81R602 BPG-D
By: Hilderbran H.R. No. 35
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of Coleman County celebrated the
sesquicentennial of the establishment of their county throughout
2008; and
WHEREAS, Situated in west central Texas, Coleman County
traces its origins to 1856, when the U.S. Army built Camp Colorado;
the frontier garrison served as the first county seat for Coleman
County, which was formed on February 1, 1858, and named after Robert
M. Coleman, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and an
aide-de-camp to General Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto;
and
WHEREAS, Prominent citizens organized a county government in
1875 and the next year chose a more central site for the county
seat, located close to the bustling commerce of the Western Trail;
the survey of the new town of Coleman was barely complete before
doctors, lawyers, merchants, ranchers, and others were clamoring to
buy lots; agriculture flourished after 1900, though the county
later struggled with drought, and the city of Coleman was forced to
import water; natural gas and oil were discovered before 1920, and
the industries grew, while farming was hit hard by the Great
Depression; and
WHEREAS, Coleman County's economy today includes limestone,
high-grade glass sand, and the manufacturing of products ranging
from saddles to recreational vehicles; moreover, agribusiness,
oil, natural gas, and ranching remain important, and Coleman ranks
as the fourth-largest wool-producing county in Texas; tourism
thrives in the region as well, with hunters drawn to the area by
bountiful deer, turkey, ducks, quail, and dove; six major lakes
provide excellent fishing and recreation; and
WHEREAS, Visitors to Coleman County further enjoy exploring
the ruins of Camp Colorado, the ghost town of Trickham, and a
pioneer cabin museum at the foot of Santa Anna Mountain; numerous
markers commemorate a fascinating history that includes one of the
first female sheriffs in the United States, Emma Susan Daugherty
Banister, who was appointed to complete her husband's term on his
death in August 1918; and
WHEREAS, Popular annual events include a PRCA rodeo, one of
the nation's largest county livestock shows, Santa Anna Funtier
Days, and the Fiesta de la Paloma and dove cook-off; the county
began observance of its 150th anniversary on February 1, 2008, when
the post office issued a commemorative cancellation stamp; and
WHEREAS, In honoring Coleman County's first 150 years,
citizens pay tribute to the exceptional Texans who came before them
and share their pride in a home that offers natural beauty and a
neighborly spirit; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the sesquicentennial of Coleman
County and extend to its residents best wishes for the future.