83R23266 JGH-D
By: Ashby H.R. No. 1596
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Proud citizens of San Augustine County are gathering
in Austin to celebrate San Augustine County Day at the State Capitol
on April 25, 2013; and
WHEREAS, This hilly landscape of pine forest and bayous was
visited by French and Spanish explorers in the 17th and 18th
centuries, and Anglo settlers began arriving in the early 1800s;
the town of San Augustine was established in 1834, and two years
later, the town was the site of Sam Houston's election as commander
of the Texian forces during the Texas Revolution; and
WHEREAS, San Augustine County was established in 1837, one of
the first to be formed in the Texas republic, and the county seat of
San Augustine became an important commercial and cultural center,
with new businesses, a newspaper, and three institutions of higher
learning, including the first university in Texas; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, agriculture has formed the primary
basis of the county's economy, with the chief products being corn,
hogs, poultry, sugar cane, cotton, and lumber; since the 1960s,
tourism has also become important as residents and visitors alike
take advantage of the opportunities for recreation afforded by Lake
Sam Rayburn and the county's two extensive national forests; and
WHEREAS, The town of San Augustine has been home to two Texas
governors, J. Pinckney Henderson and O. M. Roberts, as well as two
speakers of the Texas House of Representatives, two lieutenant
governors, and three ambassadors to foreign countries; the city is
also known for its handsome historic houses in the Greek Revival and
Victorian styles, as well as for being the site of several of the
first Protestant churches organized in Texas after the Texas
Revolution; established as a station on the St. Louis Southwestern
Railway, the town of Broaddus was originally a hub of the lumber
industry and today is a tourist center, serving visitors to Lake Sam
Rayburn and Angelina National Forest; and
WHEREAS, Dedicated to preserving the best of their past, the
people of San Augustine County may indeed take great pride in the
significant role their county has played in the history and culture
of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize April 25, 2013, as San Augustine
County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting
delegation sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable visit
to Austin.