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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 Rains County are visiting Austin |
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| 6 | 7 | | on April 25, 2017, to celebrate Rains County Day at the State |
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| 7 | 8 | | Capitol; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Situated between Lake Tawakoni and Lake Fork |
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| 9 | 10 | | Reservoir, Rains County is blessed with an abundant water supply |
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| 10 | 11 | | and fertile soil characteristic of the Blackland Prairie region; |
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| 11 | 12 | | the county was formed in the late 1800s from Hopkins, Hunt, and Wood |
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| 12 | 13 | | Counties and named in honor of Emory Rains, an early pioneer who |
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| 13 | 14 | | served in the Congress of the Republic of Texas; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, Rains County initially prospered as an agricultural |
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| 15 | 16 | | and ranching center and today enjoys a diverse economy that |
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| 16 | 17 | | includes oil production, manufacturing, and tourism; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, The county seat, Emory, which was originally known |
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| 18 | 19 | | as Springville, is now the county's largest town, with a population |
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| 19 | 20 | | of approximately 1,200; it is home to the annual Eagle Fest |
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| 20 | 21 | | celebration held in the winter, when the area lakes are the home of |
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| 21 | 22 | | many American bald eagles and other rare birds; and |
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| 22 | 23 | | WHEREAS, The City of Point was incorporated in the 1960s and |
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| 23 | 24 | | is recognized as the birthplace of the National Farmers Union, an |
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| 24 | 25 | | organization that has grown to include 200,000 members; the 10 |
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| 25 | 26 | | founding fathers of the NFU are memorialized by a historic monument |
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| 26 | 27 | | in the city, which incorporates a statue of the union's founder, |
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| 27 | 28 | | Isaac Newton Gresham, and a display of the flags of the NFU's member |
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| 28 | 29 | | states; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, The county's youngest municipality, East Tawakoni, |
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| 30 | 31 | | was incorporated in 1967 and has experienced significant growth in |
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| 31 | 32 | | recent years; this resort area offers residents the benefits of a |
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| 32 | 33 | | relaxed rural community while providing easy access to Dallas; |
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| 33 | 34 | | notably, the city is connected to its counterpart, West Tawakoni in |
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| 34 | 35 | | Hunt County, by the new Two-Mile Bridge; completed in 2016, this |
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| 35 | 36 | | impressive structure replaced the original Two-Mile Bridge, which |
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| 36 | 37 | | was built across Lake Tawakoni in 1959 and was the longest bridge |
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| 37 | 38 | | serving a farm-to-market road at the time of its construction; and |
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| 38 | 39 | | WHEREAS, One of the smallest counties in the state, but one of |
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| 39 | 40 | | the fastest growing in the nation, Rains County is indeed playing a |
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| 40 | 41 | | vital role in the prosperity of the Lone Star State, and it is a |
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| 41 | 42 | | pleasure to join with our fellow Texans in saluting the county and |
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| 42 | 43 | | its fine citizens; now, therefore, be it |
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| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 44 | 45 | | Legislature hereby recognize April 25, 2017, as Rains County Day at |
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| 45 | 46 | | the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere |
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| 46 | 47 | | best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. |
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