Gates Memorial Library

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Gates Memorial Library in Jefferson County. Now settle in, because this one's got the kind of man at the center of it who made the whole state sit up and take notice. John Warne Gates.

Born in Illinois in 1855. And if that name doesn't ring a bell, maybe his nickname will: Bet a Million. That's right.

Bet a Million Gates. A man whose reputation for bold moves preceded him into every room he ever walked into. He came into Port Arthur's story through the front door, drawn in by the oil boom of the early 1900s, and once he arrived, he did not arrive quietly.

Gates had already made himself a figure to reckon with through his promotion of barbed wire, and now here he was planting himself in the development of a city that Arthur Stilwell, president of the Kansas City Southern Railroad, had founded. Gates moved in financier-first, becoming a prominent investor in the development of the Texas Company, the outfit that would eventually become Texaco. The city of Port Arthur started carrying his fingerprints all over it.

Port Arthur Business College. St. Mary's Hospital.

The Plaza Hotel. The man contributed institutions, not just dollars. Now, Gates eventually settled his daily life in New York, but he kept his business and philanthropic interests alive in Port Arthur through his son Charles.

And in 1909, he set aside land right here at this very site for a public library. A public library. A gift to the city, waiting to be built.

Then came 1911, and John Warne Gates died, and just like that, those initial plans were discontinued. The land sat. The idea waited.

Five years passed before it became apparent that the public library tucked inside the nearby high school simply could not serve the city the way the city needed to be served. That was the moment things started moving again. Gate's widow, Dellora, born the same year as her husband, 1855, and who would herself pass in 1918, joined with local residents to push the project forward.

Through those combined efforts, this library was completed in 1917. The following year it was dedicated and deeded to the city. Bet a Million Gates made a lot of wagers in his life.

Turned out one of the most lasting ones was a piece of land set aside for the people of Port Arthur to come read, and think, and learn. Not a bad way to be remembered.

What the marker says

John Warne "Bet a Million" Gates (1855-1911), a native of Illinois, was instrumental in the early growth of Port Arthur. A prominent businessman and financier noted for his promotion of barbed wire, he became a leader in the development of the city founded by Arthur Stilwell, the president of the Kansas City Southern Railroad. Gates was initially attracted to the Port Arthur area by the local oil boom of the early 1900s. As an investor, he figured prominently in the development of the Texas Company, now Texaco. Later a resident of New York, Gates maintained his business and philanthropic interests in Port Arthur with the help of his son Charles. Gate's contributions to the city include Port Arthur Business College, St. Mary's Hospital, and the Plaza Hotel. In 1909 John Gates set aside land at this site for a public library, but initial plans for the project were discontinued after his death in 1911. Planning resumed five years later when it became apparent the public library in the nearby high school could not adequately serve the city. Through the efforts of Gate's widow Dellora (1855- 1918) and local residents, this library was completed in 1917. The following year it was dedicated and deeded to the city.