SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 72
WHEREAS, Many proud citizens of Lamar County are visiting
the State Capitol on Lamar County Day 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 Mirabeau B. Lamar, who
served as president of the Republic of Texas; 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 for retail trade,
farming, and medical care and home to three Fortune 500 companies,
Campbell Soup Company, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and Florida
Power and Light; the city's newest major employer is James Skinner
Baking Company; Paris 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
offering school choice; beautiful local recreation areas include
Wade Park, Lake Gibbons, Lake Crook, and the Sam Bell Maxey House
State Historic Site; every summer, citizens enjoy the Tour de
Paris bicycle 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 red cowboy hat; and
WHEREAS, The industrious residents of this vital 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 Senate of the State of Texas, 84th
Legislature, hereby recognize the residents of Lamar County on
Lamar County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the delegation
sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit; and, be
it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in
honor of this special day.
Eltife
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 2, 2015.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate