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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Proud residents of Waller County are gathering in |
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| 6 | 7 | | Austin on February 3, 2015, to celebrate Waller County Day at the |
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| 7 | 8 | | State Capitol; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The Waller County area was originally settled by |
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| 9 | 10 | | members of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred during the 1820s; |
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| 10 | 11 | | shortly thereafter, it became the site of perhaps the first cotton |
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| 11 | 12 | | plantation in Texas, which was used as an encampment by members of |
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| 12 | 13 | | General Sam Houston's army during the Texas Revolution; in 1873, |
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| 13 | 14 | | the county was carved from sections of Austin and Grimes Counties |
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| 14 | 15 | | and named after Edwin Waller, a signer of the Texas Declaration of |
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| 15 | 16 | | Independence and the first mayor of Austin; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, Waller County's growth was chiefly driven by |
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| 17 | 18 | | agriculture, with cotton, corn, and cattle serving as mainstays, |
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| 18 | 19 | | until the discovery of petroleum in the 1930s helped to diversify |
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| 19 | 20 | | its economy; today, farming, ranching, and mineral resources are |
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| 20 | 21 | | important to the area, and its rural character and proximity to |
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| 21 | 22 | | Houston have made it an attractive destination for new residents; |
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| 22 | 23 | | additionally, opportunities abound for hunting and fishing, and the |
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| 23 | 24 | | region's natural beauty and wildlife can be experienced at the Katy |
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| 24 | 25 | | Prairie, a coastal grassland area that is a haven for |
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| 25 | 26 | | bird-watchers; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Hempstead is the county seat and the host of the |
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| 27 | 28 | | annual Waller County Fair and its summertime Watermelon Festival, a |
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| 28 | 29 | | favorite of residents and visitors alike; Prairie View, recognized |
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| 29 | 30 | | as an ideal place to live, learn, and raise a family, is home to |
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| 30 | 31 | | Prairie View A&M University, the second-oldest public institution |
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| 31 | 32 | | of higher learning in the state, and Brookshire is a quaint rural |
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| 32 | 33 | | town that is the location of the Brookwood Community as well as |
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| 33 | 34 | | several international companies that serve as major employers; |
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| 34 | 35 | | while only parts of Waller and Katy are in the county, they are both |
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| 35 | 36 | | fast-growing cities that boast excellent schools and contribute |
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| 36 | 37 | | greatly to the culture and prosperity of the area; and |
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| 37 | 38 | | WHEREAS, Honoring their rich heritage as they work toward |
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| 38 | 39 | | building an even brighter future, the citizens of Waller County |
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| 39 | 40 | | have many reasons to be proud of the place they call home; now, |
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| 40 | 41 | | therefore, be it |
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| 41 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 42 | 43 | | Legislature hereby recognize February 3, 2015, as Waller County Day |
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| 43 | 44 | | at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere |
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| 44 | 45 | | best wishes for an enjoyable stay in Austin. |
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