83R8784 JNC-D
By: Lavender H.R. No. 656
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Many proud citizens of Lamar County are visiting the
State Capitol on March 27, 2013, to celebrate the prominent role
this Northeast Texas county has played in the annals of the Lone
Star State; and
WHEREAS, At the time of the Republic of Texas, present-day
Lamar County was located within the boundaries of Red River County;
population growth led the Fifth Congress of the republic to
establish Lamar County on December 17, 1840, and the current
boundaries were drawn 30 years later when a portion of land was
carved out for the creation of Delta County; and
WHEREAS, Lamar County's namesake was the fourth president of
the Republic of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar; the small settlement of
Lafayette served as the first county seat, but after the Texas
Congress passed a law requiring that each county seat be located
within five miles of the county's geographic center, Mount Vernon
served briefly in that capacity until the town of Paris was founded
on 50 acres donated by George W. Wright; Paris has served as the
county seat since 1844; and
WHEREAS, Numerous early settlers migrated to Lamar County
through Tennessee and Kentucky and established small farms; at the
turn of the century, the county remained primarily rural, and
although the population of Paris had grown to more than 9,000, no
other community exceeded 1,000 residents; the industrial economy
gradually began to make gains on agriculture in the 20th century as
people moved into towns and smaller communities, and Paris played
an increasingly important role in the economy of Northeast Texas;
and
WHEREAS, Today, Paris is a regional hub of retail trade,
farming, and medical care and home to three Fortune 500 companies,
Campbell Soup Company, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and Florida
Power and Light, as well as its newest major employer, James Skinner
Baking Company; the city is located within an excellent multimodal
transportation network, and in addition to numerous food and
consumer goods manufacturing plants, it is home to distribution
centers that serve the entire nation; and
WHEREAS, Quality of life in Paris is enhanced by Paris Junior
College and several excellent independent school districts, and by
such beautiful recreation areas as Wade Park, Lake Gibbons, Lake
Crook, and the Sam Bell Maxey State Historic Structure; every
summer, citizens enjoy the Tour de Paris bike race along the 12-mile
Trail de Paris, and concerts by the Paris Municipal Band, the oldest
such ensemble in the state; landmarks include the Culbertson
Fountain in the historic district, named "the prettiest plaza in
the State of Texas" by Texas Monthly magazine, and the "third
largest Eiffel Tower in the Second Largest Paris," a 65-foot-tall
monument constructed by local workers and capped, appropriately,
with a cowboy hat; and
WHEREAS, The industrious residents of this vibrant Texas
county are preserving the best of their past while working to meet
the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and it is indeed a
pleasure to honor them at this time; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 27, 2013, as Lamar County Day at
the State Capitol and extend to the delegation sincere best wishes
for an enjoyable and memorable visit.