| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 608 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, Hamilton Park occupies a unique place in Dallas |
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| 6 | 6 | | history as one of the city's oldest and most cohesive African |
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| 7 | 7 | | American neighborhoods; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, In the years after World War II, commercial |
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| 9 | 9 | | development, residential segregation, and mounting racial violence |
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| 10 | 10 | | combined to cause a severe housing shortage for African Americans |
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| 11 | 11 | | in Dallas; business and community leaders were deeply concerned, |
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| 12 | 12 | | and the Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce and Dallas Citizens |
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| 13 | 13 | | Council formed the Dallas Citizens' Interracial Association to find |
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| 14 | 14 | | a solution to this problem; and |
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| 15 | 15 | | WHEREAS, The association purchased 233 acres of farmland in |
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| 16 | 16 | | North Dallas with a loan from the Hoblitzelle Foundation and |
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| 17 | 17 | | borrowed money from three banks to finance infrastructure for a new |
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| 18 | 18 | | subdivision; Hamilton Park was named after Dr. Richard T. Hamilton, |
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| 19 | 19 | | an African American civic leader and physician, and officially |
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| 20 | 20 | | opened in May 1954; within seven years, the well-appointed |
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| 21 | 21 | | neighborhood had almost 750 single-family homes, as well as an |
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| 22 | 22 | | apartment complex, a shopping center, a park, several churches, and |
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| 23 | 23 | | a school; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | WHEREAS, The area attracted doctors, teachers, businessmen, |
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| 25 | 25 | | and other middle-class professionals, many of them veterans, who |
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| 26 | 26 | | took great pride in their new community; they formed such groups as |
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| 27 | 27 | | the Civic League, the Parent-Teacher Association, and the |
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| 28 | 28 | | Inter-Organizational Council to care for and improve Hamilton Park; |
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| 29 | 29 | | focused on church and school, young families enjoyed the friendly |
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| 30 | 30 | | atmosphere and a strong neighborhood identity developed; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, The surrounding area has continued to evolve through |
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| 32 | 32 | | the years with the growth of the Metroplex, and the subdivision now |
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| 33 | 33 | | holds a prime location next to the High Five freeway interchange; |
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| 34 | 34 | | commercial developers have made numerous overtures to homeowners |
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| 35 | 35 | | through the years, and as the real estate increases in value, both |
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| 36 | 36 | | individuals and such organizations as the Hamilton Park Historic |
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| 37 | 37 | | Preservation Foundation strive to balance economic considerations |
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| 38 | 38 | | and the desire to protect a rich heritage; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | WHEREAS, Although Hamilton Park may be on the verge of a new |
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| 40 | 40 | | and very different era, a sense of community thrives among its |
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| 41 | 41 | | residents, and those who have been privileged to experience this |
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| 42 | 42 | | spirit of neighborly cooperation will treasure it always; now, |
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| 43 | 43 | | therefore, be it |
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| 44 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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| 45 | 45 | | Legislature hereby recognize the Hamilton Park neighborhood of |
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| 46 | 46 | | Dallas and extend to its past, present, and future residents best |
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| 47 | 47 | | wishes for continued happiness. |
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| 48 | 48 | | Kent |
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| 49 | 49 | | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | 50 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 51 | 51 | | I certify that H.R. No. 608 was adopted by the House on March |
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| 52 | 52 | | 5, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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| 53 | 53 | | ______________________________ |
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| 54 | 54 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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