Bill Text: TX SR407 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Declaring May 3, 2017, as Moonlight Tower Day.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-03-13 - Reported enrolled [SR407 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SR407-Enrolled.html
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| WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to | ||
| join the citizens of Austin and Texans across the state in | ||
| celebrating May 3, 2017, as Moonlight Tower Day; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In the late 19th century, various designs of | ||
| electrical moonlight towers were erected in cities around the | ||
| world, including Detroit, New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Francisco, | ||
| and London; Austin civic leaders, looking to light the city's | ||
| streets with power from the newly completed Great Granite Dam, | ||
| contracted with the Fort Wayne Electric Company to construct | ||
| moonlight towers around the city; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The company built 31 towers, each 165 feet tall | ||
| with six carbon arc lamps mounted at the top; each tower was | ||
| guaranteed to provide enough light to read a watch face at 1,500 | ||
| feet; the first tower was erected in the newly established Hyde | ||
| Park subdivision, with the others installed strategically around | ||
| Austin to light as much of the city as possible; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Through the years, several of the towers have been | ||
| lost to storms, accidents, and development, but 17 continue to | ||
| stand and to provide the city with light; designated as historical | ||
| landmarks during the 1970s, they were prominently featured in the | ||
| popular film Dazed and Confused, and a moonlight tower is the | ||
| pivotal center of the annual Zilker Holiday Tree; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Austin Energy, the City of Austin's electric | ||
| utility company, has maintained the towers for a century, and the | ||
| company renovated the Texas State Archeological Landmarks | ||
| thoroughly in 1993 at a cost of $1.3 million; with extraordinary | ||
| care and expertise, Austin Energy keeps the remaining towers | ||
| fully illuminated and operating today, adding to the unique | ||
| spirit of Austin; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Today, Austin is the last city to feature this | ||
| once-popular lighting system, and the moonlight towers have | ||
| become an important link to the city's past; it is truly fitting | ||
| that a day be set aside to pay tribute to these iconic Austin | ||
| landmarks; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th | ||
| Legislature, hereby declare May 3, 2017, as Moonlight Tower Day | ||
| and call on Texans to celebrate this unique feature of the | ||
| capital city; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in | ||
| honor of this special occasion. | ||
| Watson | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| President of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that the | ||
| above Resolution was adopted by | ||
| the Senate on March 13, 2017. | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Member, Texas Senate | ||
