed in the United States in 1908 and gradually gained popularity,[53] Indian metropolitan cities, much later, followed suit by recognising this event. In India, the day is usually celebrated with children giving gifts like greeting cards, electronic gadgets, shirts, coffee mugs or books to their fathers.

text: Indonesia[edit]

text: In Indonesia, Father's Day is celebrated on November 12 and is not a public holiday. Father's Day in Indonesia was first declared in 2006 in Solo City Hall attended by hundreds of people from various community groups, including people from community of inter-religion communication. Because of its recent declaration, there is not very much hype about the celebration, compared to the celebration of Mother's Day on December 22.

text: Ireland[edit]

text: In Ireland, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday.

text: Israel[edit]

text: In Israel, Father's Day is usually celebrated on May 1 together with Workers' Day or Labour Day.

text: Italy[edit]

text: In Italy, according to the Roman Catholic tradition, fathers are celebrated on Saint Joseph's Day, commonly called Feast of Saint Joseph (Festa di San Giuseppe), March 19. It was a public holiday until 1977.

text: Japan[edit]

text: In Japan, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday.

text: Kazakhstan[edit]

text: Kazakhstan continues the Soviet Union's tradition of celebrating Defender of the Fatherland Day instead of Father's Day like in Russia and other former soviet countries. It is usually called "Men's Day" and it is considered equivalent of Father's Day. In Kazakhstan this day is celebrated on May 7.

text: Kenya[edit]

text: In Kenya, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday.

text: Korea[edit]

text: In South Korea, Parents' day is celebrated on May 8 and is not a public holiday.

text: Latvia[edit]

text: In Latvia, Father's Day (Tēvu diena) is celebrated on the second Sunday of September and is not a public holiday. In Latvia people did not always celebrate this day because of the USSR's influence with its own holidays. This day in Latvia was 'officially born' in 2008 when it was celebrated and marked in the calendar for the first time on September 14 (second September Sunday) to promote the idea that man as the father must be satisfied and proud of his family and children, also, the father is important to gratitude and loving words from his family for devoted to continuous altruistic concerns. Because this day is new to the country it does not have established unique traditions, but people borrow ideas from other country's Father's Day traditions to congratulate fathers in Latvia.

text: Lithuania[edit]

text: In Lithuania, Father's Day (Tėvo diena) is celebrated on the first Sunday of June and is a public holiday.

text: Macao[edit]

text: In Macau, Father's Day (Dia do Pai) is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday.

text: Malaysia[edit]

text: In Malaysia, Father's Day falls on the third Sunday of June.

text: Malta[edit]

text: Malta has followed the international trend and celebrates Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June. As in the case of Mother’s Day, the introduction of Father’s Day celebrations in Malta was encouraged by Frans H Said (Uncle Frans of the children’s radio programmes). The first mention of Father’s Day was in June 1977,[citation needed] and the day is now part of the local events calendar. (The Times of Malta 11 June 2017) ( Il-Mument - Maltese newspaper- 18 June 2017)

text: Mexico[edit]

text: In Mexico, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday.

text: Mongolia[edit]

text: The Mongolian Men's Association began the celebration of Father's Day on 18 March.

text: Nepal[edit]

text: The Newar population (natives of Kathmandu valley) in Nepal honors fathers on the day of kusa aunsi, which occurs in late August or early September, depending on the year, since it depends on the lunar calendar. The Western-inspired celebration of Father's Day that was imported into the country is always celebrated on the same day as Gokarna Aunsi.

text: The rest of the population has also begun to celebrate the Gokarna Aunsi day[54] It is commonly known as Abu ya Khwa Swoyegu in Nepal Bhasa or Buwaako mukh herne din (बुवाको मुख हेर्ने दिन) in Nepali (literally "day for looking at father's face").[44][55] On the new moon day (Amavasya) it is traditional to pay respect to one's deceased father; Hindus go to the Shiva temple of Gokarneswor Mahadev, in Gokarna, a suburb of Kathmandu[56] while Buddhists go to Jan Bahal (Seto Machhendranath or white Tara) temple in Kathmandu.

text: Traditionally, in the Kathmandu Valley, the south-western corner is reserved for women and women-related rituals, and the north-eastern is for men and men-related rituals. The worship place for Mata Tirtha Aunsi ("Mother Pilgrimage New Moon") is located in Mata Tirtha in the south-western half of the valley, while the worship place for Gokarna Aunsi is located in the north-eastern half. This division is reflected in many aspects of the life in the Kathmandu Valley.[57]

text: Netherlands[edit]

text: In the Netherlands, Father's Day (Vaderdag) is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday. Traditionally, as on Mother's Day, fathers get breakfast in bed made by their children and families gather together and have dinner, usually at the grandparents' house. In recent years, families also started having dinner out, and as on Mother's Day, it is one of the busiest days for restaurants. At school, children handcraft their present for their fathers. Consumer goods companies have all sorts of special offers for fathers: socks, ties, electronics, suits, and men's healthcare products.

text: New Zealand[edit]

text: In New Zealand, Father's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of September and it is not a public holiday. Fathers' Day seems to have been first observed at St Matthew's Church, Auckland on 14 July 1929[58] and first appeared in commercial advertising the following year.[59] By 1931 other churches had adopted the day. In 1935 much of Australia moved to mark the day at the beginning of September[60] and New Zealand followed, with a Wellington advert in 1937,[61] a Christchurch Salvation Army service in 1938[62] and in Auckland from 1939.[63]

text: Norway[edit]

text: In Norway, Father's day (Farsdag), is celebrated on the second Sunday of November. It is not a public holiday.

text: Pakistan[edit]

text: Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The Rutgers WPF launched a campaign titled 'Greening Pakistan-Promoting Responsible Fatherhood' on Father's Day (Sunday June 18, 2017) across Pakistan to promote active fatherhood and responsibility for the care and upbringing of children.[64][65] Father's Day is not a public holiday in Pakistan.

text: Peru[edit]

text: In Peru, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday. People usually give a present to their fathers and spend time with him mostly during a family meal.

text: Philippines[edit]

text: In the Philippines, Father's Day is officially celebrated every first Monday of December, but it is not a public holiday.[66] It is more widely observed by the public on the 3rd Sunday of June perhaps due to American influence.

text: Poland[edit]

text: In Poland, Father's Day is celebrated on June 23 and is not a public holiday.

text: Portugal[edit]

text: Father's Day ("Dia do Pai") is celebrated on March 19 (see Roman Catholic tradition below) in Portugal. Father's Day is not a bank holiday.

text: Roman Catholic tradition[edit]

text: In the Roman Catholic tradition, Fathers are celebrated on Saint Joseph's Day, commonly called the Feast of Saint Joseph, March 19, though in certain countries Father's Day has become a secular celebration.[67] It is also common for Catholics to honor their "spiritual father," their parish priest, on Father's Day.[68]

text: Romania[edit]

text: Beginning with 2010, in Romania, Father's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May and it is recognized officially by the state. Out of the 27 states in the European Union, it was the only one without an official Father's Day. Law 319/2009 made both Mother's Day and Father's Day official in Romania, and it was passed thanks to the campaigning from the Alliance Fighting Discrimination Against Fathers (TATA)[27] Romanian Father's day for 2012 was celebrated on May 13.

text: Russia[edit]

text: Russia continues the Soviet Union's tradition of celebrating Defender of the Fatherland Day instead of Father's Day. It is usually called "Men's Day" and it is considered the Russian equivalent of Father's Day.[24]

text: American Samoa and Samoa[edit]

text: In Samoa, Father's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in August, and as a recognised national holiday on the Monday following.

text: Seychelles[edit]

text: In Seychelles, Father's Day is celebrated on June 16 and is not a public holiday.[69]

text: Singapore[edit]

text: In Singapore, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June but is not a public holiday, to celebrate all fathers for their numerous contributions.

text: Slovakia[edit]

text: In Slovakia, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June.It is not a public holiday

text: South Africa[edit]

text: In South Africa, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. It is not a public holiday.

text: South Sudan[edit]

text: In South Sudan, Father's Day is celebrated on the last Monday of August. The president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, proclaimed it before August 27, 2012. First celebrated on August 27, 2012, Father's Day was not celebrated in South Sudan in 2011 due to the country's independence.

text: Spain[edit]

text: Father's Day, El Día del Padre, is observed on the feast day of Saint Joseph, which is March 19.[70] It is celebrated as a public holiday in some regions of Spain.[71]

text: Sri Lanka[edit]

text: Father's Day (In sinhala : Piyawarunge dhinaya, පියවරුන්ගේ දිනය & in Tamil: Thanthaiyar Thinam, தந்தையர் தினம்), is observed on the third Sunday of June. It is not a public holiday. Many schools hold special events to honor fathers.

text: Sudan[edit]

text: In Sudan, Father's Day (عيد الأب), is celebrated on the twenty-first of June.

text: Sweden[edit]

text: In Sweden, Father's day (Fars dag), is celebrated on the second Sunday of November, but is not a public holiday.

text: Taiwan[edit]

text: In Taiwan, Father's Day is not an official holiday, but is widely observed on August 8, the eighth day of the eighth month of the year. In Mandarin Chinese, the pronunciation of the number eight is bā, and the pronunciation is very similar to the character "爸" "bà", which means "Pa" or "dad". The eighth day of the eighth month (bā-bā) is a pun for dad (爸爸 or "bàba"). The Taiwanese, therefore, sometimes refer to August 8 as "Bābā Holiday" as a pun for "Dad's Holiday" (爸爸節) or the more formal "Father's Day" (父親節).

text: Thailand[edit]

text: In Thailand, the birthday of the king, is set as Father's Day.[43] December 5 is the birthday of the late king Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX). Traditionally, Thais celebrate by giving their father or grandfather a canna flower (ดอกพุทธรักษา Dok Buddha Ruksa), which is considered a masculine flower; however, this is not as commonly practiced today. Thai people will wear yellow on this day to show respect for the late king, because yellow is the color of the day for Monday, the day King Bhumibol Adulyadej was born. Thais flood the Sanam Luang, a massive park in front of the palace, to watch the king give his annual speech, and often stay until the evening, when there is a national ceremony. Thais will light candles and show respect to the king by declaring their faith. This ceremony happens in almost every village in Thailand, and even overseas at Thai organizations.

text: It first gained nationwide popularity in the 1980s as part of a campaign by Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda to promote Thailand's royal family.[43] Mother's Day is celebrated on the birthday of Queen Sirikit,[43] August 12.

text: Trinidad and Tobago[edit]

text: In Trinidad and Tobago, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June and is not a public holiday.

text: Turkey[edit]

text: In Turkey, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June and is not a public holiday.

text: United Arab Emirates[edit]

text: In United Arab Emirates, Father's Day is celebrated on June 21, generally coinciding with midsummer's day.

text: United Kingdom[edit]

text: In the United Kingdom Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June.[38] The day does not have a long tradition; The English Year (2006) states that it entered British popular culture "sometime after the Second World War, not without opposition".[72]

text: United States of America[edit]

text: In the USA, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June.[73] Typically, families gather to celebrate the father figures in their lives. In recent years, retailers have adapted to the holiday by promoting greeting cards and gifts such as electronics and tools. Schools (if in session) and other children's programs commonly have activities to make Father's Day gifts. The U.S. Open golf tournament is scheduled to finish on Father's Day, as was the 2016 NBA Finals.

text: Ukraine[edit]

text: In Ukraine, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of September.

text: Venezuela[edit]

text: In Venezuela, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and is not a public holiday. Traditionally, as on Mother's Day, families gather together and have lunch, usually at the grandparents' house. In recent years, families also started having lunch out, and as on Mother's Day, it is one of the busiest days for restaurants. At school, children handcraft their present for their fathers. Consumer goods companies have all sorts of special offers for fathers: electronics, suits, and men's healthcare products.


question_text: who said a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step

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tag: table

text:
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text: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" (Chinese: 千里之行，始於足下; pinyin: Qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐyú zú xià; literally: "A journey of a thousand li starts beneath one's feet") is a common saying that originated from a famous Chinese proverb. The quotation is from Chapter 64 of the Tao Te Ching ascribed to Laozi, although it is also erroneously ascribed to his contemporary, Confucius. This saying teaches that even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point; something which begins with one first step.

tag: p


document_title: Texas oil boom

question_text: what was one way the railroad boom affected texas

text: Texas oil boom

text: Timeframe[edit]

text: Several events in the 19th century have been regarded as a beginning of oil-related growth in Texas, one of the earliest being the opening of the Corsicana oil field in 1894.[5] Nevertheless, most historians consider the Spindletop strike of 1901, at the time the world's most productive petroleum well ever found, to be the beginning point. This single discovery began a rapid pattern of change in Texas and brought worldwide attention to the state.[6]

text: By the 1940s, the Texas Railroad Commission, which had been given regulatory control of the Texas oil industry, managed to stabilize American oil production and eliminate most of the wild price swings that were common during the earlier years of the boom.[7] Many small towns, such as Wortham, which had become boomtowns during the 1920s saw their booms end in the late 1920s and early 1930s as their local economies collapsed, resulting from their dependence on relatively limited petroleum reservoirs. As production peaked in some of these smaller fields and the Great Depression lowered demand, investors fled.[8] In the major refining and manufacturing centers such as Beaumont, Houston, and Dallas, the boom continued to varying degrees until the end of World War II. By the end of the war, the economies of the major urban areas of the state had matured. Though Texas continued to prosper and grow, the extreme growth patterns and dramatic socioeconomic changes of the earlier years largely subsided as the cities settled into more sustainable patterns of growth.[9] Localized booms in West Texas and other areas, however, continued to transform some small communities during the post-war period.[10]

text: Background[edit]

text: Post-Civil War Texas[edit]

text: Following the American Civil War, Texas's economy began to develop rapidly centered heavily on cattle ranching and cotton farming, and later lumber.[11] Galveston became the world's top cotton shipping port and Texas' largest commercial center.[12] By 1890, however, Dallas had exceeded Galveston's population, and in the early 1900s the Port of Houston began to challenge Galveston's dominance.[13]

text: In 1900 a massive hurricane struck Galveston, destroying much of the city.[14] That and another storm in 1915 shifted much of the focus from investors away from Galveston and toward nearby Houston, which was seen as a safer location for commercial operations. Because of these events, the coming oil boom became heavily centered on the city of Houston both as a port and a commercial center.[15]

text: Early history of petroleum[edit]

text: In the 1850s, the process to distill kerosene from petroleum was invented by Abraham Gesner. The demand for the petroleum as a fuel for lighting around the world quickly grew.[16] Petroleum exploration developed in many parts of the world with the Russian Empire, particularly the Branobel company in Azerbaijan, taking the lead in production by the end of the 19th century.[17]

text: In 1859, Edwin Drake of Pennsylvania invented a drilling process to extract oil from deep within the earth.[18] Drake's invention is credited with giving birth to the oil industry in the U.S. The first oil refiner in the United States opened in 1861 in Western Pennsylvania, during the Pennsylvanian oil rush.[19] Standard Oil, which had been founded by John D. Rockefeller in Ohio, became a multi-state trust and came to dominate the young petroleum industry in the U.S.[20]

text: Texans knew of the oil that lay beneath the ground in the state for decades, but this was often seen more as a problem than a benefit because it hindered the digging of water wells. Rancher William Thomas Waggoner (1852–1934),[21] who later became an influential oil businessman in Fort Worth, struck oil while drilling for water in 1902. He was quoted as having said, "I wanted water, and they got me oil. I tell you I was mad, mad clean through. We needed water for ourselves and for our cattle to drink."[22]

text: Despite the earlier negative associations with oil among many ranchers and farmers, demand for kerosene and other petroleum derivatives drove oil prospecting in Texas after the American Civil War at known oil-producing springs and accidental finds while drilling for water.[5][23] One of the first significant wells in Texas was developed near the town of Oil Springs, near Nacogdoches. The site began production in 1866.[24] The first oilfield in Texas with a substantial economic impact was developed in 1894 near Corsicana.[25] In 1898, the field built the state's first modern refinery.[25] The success of the Corsicana field and increasing demand for oil worldwide led to more exploration around the state.[25]

text: Mechanization[edit]

text: In 1879, Karl Benz was granted the first patent on a reliable gasoline-powered engine in Germany.[26] In 1885, he produced the first true gasoline automobile, the Benz Patent Motorwagen.[27] The new invention was quickly refined and gained popularity in Germany and France, and interest grew in the United Kingdom and the United States. In 1902, Ransom Olds created the production line concept for mass-producing lower-cost automobiles.[28] Henry Ford soon refined the concept so that by 1914, middle-class laborers could afford automobiles built by Ford Motor Company.[29]

text: Automobile production exploded in the U.S. and in other nations during the 1920s. This, and the increasing use of petroleum derivatives to power factories and industrial equipment, substantially increased worldwide demand for oil.[30]

text: Growth of "Big Oil"[edit]

text: Spindletop[edit]

text: After years of failed attempts to extract oil from the salt domes near Beaumont, a small enterprise known as the Gladys City Oil, Gas, and Manufacturing Company was joined in 1899 by Croatian/Austrian mechanical engineer Anthony F. Lucas, an expert in salt domes. Lucas joined the company in response to the numerous ads the company's founder Pattillo Higgins placed in industrial magazines and trade journals.[31] Lucas and his colleagues struggled for two years to find oil at a location known as Spindletop Hill before making a strike in 1901. The new well produced approximately 100,000 barrels of oil per day, an unprecedented level of production at the time.[32] The 1902 total annual production at Spindletop exceeded 17 million barrels. The state's total production in 1900 had been only 836,000 barrels. The overabundance of supply led oil prices in the U.S. to drop to a record low of 3 cents per barrel, less than the price of water in some areas.[33]

text: Beaumont almost instantly became a boomtown with investors from around the state and the nation participating in land speculation. Investment in Texas speculation in 1901 reached approximately $235 million US (approximately $6.77 billion in present-day terms).[32] The level of oil speculation in Pennsylvania and other areas of the United States was quickly surpassed by the speculation in Texas. The Lucas gusher itself was short-lived; production fell to 10,000 barrels per day by 1904.[32] The strike, however, was only the beginning of a much larger trend.[5]

text: Discoveries spread[edit]

text: Exploration of salt domes across the plains of the Texas Gulf Coast took off with major oil fields opening at Sour Lake in 1902, Batson in 1903, Humble in 1905, and Goose Creek (modern Baytown) in 1908.[5] Pipelines and refineries were built throughout much of Southeast Texas, leading to substantial industrialization, particularly around Houston and the Galveston Bay. The first offshore oilfield in the state opened in 1917 at Black Duck Bay on the Goose Creek field, although serious offshore exploration did not begin until the 1930s.[34]

text: Initially, oil production was conducted by many small producers. The early exploration and production frenzy produced an unstable supply of oil, which often resulted in overproduction. In the early years, a few major finds led to easy availability and major drops in prices, but were followed by limited exploration and a sudden spike in prices as production dwindled. The situation led exploration to spread into the neighboring states of Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas, who competed with Texas for dominance in oil production.[35] The strike at Glenn Pool near Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1905 established Tulsa as the leading U.S. oil production center until the 1930s.[36] Though Texas soon lagged behind Oklahoma and California, it was still a major producer.[37]

text: During the late 1910s and 1920s, oil exploration and production continued to expand and stabilize. Oil production became established in North Texas, Central Texas, the Panhandle, and the Permian Basin in western Texas.[5] The finds in North Texas, beginning with the 1917 strike in Ranger west of Dallas-Fort Worth, were particularly significant, bringing substantial industrialization to the area.[38] Texas soon became dominant as the nation's leading oil producer. By 1940, Texas production was twice that of California, the next largest U.S. producer.[35][39]

text: In 1930, Columbus Marion Joiner, a self-educated prospector, discovered the East Texas Oil Field, the largest oil discovery that had ever been made.[40] Because East Texas had not been significantly explored for oil before then, numerous independent prospectors, known as "wildcatters", were able to purchase tracts of land to exploit the new field. This new oil field helped to revive Dallas's economy during the Great Depression, but sharply decreased interest in West Texas as the new supply led to another major drop in oil prices. The uncontrolled production in the eastern field destabilized the state's oil industry, which had been trying to control production levels to stabilize prices.[40] Overproduction in East Texas was so great that then-governor Ross Sterling attempted to shut down many of the wells. During one of the forced closures, he ordered the Texas National Guard to enforce the shutdown. These efforts at controlling production, intended to protect both the independent operators and the major producers, were largely unsuccessful at first and led to widespread oil smuggling. In the later 1930s, the federal government intervened and brought production to sustainable levels, leading to a stabilization of price fluctuation.[41] The income provided by the stabilization allowed less populated West Texas and the Panhandle to be more fully explored and exploited.[5]

text: Emergence of an industry[edit]

text: The first refining operations at Corsicana were built by Joseph S. Cullinan, a former manager for Standard Oil in Pennsylvania. His company, which was later absorbed by Magnolia Petroleum Company and then acquired by Standard Oil of New York, built the first modern refinery west of the Mississippi River.[42] Following the strike at Spindletop, Cullinan partnered with Arnold Schlaet to form the Texas Fuel Company in Beaumont with funding from an investment group run by former Texas governor James S. Hogg and other investors. In 1905, as the new company rapidly expanded its operations, it moved its corporate headquarters to Houston. The company's strength in the oil industry established Houston as the center of the industry in Texas.[42] The company was later absorbed into the Texas Company and then renamed Texaco.[43]

text: The interests in the Lucas operation at Spindletop were purchased by J. M. Guffey and his associates, creating the Guffey Petroleum Company and Gulf Refining Company of Texas.[44] These companies later became Gulf Oil Corporation, which decades later was bought by California's Chevron. Guffey's company became the largest oil producer in the state during the boom period.[5] Standard Oil initially chose not to become directly involved in oil production in Texas, and instead formed Security Oil Company as a refining operation utilizing Guffey-Gulf and Texas Company as suppliers.[45] Following state lawsuits related to anti-trust statutes, Security Oil was reorganized into Magnolia Petroleum Company in 1911.[45] That same year, the Humble Oil Company (today Exxon Corporation) was formed by Ross Sterling and Walter William Fondren in Humble, Texas.[46] The headquarters were moved to Houston, and the company eventually sold half of its shares to Standard Oil of New Jersey, establishing a long-term partnership that lasted for decades. The company built the Baytown Refinery, which became Texas' largest refining operation. In the post-World War II period, Humble became the largest crude oil transporter in the United States, and built pipelines connecting Baytown to Dallas-Fort Worth and West Texas to the Gulf of Mexico.[47]

text: In spite of the few major operations, the first decade of the boom was dominated by numerous small producers. As production expanded and new companies were formed, consolidation occurred. By the late 1920s, ten companies produced more than half of the oil in the state: Gulf Production Company, Humble Oil and Refining Company, Southern Crude Oil Purchasing Company (later absorbed by Amoco which was later absorbed by BP), the Texas Company, Shell Petroleum Corporation, Yount-Lee Oil Company, Magnolia Petroleum Company, J. K. Hughes Oil Company, Pure Oil Company, and Mid-Kansas Oil and Gas Company (later Marathon Oil).[5]

text: During the 1930s, a Dallas company known as the General American Finance System, struggling through the Great Depression, began to finance drilling operations in the state using oil reserves as collateral. This allowed Dallas to establish itself as the financing center for the oil industry. The Great American Finance System eventually reorganized itself as the General American Oil Company of Texas, which became an oil producer in its own right and, decades later, was purchased by Phillips Petroleum.[48]

text: Effects[edit]

text: Economy[edit]

text: At the start of the 20th century, agriculture, timber, and ranching were the leading economic engines of Texas.[35][49] This was changed by the boom, which led to rapid industrialization. Though refineries were initially concentrated around the Beaumont and Houston areas, refining operations gradually grew throughout the state by the end of the 1920s.[50] By 1940, the value of petroleum and natural gas produced in Texas exceeded the value of all agricultural products in the state.[51]

text: The opening of Houston Ship Channel in 1914 led to the Port of Houston overtaking the Port of Galveston as the state's dominant seaport.[52] The situation led Houston to also overtake Galveston as the primary shipping center for cotton. The large quantities of oil and gas moving through Houston, Baytown, Texas City, and surrounding communities made the area around the ship channel attractive for industrial development.[53] Chemical plants, steel factories, cement plants, automobile manufacturing, and many other types of heavy industry that could benefit from a ready supply of cheap fuel rapidly developed in the area.[54] By the 1930s, Houston had emerged as the state's dominant economic center, though it continued to compete with Dallas throughout the 1900s.[55] The effects of the boom helped offset the effects of the Depression so much that Houston was called the "city the Depression forgot."[56] Dallas and other Texas communities were also able to weather the Depression better than many American cities because of oil.[40]

text: The boom in the oil industry also helped promote other industries in other areas of the state. Lumber production thrived as demand climbed for construction of railroads, refineries, and oil derricks, and, in 1907, Texas was the third largest lumber producer in the United States.[57][58] Growing cities required many new homes and buildings, thus benefiting the construction industry. Agriculture and ranching grew stronger as the rapidly expanding population created more demand for their produce.[5][57]

text: Demographics[edit]

text:
Population growth[59]

City
Percent growth
(1900–1930)
1930 population

Beaumont
512%
57,732

Houston
555%
292,352

Dallas
511%
260,475

Fort Worth
504%
163,447

El Paso
578%
102,421

text: The major commercial centers in the state grew tremendously during this period. The city of Houston grew by 555% between 1900 and 1930, reaching a population of 292,352. Other cities, from Beaumont to El Paso, saw similar growth rates.[59] By contrast, New York City grew by 101% and Detroit, where the automotive boom was occurring, grew by 485%.[2][60]

text: The populations of many small Texas towns had even greater population increases when oil discoveries brought prospectors, investors, field laborers, and businessmen. Between 1920 and 1922, the town of Breckenridge in rural North Texas grew from about 1,500 people to nearly 30,000.[61] Between 1925 and 1929, the town of Odessa in the Permian Basin grew from 750 to 5,000.[62] Between 1924 and 1925, the town of Wortham in northern Texas grew from 1,000 to about 30,000.[63] The town of Kilgore in eastern Texas grew from about 500 to 12,000 between 1930 and 1936 following the discovery of the East Texas field.[64]

text: The growth for many towns was only temporary. Growth in some communities was often driven by exploitation of limited oil resources, so once wells ran dry or demand slowed, their populations rapidly declined. When Wortham's boom ended, the population crashed from its 1927 peak of 30,000 to 2,000 people in 1929.[63] The population of Breckenridge dropped from a similar high to 7,569 in 1930.[65]

text: One of the most significant demographic changes in the state was the percentage of urban dwellers.[35] Between 1910 and 1930, the percentage of urban dwellers (those living in towns of greater than 2500 people) increased by 32%, resulting in 41% of Texans living in urban areas in 1930. World War II pushed the urban population over 50%.[66]

text: Urban development[edit]

text: The urban landscape of the cities changed dramatically during this period. The Praetorian Building in Dallas (1907) and the Amicable Life Insurance Company building in Waco (1911) were among the first skyscrapers in Texas. The Perlstein Building in Beaumont was the first skyscraper built as a direct result of the boom.[67][68] Beaumont's downtown grew rapidly during the first decade after the 1901 strike. After a second major strike at Spindletop in 1925, Beaumont had the largest skyline of any city between Houston and New Orleans by the end of the decade.[69] (See Beaumont Commercial District.) The twenty–two story Edson Hotel, completed in 1929, was the tallest hotel building in Texas for several years.[70][71]

text: Despite Beaumont's importance during the early boom period, the nearby and already-established commercial center of Houston became the leading city of the period. Houston's status was boosted by the 1914 completion of the Houston Ship Channel, allowing the Port of Houston to service large ships.[52] Refineries and related operations were built along the Houston Ship Channel between Houston and Goose Creek.[5] Heavy industry grew in the area and gradually created one of the world's largest industrial complexes.[54] By the 1930s, Houston emerged as the state's largest city and the hub of the rail and road network.[55] The effects of the petroleum-related growth helped offset the effects of the Great Depression substantially, particularly after the discovery of the East Texas field.[56] Texans who became wealthy from the boom established upscale communities including River Oaks, which became a model for community planning in the U.S.[72] Oil-related growth led to the creation of many new institutions, including the University of Houston, the Museum of Fine Arts, Hermann Park, the Houston Zoo, and the Houston Symphony Orchestra.[56][73]

text: Dallas and Fort Worth experienced one of their greatest oil-related construction booms in 1930 and 1931, when the opening of the East Texas oil field helped establish Dallas as the financial center for the oil industry in Texas and Oklahoma.[74] New business offices and municipal buildings appeared in the city, including the Highland Park Village shopping center, one of the nation's earliest shopping malls.[75] The Depression slowed population growth in the Dallas area somewhat during the later 1930s, but rapid growth patterns returned again during the 1940s.[76] By this time, though, Dallas had already begun to rediversify, becoming a center for aircraft manufacturing and electronics technology in addition to a variety of other industries.[77]

text: Highway development[edit]

text: Cheap gasoline encouraged automobile ownership, which provided a substantial revenue source to the government, leading to the rapid expansion of highway development.[66] Despite the state's geographical size and its rural nature at the turn of the century, the state's road systems developed to a level comparable with the more established industrial areas of the United States.[78]

text: Growth of deep water ports[edit]

text: The oil boom helped expansion of several Texas ports including four ports currently ranked as the top twenty busiest ports in the United States in terms of cargo tonnage. The Houston Ship Channel and Port of Houston became the state's busiest shipping resources. As of 2013[update], the Port of Houston ranks second in the United States in terms of cargo tonnage (and first in foreign trade).[79] Although Houston took the lead, the oil boom benefited other areas. The Sabine–Neches Waterway, located in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area, saw growth as a result of the oil boom. The existing ship channel was deepened following the 1901 Spindletop discovery and has been deepened several times since then.[80] That waterway serves two of the United States's ports ranked in the top twenty in terms of cargo tonnage. The Port of Beaumont is ranked 4th[79] and the Port of Port Arthur is ranked 18th.[79] As of December 2013, The Sabine–Neches Waterway is the third-busiest waterway in the United States in terms of tons of cargo behind the Port of South Louisiana and the Houston Ship Channel.[81] The Sabine–Neches Waterway is also the top bulk crude oil importer, the top bulk liquid waterway, and is projected to become the largest LNG exporter in the United States.[82] Discovery of oil also helped the eighth (8th) ranked Port of Corpus Christi.[79] Oil discoveries in nearby counties in the early 1930s resulted in the construction of refineries near the port. The principle cargo shifted from cotton to petroleum products.[83] The Port of Texas City was another port which benefited from the oil boom. That port is currently ranked 14th in terms of cargo tonnage.[79]

text: Education[edit]

text: The university system in Texas improved dramatically because of the boom. Before the boom, the University of Texas consisted of a small number of crude buildings near Austin.[66] Oil speculation on university land in western Texas led to the creation of the Santa Rita oil well, giving the University of Texas, and later Texas A&M University, access to a major source of revenue and leading the university to become among the wealthiest in the United States.[84][85] Other universities in the state, especially the University of Houston, were also able to benefit from state-owned oil production and donations from wealthy oil investors, fueling substantial growth and development in their campuses.[86]

text: Primary and secondary education improved as well, though the extreme growth in the new boomtowns initially caused severe strain on school systems unprepared for the rapid influx of students. Even as money was rapidly flowing in the communities, obtaining tax revenue efficiently where it was needed was often complex.[87] Communities dealt with these problems by establishing independent school districts, education districts formed independently of city or county government with their own independent taxing authority. This type of school district is still the standard in Texas today.[87]

text: Government and politics[edit]

text: One of the most significant developments in Texan government resulted from the creation of a state oil production tax in 1905. The revenue generated by the tax made funds available for development in the state without the need for income taxes and similar revenue mechanisms adopted in other states.[66] In 1919, tax revenue from oil production surpassed $1 million ($13.8 million in today's terms) and in 1929 it reached $6 million ($83.7 million in today's terms).[33][88] By 1940, the oil and gas industry accounted for approximately half of all taxes paid in the state.[51]

text: Politics in Texas during the early 1900s was defined by a spirit of Progressivism.[35] Oil money funded the expansion of the highway system and the educational system. In general, however, the attitude toward business was laissez-faire. There were few regulations on issues such as minimum wages and child labor.[35]

text: The permissive attitude toward business did not always extend toward large corporations.[35] A lack of venture capital in the state became a significant problem with the early industry. Civic and business leaders, and even ordinary citizens, worried that the influx of capital from outside the state would lead to a loss of political power, revenue, and business opportunities. This sentiment led to a series of antitrust lawsuits by the state Attorney General starting in 1906. The lawsuits easily succeeded and limited the ability of outside investors, most notably Standard Oil, to gain control of the state oil companies.[89]

text: The mistrust of Standard Oil was partially the result of a suspicion toward carpetbaggers, which ironically was also the source of skepticism regarding labor unions. Union organizers were frequently seen as attempting to support a Northern agenda of promoting opportunities for African Americans at the expense of the white population. Because of the situation this created, labor reform was slow to develop.[35][90] Despite the anti-union sentiments, groups like the International Oil Workers Union attracted membership and held some influence in the industry and state government.[91]

text: Culture[edit]

text:
As Texas in the 1960s emerged from the prospect of an empire into one of the nation's dozen "imperial states" ... the focus of Northern and national attention was on "change." By "change," most observers meant: When will Texans become more like the rest of the nation?

Fehrenbach, T. R. (2000). Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans.[92]

tag: div

text: An enduring theme during and after the oil boom has been a reluctance among Texans to relinquish their identity and a stubbornness in maintaining their cultural heritage in the face of drastic changes to the state brought by the sudden wealth.[92] Despite its growth and industrialization, Texas culture in the mid-20th century remained distinct from the other industrial centers of the nation.[92]

text: The possibility of becoming wealthy from oil created a "wildcatter" culture, a reckless, entrepreneurial spirit, in many areas of the state. Independent entrepreneurs chased dreams of wealth by purchasing land and equipment to find oil. Ranchers and farmers, from both inside and outside of the state, turned to prospecting.[93][94] The Oil and Gas Journal once published the following remark.[94]

text: Though many failed in their endeavors there were many success stories. The majority of the pioneering of and searching for new oilfields in this era was done by these independents, not big business interests. Competition with large oil interests would lead to the establishment of the Independent Petroleum Association of Texas as a lobbying group for these small businessmen.

text: Houston pioneered American car culture in the early 1900s thanks to the ready availability of inexpensive gasoline. By the 1920s traffic congestion had become so serious that the city became the first in the nation to install interconnected traffic lights.[95] Visitors to the city were often astonished at the lack of pedestrian access to shopping venues and the importance of the automobile within the city. Though mass transit had been successful in Houston's earlier years, later efforts aimed at promoting mass transit and urban planning were largely defeated in Houston because of opposition by the public, which favored public investment in roads over mass transit.[95] Urban concepts pioneered in Houston, like establishing shopping centers outside the city's core and encouraging suburban sprawl, became major trends adopted in many cities, both within the state and around the country.[95]

text: Another indirect effect of the boom was the growth of gambling and prostitution in many communities. These activities had not been uncommon in Texas before the boom, but the wealth brought by the oil industry, as well as difficulties in enhancing the laws and the law enforcement agencies, created many new opportunities for illegal businesses and organized crime.[96][97] Many communities developed casino and red-light districts; notably the gaming empire in Galveston, which attracted wealthy businessmen from Houston and lasted into the 1950s, was the longest lasting of all of these.[15][98][99] Prostitution, which had always been present in the state, flourished in the boom towns, which were crowded with single men earning relatively high wages. The onset of Prohibition and the state government's reluctance to enforce vice laws only encouraged the growth of gambling and bootlegging during this period.[100]

text: The rapid social changes during this period, especially the 1920s, led to the reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan in the urban centers of Texas, with their strongest presence in Dallas.[13][101] As in other states, the new Klan was not outwardly focused on suppression of black civil rights, but instead supported traditional morality including opposition to bootlegging, gambling, and other vices that had grown during the period. Bigotry, though, was never far from the group's agenda.[102] During the Depression, anti-New Deal sentiments among some leaders, such as John Kirby, led to their becoming loosely associated with the Klan and its ideals.[103]

text: The petroleum industry influenced long-term trends in Texas and American culture. Conservative views among the early business leaders in Texas led them to help finance the emergence of the modern Christian right and the American conservative movement.[104]

text: Environment[edit]

text: Although from the outset of the oil boom there were efforts at conservation and protection of the environment, they generally enjoyed little success.[105] Because of the ease of finding oil in the early decades, wells were often not fully developed before prospectors began looking for more productive wells. The wildcatters not only wasted the valuable resource, but created avoidable environmental contamination with the numerous oil strikes. The rush to extract oil frequently led to the construction of poor storage facilities where leaks were common and water pollution became a serious issue. After heavy logging during the 19th century, the clearing of fields for oil exploration and the demand for lumber to be used in new construction destroyed most of the remaining forest lands in the state.[57][58][106] Later environmental management efforts helped restore some of the forest lands but they remain a shadow of what they were before statehood.

text: Industrial activities, which had little regulation, created substantial air pollution. The practice of burning off gas pockets in new oil fields was common, thus increasing the problem. As the Houston area came to be the most heavily industrialized area in the state, it accumulated the most serious air quality issues. By the 1950s, airline pilots were able to follow lines of haze in the air into the city.[107] Though air quality in urban areas has since improved, as of 2012[update] Texas remains the leading producer of greenhouse gases in the United States.[108]

text: Another serious effect created by the oil-related industries has been the pollution around the Houston Ship Channel and in Galveston Bay.[109] By the 1970s, these waterways were among the most polluted waters in the United States. Though industrial sources were major sources of pollution, urbanization around the bay also contributed significantly to pollution levels. In recent decades, most of the pollution in the bay is the result of storm run-off from various smaller commercial, agricultural, and residential sources, as opposed to the major industrial complexes.[110] Conservation efforts in the mid to late 20th century by area industries and municipalities have helped to dramatically improve water quality in the bay reversing at least some of the earlier damage to the ecosystem.[111]

text: After the gushers[edit]

text: By the 1940s, production in the East Texas Oil Field and oil prices stabilized.[5] Though the major urban areas continued to grow, the extreme growth patterns of the first three decades began to slow.[59] As western Texas and the panhandle region began to be more fully explored, the Permian Basin gradually became the top producing area of the state.[5] Though independent oil companies were still an important part of the industry for some time, the major new strikes were increasingly made by established companies. World War II helped complete the state's transition to an industrialized and urbanized state with oil facilitating the transition.[5]

text: During the 1960s and 1970s, as a result of both production peaks in some nations and political instability in others, the world's supply of petroleum tightened leading to an energy crisis during the 1970s and early 1980s. Petroleum prices rose dramatically, greatly benefiting Texas, particularly as compared to other parts of the U.S. that faced recession during this time. A new economic boom emerged which, though not as transformative as the early 1900s, pushed the population of Texas to the point that, by the end of the century, Texas was the second most populous state in the nation. Some sources, in fact, use the phrase Texas oil boom to refer to this later period rather than the earlier period that followed Spindletop.[59][112]

text: Iconic figures of the era[edit]

text: The big four[edit]

text: Four businessmen were emblematic of the 1920s and 30s boom years — H. Roy Cullen, H. L. Hunt, Sid W. Richardson, and Clint Murchison.[113] Cullen was a self-educated cotton and real-estate businessman who moved to Houston in 1918 and soon began oil prospecting.[114] Cullen's success led to his founding the South Texas Petroleum Company (with partner Jim West Sr.) and Quintana Oil Company.[115] Cullen and his wife established the Cullen Foundation, which became one of the largest charitable organizations in the state, and donated heavily to the University of Houston, the Texas Medical Center, and numerous other causes in Texas, particularly in the Houston area.[86]

text: Hunt's first successes were in the oilfields of Arkansas, but he lost most of his fortune by the outset of the Depression as overproduction depleted his fields and his speculation on land and oil drained his resources.[116] He joined in Columbus Joiner's venture which opened the East Texas Oil Field. Hunt bought most of Joiner's interests in eastern Texas and his company, Placid Oil, owned hundreds of wells. He became established in Dallas and was labeled the richest man in the nation in 1948 by Fortune Magazine.[116] A scandal emerged in 1975, after his death, when it was discovered that he had had a hidden bigamous relationship, with his second wife living in New York.[116]

text: Richardson was a cattle trader who established an independent oil production business in Fort Worth in 1919.[117] He soon expanded into numerous businesses and owned the Texas City Refining Company, cattle ranches, radio and television networks, among other businesses. He was a very private man who was sometimes referred to as the "bachelor billionaire."[117] Murchison, who began his career at his father's bank, soon became an oil lease trader working with Richardson.[118] He expanded into exploration and production in northern Texas, then around San Antonio, and finally the Dallas area. He went on to create the Southern Union Gas Company and became a developer on the East Texas field. He expanded his business into international oil and gas operations in Canada and Australia. His son Clint Jr. went on to form the Dallas Cowboys football franchise. For their part, Murchison and Richardson were known to have been major national political operatives and had close ties to President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his vice president Richard M. Nixon, as well as FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover and President Lyndon B. Johnson.[119]

text: Other icons[edit]

text: Other wealthy Texans involved in the oil industry, though not as influential, became well known, often as much for their eccentricities as their wealth. Glenn McCarthy was a modest oil worker who pioneered wells around what the Houston area. In 1932, he struck oil at Anahuac near the Galveston Bay. Over the next decade, he made dozens of other strikes and quickly became one of Texas' richest men.[120] His extravagance was legendary leading to his becoming $52 million in debt in 1952 ($469 million in present-day terms). His love of bourbon led him to establish the WildCatter bourbon label. His excesses made him an unwilling national celebrity during the 1940s and 1950s as the media became enamored with tales of Texas oil wealth.[120]

text: Jim West Jr. was the heir to the fortune of Jim West Sr., an early Houston businessman who helped shape the city and the state before the boom and during the early years of the boom.[121] Known as "Silver Dollar Jim", for his habit of carrying silver dollars and tossing them to doormen, the poor, and anyone that waited on him, West Jr. is regarded by many as the most flamboyant of Houston oilmen. His lavish spending habits and his proclivity for amateur law enforcement were well known.[122] Using his many cars, which were kept loaded with weapons, sirens, and radios, he regularly chased criminals in Houston alongside the police.[123]

text: In popular culture[edit]

text: Though the general public of the United States was aware of oil production in Texas, the wealth that it generated in the state for the first three decades after Spindletop was largely unknown.[113][124] Of the four most prominent oil businessmen in Texas at the end of World War II — Murchison, Cullen, Richardson, and Hunt — only three articles about them appeared in the New York Times during their lifetime, despite their philanthropy and influence in Washington D.C.[113] Stereotypes about Texas in the American imagination generally revolved around cowboys and cattle.[125]

text: By the late 1940s, the national media began to report the extreme wealth of some Texans in magazines such as Life and Fortune.[113] A stereotype emerged of the nouveau-riche Texas oil millionaire, popularized by the media. The popular image often was characterized by a rough and combative personality, heavy drinking, and extravagant spending. In 1956, the motion picture Giant helped to crystallize the image of Texans in the popular imagination as comical, eccentric figures.[126] Glenn McCarthy was the inspiration for the character of Jett Rink in the film. Other films such as Boom Town and War of the Wildcats, and books such as The Lusty Texans of Dallas and Houston: Land of the Big Rich, also contributed to public perceptions of oil's influence in Texas and surrounding states.[113][127]