SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 244
WHEREAS, Proud citizens of Pearland are gathering in
Austin to celebrate Pearland Days at the State Capitol on
February 25 and 26, 2009; and
WHEREAS, Situated on the alluvial lowlands of Brazoria
County, Pearland lies at the center of a region traversed by
Native Americans and such famous historical figures as Cabeza de
Vaca, Cavelier de La Salle, and Stephen F. Austin; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1882 as a siding switch on the Gulf,
Colorado, and Sante Fe Railroad, the site was originally called
Mark Belt after the man whose house served as a local post office;
in the mid-1890s the Southern Homestead Company constructed the
town's first building, a rail depot, and the community was
renamed Pearland because of the abundance of pear trees in the
vicinity; the depot was the town's only link to the outside world
and the center of town life; the combination freight and
passenger train known as the "Bobby Train" was the only way for
citizens of Pearland to travel back and forth to Houston; and
WHEREAS, The Galveston hurricane of 1900 destroyed
Pearland's fruit orchards, but the region rebounded and was
promoted only 10 years later by the Allison-Richey Suburban
Garden Company as an "agricultural Eden" where fruit could be
raised on a commercial scale; and
WHEREAS, From the mid-1960s to the present, Pearland has
grown from a population of 1,497 to 80,000, making it one of the
fastest-growing cities on the Gulf Coast; the life of the city is
enriched with such annual events as the Winterfest in January and
the Silverlake Sprint Triathlon every May; and
WHEREAS, With the original railway depot still standing as
a reminder of its colorful past, Pearland looks forward to an
even more dynamic future, and it is appropriate to take this
opportunity to honor it; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st
Legislature, hereby recognize February 25 and 26, 2009, as
Pearland Days at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting
delegation best wishes for an informative and enjoyable stay in
Austin.
Jackson
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 25, 2009.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate