H.R. No. 214
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Many proud citizens of Lamar County are visiting the
State Capitol on March 7-9, 2017, to celebrate the 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 was the first county seat, and Mount Vernon later 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, At the turn of the century, Lamar 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 Fortune 500 companies
Campbell Soup Company, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and NextEra
Energy Resources; 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 12-mile Tour de Paris bike race 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, Lamar County is one of the Lone Star State's great
treasures, and it is indeed a pleasure to honor its residents as
they look forward to a bright and promising future; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 7-9, 2017, as Lamar County Days
at the State Capitol and extend to the delegation sincere best
wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin.
VanDeaver
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 214 was adopted by the House on
February 23, 2017, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House