H.R. No. 1565
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Many distinguished business and civic leaders from
Round Rock are gathering in Austin on April 18, 2013, to celebrate
Round Rock Day at the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Round Rock was founded in 1848, when Jacob
M. Harrell, a blacksmith from Austin, settled on the site on the
north bank of Brushy Creek, which was the town's original name; in
1854, Thomas C. Oatts, the first postmaster, was asked by postal
officials to submit another name, and the name was changed to Round
Rock, after an anvil-shaped limestone rock the two men regularly
fished from in the creek; the growing town soon became a stop on the
Chisholm Trail, and in 1878 the legendary outlaw Sam Bass was shot
and eventually died in Round Rock after attempting to rob the local
bank; and
WHEREAS, Today, Round Rock is a dynamic city of 105,000
people, and its young and highly educated workforce, effective city
government, and affordable cost of living have helped to draw two
Fortune 500 companies to the community; Dell employs 12,000 people,
while Emerson Process Management, a division of Emerson Electric,
brought 750 new jobs to the city in February 2012; and
WHEREAS, The city benefits from its close proximity to Austin
and its efficient access to the major distribution and population
centers of Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio; it is home to campuses
of Austin Community College, Texas State University, the Art
Institute, and the Texas A&M Health Science Center, the first
medical school in Central Texas; baseball fans from around the
region delight in gathering at Dell Diamond to attend games of the
Round Rock Express, the triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers;
and
WHEREAS, Round Rock has earned a number of national accolades
in recent years; it has been ranked one of the fastest growing
cities in America by the U.S. Census Bureau and MSN Real Estate, and
according to statistics from the FBI, it is the 11th safest city
with a population greater than 100,000 people in the nation; CNBC
rated it eighth in its list of Top 10 Perfect Suburbs, and Family
Circle placed it among the magazine's Top 10 Towns for Families;
moreover, Williamson County has been named the healthiest county in
Texas, and in 2012 the Texas Municipal Utility Association
presented the city with an Outstanding Municipal Utility Award; and
WHEREAS, On April 27, 2013, Round Rock will commemorate the
centennial of its incorporation with a citywide celebration; that
event will provide its citizens with another opportunity to reflect
on their community's rich and colorful past while appreciating the
thriving and welcoming city that it has become; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize April 18, 2013, as Round Rock Day at
the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere
best wishes for a meaningful and memorable visit.
Gonzales
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1565 was adopted by the House on April
24, 2013, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House