Editing Deer Park, Texas (section)

== History ==
Deer Park was founded in 1892 by Simeon H. West, a farmer, retired legislator, and much-traveled adventurer from [[Illinois]]. He named the town for the large number of [[deer]] that roamed the Gulf plains. A railroad station opened later that year and a post office followed in 1893.<ref name=HistoryDP>{{cite web|title=''History of Deer Park ~ Deer Park, Texas'' |url=http://www.deerparktx.gov/department/?fDD=28-0 |publisher=City of Deer Park, Texas |access-date=26 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721083037/http://www.deerparktx.gov/department/?fDD=28-0 |archive-date=21 July 2011 }}</ref>

The subdivision was established in 1893 and was the site of a [[Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway]] station by about 1894. A Deer Park post office was established in 1893, discontinued in 1919, and reestablished in 1930. In 1896, the community, with a population of forty, had a hotel, a general store, and three resident carpenters. By 1922, Deer Park had dwindled down to almost nothing with four houses, one little schoolhouse, and an old hotel with a few scattered shacks along the railroad right-of-way. In 1928, [[Shell Oil Company]] broke ground on a new refinery. In the 1930s, an independent school district was established. By 1940, the population had grown to 100.  By 1946, however, the area began to flourish as Deer Park became the site of [[Oil refinery|refineries]] and [[toluene]] plants for the production of [[trinitrotoluene|TNT]].<ref name=HandbookTX>{{cite web|access-date=August 20, 2017 |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hed02| publisher=Texas State Historical Society | title=Deer Park, TX |work =Handbook of Texas Online |first=Diana J. |last=Kleiner |date=June 12, 2010}}</ref>

The citizens of Deer Park voted to incorporate on December 12, 1948, and a few weeks later Earl E. Dunn became the first mayor.<ref name=newspapers1971>{{cite journal |access-date=August 20, 2017 |url= https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/15708135/ |journal=The Deer Park Progress |page= 1|location=Deer Park, TX |date=February 25, 1971 |title=Provile: Mayor Earl E. Dunn |first=Ann |last=Owen}}</ref>
Because of the 1948 incorporation, Houston did not incorporate Deer Park's territory into its city limits.<!--Print version exclusively has the information cited; the information is ''not'' included in the online edition--><ref name="Annexbitter">Lee, Renée C. "[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4243441.html Annexed Kingwood split on effects]." ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''. Sunday October 8, 2006. A21. Retrieved on July 6, 2011. "Some of the area communities that incorporated as cities and escaped annexation by Houston:" Print version exclusively has the information cited; the information is ''not'' included in the online edition.</ref> The first city council meeting was held on February 7, 1949. The population had grown to 700 by 1948, to 5,000 by 1960 with a fire station, city hall, playground parks and an independent city water supply. A public library was begun in 1962 on Center Street. Population was 12,773 in 1970, and 28,520 in 2000. This growth has been fueled by the growth of the [[petrochemical industry]] as well as the growth of business along the [[Houston Ship Channel]]. Deer Park has a school district with 14 campuses, a city library, community theater, municipal court building, three fire stations, numerous city parks and recreational facilities, state-of-the-art water and sewer processing facilities, a post office, several hotels, 14 major industries as well as several [[light industry|light industrial]] companies. Today, Deer Park has approximately 9,000 homes and more than 30,000 residents.

Deer Park is near the site of the [[Battle of San Jacinto]], where, on April 21, 1836, Texas won its independence from Mexico. Because the initial surrender treaty after the battle was drafted in Dr. George Moffitt Patrick's cabin, Deer Park bills itself as the "Birthplace of Texas".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deerparktx.gov/149/Patricks-Cabin|title=Patrick's Cabin|publisher=City of Deer Park, Texas|accessdate=December 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deerparktx.gov/1766/Historical-Assets-of-Deer-Park|title=Historical Assets of Deer Park|publisher=City of Deer Park, Texas|accessdate=December 3, 2021}}</ref> The original cabin was located on [[Buffalo Bayou]] where [[Rohm and Haas]], now owned by [[Dow Chemical Company]], established a chemical plant in Deer Park. A replica of Dr. Patrick's cabin is in front of the Theatre/Courts Building on Center Street. The Texas State Historical sign marker was relocated from the Dow Chemical parking lot to the replica log cabin home of Dr. Patrick located at the Theatre/Courts Building.

=== Shell Chemical plant explosion ===
On June 22, 1997, an [[ethylene]] explosion occurred at the nearby [[Shell Chemicals|Shell Chemical Company]] plant that was heard and felt as far as {{convert|25|mi}} away. While no evacuation of the city was ordered, residents living within a mile west of the plant were advised to remain inside their homes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icis.com/Articles/1998/06/22/87831/tcc-meeting-hears-details-of-deer-park-shell-explosion.html |title=TCC Meeting Hears Details Of Deer Park Shell Explosion-22/06/1998-CMR |publisher=Icis.com |access-date=2011-08-19}}</ref>

=== Intercontinental Terminals Company's chemical fire ===
On March 17, 2019, a chemical fire broke out at Intercontinental Terminals Company. The fire, which was caused from a pump seal failure, eventually spread to a dozen tanks.<ref name=abc13>{{cite news|accessdate=2022-08-02
|url=https://abc13.com/itc-deer-park-fire-plant/5737588/ |publisher=KTRK-TV
|title=ITC Deer Park facility fire cause determined |date=December 6, 2019}}</ref>
The resultant fire and smoke plume could be seen for miles and lasted for three days. The tanks involved in the fire contained chemicals including [[xylene]], [[naptha]], [[pyrolysis gasoline]] (Pygas), and [[toluene]].<ref name=CNN>{{cite news |accessdate=2022-08-02 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/20/us/deer-park-itc-plant-fire-wednesday
|title=A huge fire at a Texas chemical plant is out, 4 days after it started.
|first1=Darran |last1=Simon |first2=Madison |last2=Park |first3=Rebekah |last3=Riess
|publisher=CNN|date = March 20, 2019}}</ref> Deer Park residents were required to shelter in place during the fire.<ref name=HPM>{{cite news|accessdate=2022-08-02 |url=https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/energy-environment/2021/05/24/398894/2-years-after-disastrous-deer-park-chemical-fire-texas-close-to-creating-new-safety-rules-for-industry/#:~:text=In%20March%202019%2C%20a%20massive,lingered%20there%20for%20three%20days
|title=2 Years After Disastrous Deer Park Chemical Fire, Texas Close To Creating New Safety Rules For Industry
|first=Erin|last=Douglas|work=The Texas Tribune| publisher=Houston Public Media
|date=May 24, 2021}}</ref> A probe by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board concluded that leaking chemicals had accumulated in an above-ground storage tank for about 30 minutes before they ignited.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Landing |first=By Elena Bruess, Houston |date=2024-04-03 |title=Texas, U.S. reach $6.6 million settlement over 2019 Deer Park chemical fire |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/03/texas-chemical-fire-settlement-itc-deer-park/ |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en}}</ref> In April 2024, the state of Texas and the U.S. government reached a $6.6 million settlement with ITC; the money will be used to reimburse the state and federal government for damages caused by the blaze.<ref name=":1" />

=== 2023 tornado ===
{{main|2023 Pasadena–Deer Park tornado}}
Deer Park has been known for several smaller and less destructive tornadoes in its past, but on January 24, 2023, a large [[Enhanced Fujita scale|EF3]] [[tornado]] hit downtown Deer Park. It caused damage most notably to the local skating rink, a nursing home, an animal shelter and knocked out power to many areas, including schools in the [[Deer Park Independent School District]]. Schools were still in session at the time of the tornado, and were dismissed late, and closed the remainder of the week. 3 injuries occurred as the tornado passed. Entire neighborhoods were severely damaged as a result of the tornado. The tornado prompted the first ever [[tornado emergency]] issued by the National Weather Service in [[League City, Texas|League City.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/weather/article/texas-storm-tornado-watch-17738403.php |title=Tornado causes 'extensive' damage in Deer Park, Baytown |date=24 January 2023 |publisher=Chron |access-date=2023-01-24}}</ref>

=== 2023 Shell refinery explosion ===
In May 2023, a Shell petrochemical plant in Deer Park, causing a three-day blaze that resulted in toxic contamination in the air and water. The Shell plant had a long history of chemical incidents between 2016 and 2022, including 68 emissions events that released 974,847 pounds of toxic emissions into the air.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Martinez |first=Alejandra |date=2023-08-14 |title=Texas sues Shell over Houston-area chemical fire in May |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/14/texas-attorney-general-lawsuit-shell-chemical-fire-deer-park/ |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en}}</ref> The company had eight "excessive" events at the plant during that time.<ref name=":2" />

=== 2023 Emergency siren overhaul ===
Deer Park's 10 emergency warning sirens began experiencing failures over the years following a 2019 upgrade on the former siren system. In August 2023, the City of Deer Park replaced all 10 outdoor warning sirens with rotating, more efficient sirens. That also included strobe lights on each siren across the city to make fit for the hearing-impaired. 17-year-old deaf citizen William Stokes, presented the idea to the city during the replacement project. Emergency sirens are tested every Saturday at 12:00 PM.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kovar |first1=Seth |title=Deer Park teen’s efforts lead to emergency warning system for the deaf |url=https://cw39.com/news/local/deer-park-teens-efforts-lead-to-emergency-warning-system-for-the-deaf/ |publisher=KIAH |access-date=2 October 2023 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002183630/https://cw39.com/news/local/deer-park-teens-efforts-lead-to-emergency-warning-system-for-the-deaf/ |url-status=live }}</ref>