| 1 | 1 | | 81R5507 SKA-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Zerwas H.R. No. 210 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Proud citizens of Waller County are gathering in |
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| 7 | 7 | | Austin to participate in Waller County Day at the State Capitol on |
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| 8 | 8 | | February 10, 2009; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The rolling timberland and coastal prairie of this |
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| 10 | 10 | | fertile region were originally home to herds of wild mustangs and |
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| 11 | 11 | | cattle, and the nomadic Bidai tribe hunted and fished in the area; |
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| 12 | 12 | | the first European settlers came in the early 1820s as part of |
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| 13 | 13 | | Stephen F. Austin's original Texas colony, and the first cotton |
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| 14 | 14 | | plantation in Texas was founded there; with the arrival of the |
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| 15 | 15 | | Houston and Texas Central Railroad in 1858, the town of Hempstead |
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| 16 | 16 | | became a major shipping center for cotton and other crops; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, After the Civil War, the county's majority black |
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| 18 | 18 | | population became active in politics, and many African American |
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| 19 | 19 | | residents were elected to local and state positions; Prairie View |
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| 20 | 20 | | State Normal School was established in 1879 to train black |
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| 21 | 21 | | teachers; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, With Hempstead as its county seat, Waller County was |
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| 23 | 23 | | established in 1873; it was named after Edwin Waller, a signer of |
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| 24 | 24 | | the Texas Declaration of Independence and the first mayor of |
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| 25 | 25 | | Austin; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Today the diverse economy of Waller County depends |
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| 27 | 27 | | on such crops as rice, soybeans, corn, and hay, as well as |
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| 28 | 28 | | watermelons, peaches, and pecans; Prairie View A&M University, the |
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| 29 | 29 | | second-oldest public institution of higher education in Texas, has |
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| 30 | 30 | | as its mission teaching, service, and research; it offers 39 |
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| 31 | 31 | | baccalaureate, 31 master's, and four doctoral degree programs; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | WHEREAS, Waller County is also home to the restored Liendo |
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| 33 | 33 | | Plantation, one of the first cotton plantations in Texas and the |
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| 34 | 34 | | residence of famed sculptor Elisabet Ney, whose statues of Stephen |
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| 35 | 35 | | F. Austin and Sam Houston now stand in the State Capitol; every July |
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| 36 | 36 | | Hempstead is a favorite destination for visitors coming to |
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| 37 | 37 | | celebrate its Annual Watermelon Festival and enjoy the parade, |
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| 38 | 38 | | street dancing, and barbecue cook-off; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | WHEREAS, The residents of Waller County may take justifiable |
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| 40 | 40 | | pride in the fascinating history of their region of the Lone Star |
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| 41 | 41 | | State, and it is a pleasure to honor them as they look ahead to a |
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| 42 | 42 | | bright and prosperous future; now, therefore, be it |
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| 43 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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| 44 | 44 | | Legislature hereby recognize February 10, 2009, as Waller County |
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| 45 | 45 | | Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation best |
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| 46 | 46 | | wishes for an enjoyable and informative stay in Austin. |
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