82R531 MMS-D
By: Flynn H.C.R. No. 20
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The State of Texas has customarily recognized a
variety of official symbols as tangible representations of the
state's historical and cultural heritage; and
WHEREAS, An American classic, the hamburger has been
associated with Texas since the late 19th century, when Fletcher
Davis, a resident of Athens, developed the new sandwich and sold it
at his lunch counter on the courthouse square; in 1904, Mr. Davis
secured vending privileges on the midway at the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition in St. Louis, and it was there that his creation caught
the attention of countless visitors from across the country; the
novelty of the hamburger so impressed a reporter from the New York
Tribune that he even mentioned it in a newspaper article; a century
later, the 80th Texas Legislature paid tribute to Mr. Davis's
innovation by designating Athens as the Original Home of the
Hamburger; and
WHEREAS, In the years since its first appearance, the
hamburger has come to figure prominently in the state's cultural
landscape; a fixture at innumerable restaurants, roadside stands,
and backyard cookouts, it is consumed by Texans in significant
numbers; according to statistics provided in the 23rd Annual Report
on Eating Patterns in America, residents of the state enjoy more
than 770 million hamburgers annually; and
WHEREAS, In economic terms, the impact of the hamburger is
similarly pronounced; the immense volume of the burger business
helps to drive the beef and grain industries of Texas and supports
the employment of a substantial workforce; and
WHEREAS, A Texan was instrumental in introducing the
hamburger to the American public, and that sandwich has gone on to
become a mainstay in the cultural and economic life of the Lone Star
State; it is fitting, therefore, that the association between Texas
and this iconic American sandwich be appropriately recognized; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate the hamburger as the official State Sandwich of
Texas.