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Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 76
BY SENATOR JOHNS AND REPRESENTATIVE DANAHAY AND SENATOR JOHN
SMITH AND REPRESENTATIVE KLECKLEY
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To commend and congratulate the city of Sulphur, Louisiana, its citizenry, and public
officials, on the celebration of its Centennial.
WHEREAS, April 17, 2014, marks a memorable and historic occasion for the
municipality as the one hundredth anniversary of official recognition as a village by
proclamation by Luther E. Hall, Governor of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, Sulphur, a ten square mile portion of Calcasieu Parish, abounds with
a quaint charm and vitality all its own; named the "Gateway to the Creole Nature Trail", its
wetlands and alluvial plains are a focal point of time-honored traditions that date back to the
agrarian and cowboy-ranching cultures of the 1880s; and
WHEREAS, the city's name evolved from the rich deposits of the bright yellow
element, sulfur; also known as brimstone, that were mined by corporations such as the
Calcasieu Sulphur Mining Company and the Union Sulphur Company; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Herman Frasch, a German chemist, had patented a process in which
sulfur could be safely extracted from sandy soil and a regional mining industry was born;
and
WHEREAS, Thomas Kleinpeter originally named the area "Kleinpeter's Square",
however, in 1900, when he filed the map of the town's layout, the name was changed to
"Sulphur City", then the U.S. Post Office intervened and the City designation was dropped
from its name; it also bore the affluent title of "the richest fifty acres in the world"; and
WHEREAS, the founders and first entrepreneurs of Sulphur include the names of
Burton, Perkins, Frasch, Henning, Burleson, Root, LaFargue, Ellender, and Breeden, along
with familiar institutions that include the Brimstone Railroad, the Methodist, Baptist, and
Catholic churches, and the Frasch School; and SCR NO. 76 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, in the 1920s, sulfur mining and the timber industry were no longer
lucrative economies and new commercial ventures were developed with utilization of the
accessability of deep water channels to the Gulf of Mexico which gave rise to extraordinary
industrial growth along the Calcasieu River including petrochemical and manufacturing
facilities such as Mathieson Alkalie Works; now Olin, Cities Service Refinery; now known
as Citgo; PPG, and many others along the corridor that drew its labor force from around the
world; and
WHEREAS, the present population of over twenty-two thousand consists of all
manner of ethnic origins and many are descendants of early immigrants who can trace their
roots back to the heartland of the United States, Canada, and Germany; and
WHEREAS, today Sulphur is strategically located as a transportation hub with
readily available modes of transport either by railroad, motor carrier, or waterway which
stimulates the exportation of Louisiana's goods to global marketplaces and the importation
of foreign trade; and
WHEREAS, the abundance of vital water resources provide ample wildlife for
hunting and fishing which makes Sulphur an excellent area for leisure and recreation; and
WHEREAS, Sulphur is blessed with warm, friendly people with strong ties to family,
community, and country, steadfast loyal patriots of their locale and its traditions that are
reflected in their fairs and festivals, the Cal-Cam Fair, Christmas Under the Oaks Festival,
and the Heritage Days Festival; and
WHEREAS, in mid-March Sulphur held a series of fetes to celebrate its first one
hundred years, 1914-2014, that included a rodeo, a centennial parade, concerts performed
in Heritage Square, demonstrations of traditional undertakings such as soap-making and
blacksmithing, arts and crafts, a pictorial quilt raffle, opening of a time capsule, exhibits at
the Henning Cultural Center, the unveiling of a permanent centennial display at the
Brimstone Museum, the striking of commemorative coins, and the publication of centennial
history books; and
WHEREAS, Sulphur's lengthy economic success is linked to the city's attitude and
motto of "Faith, Family, and Community" and is destined to experience an unprecedented
wave of growth with new industrial expansion for many years to come; and SCR NO. 76 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, the people of Sulphur strive to preserve and celebrate a way of life that
has survived since its inception, and together contemplate a future filled with hope and
prosperity for generations yet to come.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend the city of Sulphur upon the celebration of its first one hundred years.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that April 17, 2014, is hereby recognized as the First
Centennial Anniversary of the founding of the city of Sulphur.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Christopher Duncan, mayor of the city of Sulphur.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES