Gates Memorial Library (THC #5245010529)

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.

Gates Memorial Library is a historical marker in Port Arthur, Jefferson County, dedicated in 1981. It is one of 109 historical markers documented in Jefferson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 137 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.8790, -93.9271 near Port Arthur. The nearest cataloged historic site is Port Arthur College (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Gates Memorial Library, Gates Memorial Library, and Ruby Ruth Fuller Building.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5245010529. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.