H.R. No. 2095
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Proud residents of Slaton are celebrating the 100th
anniversary of their town's founding with a full program of events
scheduled for July 1 through July 4, 2011; and
WHEREAS, Named for O. L. Slaton, a local rancher and banker,
Slaton originated as a railroad town; needing a site that could
serve as the division point for its line in northwest Texas, the
Santa Fe Railway Company purchased land for that purpose in April
1911; the new town was platted with streets radiating outward from
the central residential and business district, a plan similar to
that of Washington, D.C.; Slaton was officially established on June
15, 1911, a day marked by the arrival of the first of four daily
passenger trains and by the publication of the first issue of the
Slaton Journal; in less than a year, the rapidly growing town
boasted a post office, a newspaper, and an independent school
district; Slaton became the center of the largest division in the
Santa Fe system and serviced the division's trains with its
roundhouse and machine shops; the town's economy was based chiefly
on the railroad and on agriculture, particularly cotton; Slaton is
reported, in fact, to have ginned the first bale of cotton on the
South Plains; and
WHEREAS, Today an attractive, friendly community of some
6,000 residents, Slaton continues to serve as an agricultural
center; in 1955, the Santa Fe Railway Company gave Engine 1809 to
the city of Slaton in tribute to the town's railroad heritage and
the countless runs the engine made hauling cotton from area farms to
ports on the Gulf Coast; other points of interest include the Slaton
Museum, the Harvey House, a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and
the Texas Air Museum, which maintains several vintage aircraft in
addition to its exhibits and which hosts periodic air shows; for a
number of years the annual Sausagefest, sponsored by St. Joseph
Church and School, has drawn an appreciative throng, and the nearby
Buffalo Springs Lake and Lake Ransom Canyon, both located in Yellow
House Canyon, offer a variety of recreational opportunities for
outdoor enthusiasts; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, the citizens of Slaton have sought
to preserve the best of their past while working to build an even
brighter and more promising future, and they are indeed deserving
of recognition on this special occasion; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the centennial of Slaton and extend
to its residents sincere best wishes for a grand and memorable
celebration.
Perry
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2095 was adopted by the House on May
26, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House