81R6528 JGH-D
By: Kolkhorst H.R. No. 616
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Citizens of Grimes County are coming together at the
State Capitol to celebrate Grimes County Day on March 5, 2009; and
WHEREAS, A landscape of lush forests and verdant savannah,
the area that would later become Grimes County was inhabited by the
Bidai people when Europeans first arrived in the region in the late
1600s; it is thought that the famous French explorer La Salle met
his untimely end near present-day Navasota in 1687, murdered by his
own men; and
WHEREAS, In the 1820s, Anglo settlers began to move into the
region, drawn by the rich bottomlands along the Navasota and Brazos
Rivers; one of the first cotton crops in Texas was planted in the
county, and with Anderson as its county seat, Grimes County was
established in 1846 and named after Jesse Grimes, a signer of the
Texas Declaration of Independence; and
WHEREAS, The arrival of the railroad in 1859 helped promote
the growth of Navasota as a center of commerce, while two spas
established in the 1850s, Kellum Springs and Piedmont Springs, drew
many visitors to the county; and
WHEREAS, Today, the area's prosperity is based on livestock,
agribusiness, and light manufacturing; the harvesting of timber,
lignite coal, and natural gas also contributes to the economy of the
region; and
WHEREAS, Officially designated the Blues Capital of Texas by
the 79th Texas Legislature in 2005, Navasota hosts the annual
BluesFest to commemorate the famous blues musician and native son
Mance Lipscomb and to raise money for a scholarship in his name; the
town is equally renowned for its picturesque downtown and
Victorian-style houses, and its history is showcased in the Horlock
History Center, a restored 1892 home; and
WHEREAS, Anderson boasts the striking Grimes County
Courthouse, constructed of handmade bricks in 1894 and restored in
2002; the town is also home to the Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site,
a restored 19th-century stagecoach stop that hosted such famous
figures as Sam Houston, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson; and
WHEREAS, Residents and visitors alike enjoy the colorful
Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville every October and
November; another popular attraction is Gibbons Creek Reservoir,
which offers ample recreational opportunities for fishing,
camping, boating, and waterskiing; and
WHEREAS, Celebrating their rich history as they look forward
to a bright future, the people of Grimes County are justifiably
proud of their heritage and achievements, and their county's many
contributions to the ongoing development of the Lone Star State are
indeed deserving of special honor; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 5, 2009, as Grimes County Day at
the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere
best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin.