The birthplace of Texas is now an energy hub, powering progress globally.
Explore its rise and impact through the lens of the people, the city, and a company that call it home.
2022
A new chapter begins for Shell in Deer Park as it focuses solely on the 100% owned Deer Park Chemicals facility which will produce low carbon offerings to meet the demands of our customers for a sustainable product.
Description: Video footage of Shell and Deer Park employees, and community members, at an event recognizing Shell’s history in the community. Shell announced more than $2 million in funding for projects benefitting the community.
Shell Deer Park – $2 Million in Funding benefitting the community Transcript
[Background music plays]
Bright, uplifting music
[Video footage]
Guy Hackwell stands at a podium on stage.
[Guy Hackwell]
Today’s really about recognizing our community. We are pledging just over $2,000,000 in funding for projects benefiting the community.
[Graphic]
Illustrated graphic of people visiting the History Museum.
[Guy Hackwell]
The first donation, we are donating $800,000 to the city of Deer Park’s History museum.
[Video footage]
Jerry Mouton stands next to illustrated graphic on a stand.
[Video footage]
Guy Hackwell is filmed speaking in front of the camera, inside the venue.
[Text displays]
Guy Hackwell
Shell Deer Park General Manager
[Guy Hackwell]
Shell, and Deer Park have been inextricably linked since 1929. I think it’s really good for people to be able to see what has happened in their community over the years, and also have a, a venue for them to be able to plot what is going to change over the next few years as well.
[Video footage]
Large photo exhibit at the Shell History Museum.
Jerry Mouton is filmed speaking in front of the camera, inside the venue.
[Text displays]
Jerry Mouton
City of Deer Park Mayor
[Jerry Mouton]
We’re reaching an aspect now, in well excess of a hundred years, where a lot of the younger generation is not going to understand the history. So it’s, it is really important to us to preserve that.
[Video footage]
Nathan Levin stands at a podium on stage.
[Nathan Levin]
Looking forward, one of Shell’s goals is to power lives and livelihoods through our activities. We’re donating $1,000,000 to partner with BakerRipley in their Pathways to Possibilities program.
[Video footage]
Nathan Levin is filmed speaking in front of the camera, inside the venue.
[Text displays]
Nathan Levin
Shell Deer Park Incoming GM
[Nathan Levin]
The impact of our donation to the community will make a huge difference for them in terms of opportunities to continue their post-secondary education.
[Video footage]
Claudia Aguirre is filmed speaking in front of the camera, inside the venue.
[Text displays]
Claudia Aguirre
BakerRipley President/CEO
[Claudia Aguirre]
We’ve been going through a very hard time as the world has the last 18, 19 months. At the end of the day, it’s all about jobs. And this partnership, this investment is going to get all of these people, all of our neighbors into a job, that gives them a livable wage.
[Video footage]
Dr Brenda Hellyer is filmed speaking in front of the camera, inside the venue.
[Text displays]
Dr Brenda Hellyer
San Jacinto College Chancellor
[Dr Brenda Hellyer]
We know Shell is a resource for us. They provide not only jobs, but they’re here to make sure that we’re, we’re a safe community and a community that has a good partner.
[Graphic]
Illustrated graphic of people at a park connecting to WIFI.
[Video footage]
Pan from Jose Jimenez to Jessica Blackmore as she stands at a podium, on stage.
[Jessica Blackmore]
So our final grant that we’re announcing today, we are partnering with Precinct2gether with a $300,000 donation to address the digital divide, through the Partnership Park Internet Equity Program.
[Video footage]
Jessica Blackmore is filmed speaking in front of the camera, inside the venue.
[Text displays]
Jessica Blackmore
Shell Deer Park CR Advisor
[Jessica Blackmore]
What this project really does, it addresses a need that we really saw amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, where folks who don’t have reliable access to internet services were really impacted. Having this project move forward will allow them to regain access.
[Video footage]
Jose Jimenez is filmed speaking in front of the camera, inside the venue.
[Text displays]
Jose Jimenez
Sr Director of Neighborhood Servicess
[Jose Jimenez]
Shell has been a tremendous partner to, Precinct2gether in Harris county Precinct 2 throughout the years. And we’re really excited about this donation to the community today.
[Video footage]
Nathan Levin stands at a podium on stage.
[Nathan Levin]
Today’s announcements underscores the commitment to the community, both in recognizing our past and growing a positive, inclusive future together.
[Graphics]
Shell logo on white background.
[Text displays]
Copyright, Shell International Limited 2015
[Music ends]
2021
Shell honors history, builds future in Deer Park.
Shell announced more than $2 million in funding for projects benefitting the community, including $800,000 for the City of Deer Park History Museum, $1 million to BakerRipley’s Pathways to Possibilities program, and $300,000 addressing the digital divide in Harris County Precinct 2. The site recognizes its history in the community and looks forward to a bright future powering progress as Deer Park Chemicals.
2019
An agreement between Shell Deer Park and the University of Houston Libraries makes it easier for scholars and the public to learn more about that relationship, as historical documents, photos and artifacts from the plant become part of the library’s Energy & Sustainability Research Collection.
The celebration also included a musical, An Evening with Simeon West.
Deer Park celebrates 125 years.
2017
Hurricane Harvey hits the Texas Gulf Coast.
Shell loans pumps to the city to help prevent flooding.
2015
Paris Agreement signed with goal to combat climate change.
2011
Shell begins the HERO program, double matching employees’ personal contributions in the community.
2009
Since its inception, the Strides for Schools Fun Run presented by Shell has raised more than $1 million for education grants in Deer Park.
1996
Lynn Elsenhans becomes first female CEO of a major U.S. refining company at Shell Deer Park.
1995
Deer Park Education Foundation is founded.
1993
Shell forms a joint venture with PEMEX, Mexico’s state oil company, to modernize the Shell Deer Park refinery and manufacture clean fuels.
1990
The Deer Park Community Advisory Council forms with the first meeting held at Shell Deer Park.
First Community Advisory Council Meeting Notes.
1987
The Local Emergency Planning Committee forms as a joint effort between local industry and City of Deer Park.
1983
Ribbon cutting at Shell Deer Park Historical Society opening.
The Shell Deer Park collection dates back to the 1930s and was organized in the 1980s by the Shell Deer Park Historical Society, made up of plant employees and retirees, and displayed in a small museum on plant grounds. When post-9/11 security provisions restricted access, the company preserved the artifacts and periodically made them available to the public through pop-up installations before donating the collection to the University of Houston Libraries’ Energy & Sustainability Research Collection in 2019.
1974
Shell Houston Refinery and Houston Chemical Plant become Shell Deer Park Manufacturing Complex.
1971
Shell Oil Company relocates corporate headquarters to Houston from New York City.
1970
Clean Air Act is passed to control air pollution on a national level.
1969
Moon landing “Houston… The eagle has landed”
Coleta Hendricks examining moon shot chart.
1952
Shell constructs the first sulfur recovery plant on the Gulf Coast, reducing emissions.
1949
Following incorporation, Deer Park elects its first mayor, Earl E. Dunn, a Shell employee.
1948
World’s first synthetic glycerin plant opens at Shell Houston Chemical Plant.
1941
Shell shares 100-octane technology to meet war plane fuel demand following U.S. entry into WWII.
1939
San Jacinto Monument, a New Deal project, opens.
1933 - 1938
New Deal programs and reforms enacted in response to the Great Depression.
During World War II, women were hired in great numbers at the Shell Houston plants to replace the men serving in the war.
Shell Houston Chemical Plant opens and brings online the first U.S. full-scale butadiene plant, creating synthetic rubber.
1929
Stock market crash signals the beginning of Great Depression.
1929
Site construction began shortly after the first engineers set foot on the land on Thanksgiving Day 1928. It was plagued by rain, mules and mud. Nevertheless, our people persevered, and operations began with a staff of 600 in August of 1929.
1930
Deer Park establishes an independent school district.
1928
When Shell purchased the original site, early surveyors discovered a broken headstone dating back to 1834.
The headstone was later relocated to Dow Park in Deer Park as the site expanded.
Family Day is a long-standing tradition at Shell Deer Park.
1919
The Shell Pipe Line Corporation, established in 1919, began building its pipeline and pump station from McCamey, Texas, to Deer Park.
1912
Shell begins operations in the United States.
1893
The Deer Park Hotel was built by Simeon West on the northeast corner of Highway 225 and Center Street.
In 1928, Farmer Brown’s house, the former Deer Park Hotel, served as temporary quarters for construction workers building the Shell Refinery. The Deer Park schoolhouse served as the headquarters for Shell engineers.
