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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 citizens of Van Zandt County are gathering at |
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| 6 | 7 | | the State Capitol on March 7, 2017, to commemorate Van Zandt County |
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| 7 | 8 | | Day and to celebrate the significant role their home has played in |
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| 8 | 9 | | the story of the Lone Star State; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Created by an Act of the Texas Legislature on March |
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| 10 | 11 | | 20, 1848, this county in the northeast region of Texas was named for |
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| 11 | 12 | | Isaac Van Zandt, a lawyer who served as a legislator and diplomat |
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| 12 | 13 | | for the Republic of Texas; and |
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| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Canton, the county seat, was laid out in 1850 and |
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| 14 | 15 | | incorporated in 1919; designated a Main Street City in 2001, it is |
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| 15 | 16 | | home to the Van Zandt County Fair and Rodeo, as well as one of the |
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| 16 | 17 | | nation's best-known flea markets, First Monday Trade Days; the city |
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| 17 | 18 | | is also the location of the Library of Genealogy and Local History, |
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| 18 | 19 | | which preserves the county's heritage and draws researchers from |
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| 19 | 20 | | far and near; and |
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| 20 | 21 | | WHEREAS, The county's other notable communities include Ben |
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| 21 | 22 | | Wheeler, which was named in 1878 for Benjamin F. Wheeler, an early |
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| 22 | 23 | | mail carrier in Van Zandt County; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, Edgewood, which was first settled in the 1840s, |
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| 24 | 25 | | hosts the Edgewood Heritage Festival every November at the Heritage |
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| 25 | 26 | | Park Museum; this popular attraction is dedicated to the |
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| 26 | 27 | | preservation of rural culture and architecture; and |
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| 27 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Named after a figure from the Bible, Edom is one of |
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| 28 | 29 | | the oldest towns in the county, and it is home to 11 state |
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| 29 | 30 | | historical markers, many of them researched by members of the Edom |
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| 30 | 31 | | Historical Society; the residents of this small community also give |
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| 31 | 32 | | hearty support to an active civic theater and popular arts fairs; |
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| 32 | 33 | | and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, A 1901 petition by local fruit growers prompted the |
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| 34 | 35 | | renaming of Bolan Switch to Fruitvale; the town had boasted a fruit |
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| 35 | 36 | | nursery as early as the 1870s and also had a lumber shipping |
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| 36 | 37 | | business by the second decade of the 20th century, but Fruitvale was |
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| 37 | 38 | | not incorporated until the 1960s; and |
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| 38 | 39 | | WHEREAS, Originally called Jordan's Saline, Grand Saline was |
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| 39 | 40 | | the first county seat, and it takes its name from an immense dome of |
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| 40 | 41 | | pure salt that lies beneath the city; more than a mile and a half |
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| 41 | 42 | | wide and 16,000 feet thick, the deposit is now mined by the Morton |
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| 42 | 43 | | Salt company; named a Main Street City in 2004, the community |
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| 43 | 44 | | celebrates its heritage with the Salt Palace, a house built out of |
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| 44 | 45 | | salt blocks, and an annual Salt Festival; the town is also the |
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| 45 | 46 | | birthplace of pioneer aviator Wiley Post, whose life is |
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| 46 | 47 | | commemorated with a historical marker; and |
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| 47 | 48 | | WHEREAS, Martin's Mill was established in the valley of Cream |
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| 48 | 49 | | Level Creek before the Civil War; it got its name from Daniel |
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| 49 | 50 | | G. Martin, who opened a gin and gristmill there in 1875; and |
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| 50 | 51 | | WHEREAS, The community of Van was established in 1894, and it |
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| 51 | 52 | | remained a quiet farming community until 1929, when the discovery |
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| 52 | 53 | | of oil in the area transformed the village into a boomtown; the Van |
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| 53 | 54 | | Area Oil and Historical Museum and the annual Oil Pageant & Festival |
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| 54 | 55 | | recapture the excitement of that time; and |
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| 55 | 56 | | WHEREAS, Wills Point was named for William Wills, who settled |
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| 56 | 57 | | in the area in the 1840s and whose homestead became a way station |
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| 57 | 58 | | for travelers; his original cabin still stands in Bruce Park, and |
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| 58 | 59 | | the old Texas and Pacific Railroad depot features exhibits of local |
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| 59 | 60 | | history; as the official Bluebird Capital of Texas, Wills Point |
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| 60 | 61 | | hosts the annual Bluebird Festival every April; and |
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| 61 | 62 | | WHEREAS, Major events in the county include the Western Swing |
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| 62 | 63 | | Valentine Party in Canton, the Edom Festival of the Arts, and the |
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| 63 | 64 | | Relay for Life of Van Zandt County; for the outdoor enthusiast, the |
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| 64 | 65 | | Neches and Sabine Rivers, Purtis Creek State Park, and Lake |
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| 65 | 66 | | Tawakoni State Park offer fine opportunities for fishing, boating, |
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| 66 | 67 | | swimming, camping, and hiking; home to more than 53,000 people, the |
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| 67 | 68 | | county prospers thanks to agriculture, oil and gas, and tourism; |
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| 68 | 69 | | the region is a major producer of hay, sweet potatoes, beef cattle, |
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| 69 | 70 | | and nursery crops; and |
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| 70 | 71 | | WHEREAS, The people of Van Zandt County take great pride in |
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| 71 | 72 | | their rich history as they work together to build an even brighter |
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| 72 | 73 | | future, and it is indeed fitting to honor them and their unique |
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| 73 | 74 | | contributions to the story of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, |
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| 74 | 75 | | be it |
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| 75 | 76 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 76 | 77 | | Legislature hereby recognize March 7, 2017, as Van Zandt County Day |
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| 77 | 78 | | at the State Capitol and extend best wishes to the visiting |
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| 78 | 79 | | residents of the county for an informative and enjoyable stay in |
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| 79 | 80 | | Austin. |
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