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