83R13391 JGH-D
By: Kolkhorst H.R. No. 1068
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Proud residents of Burleson County are gathering in
Austin on March 26, 2013, to celebrate the unique role their county
has played in the history and culture of the Lone Star State; and
WHEREAS, Situated among rolling hills and along the broad
valley of the Brazos River, the rich farmland of Burleson County was
originally inhabited by the Tonkawa Indians; the first European to
visit the region was the French explorer and trader Louis Juchereau
de St. Denis; when Anglo-Americans started to settle there during
the 1820s, the Mexican government placed a fort along the western
bank of the Brazos to stem the tide, but the fort's commander,
Lieutenant Colonel Jose Francisco Ruiz, eventually sided with the
Texans and became a signer of the Texas Declaration of
Independence; and
WHEREAS, The town of Caldwell was founded in 1840, and in
1846, the state legislature established Burleson County, naming it
after Texas revolutionary hero General Edward Burleson and choosing
Caldwell as the county seat; during the last half of the 19th
century, European immigrants, especially Germans, Austrians,
Czechs, and Italians, moved to the area and often set up their own
communities; and
WHEREAS, Burleson County is situated along the Presidential
Corridor linking the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin and the
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station;
only 90 minutes from Houston and less than three hours from San
Antonio and Dallas/Fort Worth, the county's central location serves
as a friendly passage for thousands of travelers, many of whom stay
at the county's motels, bed and breakfast establishments, and
campgrounds and take advantage of its numerous fine attractions;
and
WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy the county's
seasonal festivals, such as the Chilifest and Snook Fest in Snook,
and the Great Texas LakeFest, which draws thousands of people to
Welch Park along scenic Lake Somerville; they also may celebrate
the county's Czech heritage at the Kolache Festival, held every
September in Caldwell, which was proclaimed the Kolache Capital of
Texas by the Texas Legislature in 1989; and
WHEREAS, The county's history is on display at the Kraitchar
House Museum, the Somerville Area Museum, the Burleson County Czech
Heritage Museum, the Caldwell Visitors Center Museum, and the
Burleson County Historical Museum, and throughout the county are 66
historical markers and 120 historic cemeteries; there are also the
opportunities for recreation afforded by Davidson Creek Park in
Caldwell and the city parks in Somerville and Snook; and
WHEREAS, Honoring the past as they continue to work toward a
brighter future, the residents of Burleson County have many reasons
to be proud of the place they call home; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 26, 2013, as Burleson County Day
at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere
best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable stay in Austin.