82R17638 BPG-D
By: Jackson H.R. No. 1249
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Farmers Branch Historical Park is marking its 25th
anniversary in 2011; and
WHEREAS, Established as an outdoor museum to preserve and
interpret the history of Texas and the Peters colony, whose first
office was in Farmers Branch, the park opened in 1986 and today
welcomes some 50,000 visitors annually; and
WHEREAS, The 27-acre park traces the fascinating heritage of
Farmers Branch from the 1840s through the 1940s; its cornerstone is
the 1856 Gilbert House, and other notable buildings include the
Farmers Branch depot, dating back to the 1870s, the 1885 Queen Anne
Victorian Cottage, an 1890s church, the school built in the first
decade of the past century, and the 1930s Dodson House;
additionally, an 1840s log culture area features unique examples of
early Texas log cabin architecture and is of particular interest to
aficionados of the pioneer days; and
WHEREAS, Educational programming at the park focuses on
interactive learning and discussion; tours let schoolchildren
engage with history in a lively fashion, and the park also offers a
variety of off-site programs for public, private, and home schools;
and
WHEREAS, Among its many attractions, the park is home to two
vintage baseball teams, the Farmers Branch Mustangs and the Rawhide
Creek Tanners, and interpreters and volunteers recreate the sights
and sounds of a 19th-century baseball game, illustrating how the
sport has changed; and
WHEREAS, For a quarter-century, the Farmers Branch
Historical Park has preserved and celebrated the heritage of the
area, providing a window on the past and giving young Texans a
greater understanding of the part their city played in the annals of
the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Farmers
Branch Historical Park and extend to all those associated with the
park sincere best wishes for continued success in the years to come.