Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

Texas House Bill HCR45 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Kleinschmidt (Senate Sponsor - Ogden) H.C.R. No. 45
2	2	(In the Senate - Received from the House March 31, 2011;
3	3	April 7, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on
4	4	Administration; April 26, 2011, reported favorably by the
5	5	following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 26, 2011, sent to printer.)
6	6
7	7
8	8	HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
9	9	WHEREAS, The development of Texas in the late 1800s and early
10	10	1900s was shaped in important ways by the railroad, with
11	11	communities all across the state being transformed by the arrival
12	12	of this revolutionary mode of transportation; and
13	13	WHEREAS, Sadly, many of the historic depots that were
14	14	integral to railroad operations have not survived the passage of
15	15	the decades, and the disappearance of these structures deprives
16	16	Texans of a tangible link to the state's past; and
17	17	WHEREAS, In certain places, however, residents have had the
18	18	foresight to preserve the vintage architectural treasures related
19	19	to train travel, and the town of Giddings stands at the forefront of
20	20	this trend; this historic crossroads in Central Texas has three
21	21	original depots, each of which has been restored and put to use in
22	22	ways that help illuminate the community's heritage; and
23	23	WHEREAS, The resurrection of these buildings is especially
24	24	fitting for Giddings, a city that was founded when the Houston and
25	25	Central Texas Railway was built through the area in the early 1870s
26	26	and that grew into an important rail junction; over time, the city's
27	27	downtown became home to three depots: Union Station, which dates to
28	28	the 1880s, a freight depot from the 1890s, and a brick passenger
29	29	facility, built circa 1920; all three had closed by the 1960s due to
30	30	the decline in train transportation, but each would survive to see a
31	31	brighter day; and
32	32	WHEREAS, A downtown revitalization plan drafted in the late
33	33	1990s called for the restoration of the depots, and work was
34	34	completed in 2009; today, Union Station houses the Rural Texas
35	35	Tourism Center and the Union Station Transportation Museum, the
36	36	brick passenger facility serves as the site of the Giddings
37	37	Economic Development Corporation and the Giddings Area Chamber of
38	38	Commerce, and the freight depot contains additional displays
39	39	related to railroad history and memorabilia; the revitalization
40	40	project also prompted the establishment of a walking tour of the
41	41	historic area in Giddings; and
42	42	WHEREAS, This admirable undertaking has once again made the
43	43	depots a focal point of the downtown area, sparking a broader
44	44	renaissance in the city and also publicizing the attractions of
45	45	other small towns in the state through the efforts of the Rural
46	46	Texas Tourism Center; moreover, the restoration of these historic
47	47	train facilities provides visitors with a unique opportunity to
48	48	gain deeper insight into the rich history of rail transport and the
49	49	ways in which it helped build Texas into the dynamic state we know
50	50	today; now, therefore, be it
51	51	RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
52	52	hereby designate Giddings as the official Depot Capital of Texas.
53	53	* * * * *