amarillo chamber of commerce - HPN Books

Those early pioneer farmers and rancherswho settled the Texas Panhandle had plentyof backbone and many endured the dust,blizzards, and heat to become successful.However, some were more fortunate to findthey had settled atop one of the richest fieldsof oil and natural gas in the world. Natural gaswas discovered north of Amarillo in 1918. Oilwas discovered in 1920 in Carson County tothe east of Amarillo, and pipelines weredeveloped in the 1920s and 1930s. Oil andgas exploration, production, refinement, andtransportation facilities have been part of theAmarillo landscape since that time. ThePanhandle Field is said to be the largestvolume gas field in the United States. It alsoproduces helium in Potter County where theFederal Helium Reserves are headquartered.Today, Amarillo has been named as one ofthe West’s best places to live by “AmericanCowboy” and according to a recent GallupSurvey, it was ranked as the tenth happiestsmall city in the United States. Amarillo isknown to many as a gateway to the AmericanSouthwest and into Palo Duro Canyon. It isknown for its proximity to oilfields lined withpump jacks and its wide open plains dottedwith grazing cattle. Amarillo’s beautifulskyline with its unique skyscrapers is knownto travelers, treasured by locals, and isincluded in many photography collections.Amarillo welcomes many visitors who travelinto the city on Interstate 40. Those visitorsoften stay in the city to enjoy the manyattractions tied to its American West historyA long-time involvement with aviation andbeing centrally located has made Amarillo atransportation hub beyond the impact ofthe railroads. In 2011 over 418,000 airlineboardings will take place at Rick HusbandAmarillo International Airport. The airportserves as a refueling stop for military andcivilian aircraft alike and its primary runwayis one of the longest commercial runways inthe United States. NASA used the airportas an occasional refueling stop for theirmodified Boeing 747s with the piggy-backedspace shuttles aboard. The newly renovatedairport has been upgraded to implement anew baggage system and create a morecomfortable, efficient experience for airtravelers. Passengers arriving at Rick HusbandAmarillo International Airport are greetedwith images of historic Texas Panhandle andgraphically created ranch brands incorporatedinto a sleek modern look.The 1927 Fisk Building in downtownAmarillo was renovated during 2010.Its transformation into a 107 roomCourtyard by Marriott Hotel was unveiledin January 2011.Introduction7