1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 303 |
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2 | 2 | | WHEREAS, Citizens of Van Zandt County are gathering at the |
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3 | 3 | | State Capitol on March 5, 2019, to commemorate Van Zandt County |
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4 | 4 | | Day and to celebrate the significant role their home has played |
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5 | 5 | | in the story of the Lone Star State; and |
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6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Created by an Act of the Texas Legislature on |
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7 | 7 | | March 20, 1848, this county in the northeast region of Texas was |
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8 | 8 | | named for Isaac Van Zandt, a lawyer who served as a legislator and |
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9 | 9 | | diplomat for the Republic of Texas; and |
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10 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Canton, the county seat, was laid out in 1850 and |
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11 | 11 | | incorporated in 1919; designated a Main Street City in 2001, it |
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12 | 12 | | is home to the Van Zandt County Fair and Rodeo, as well as one of |
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13 | 13 | | the nation's best-known flea markets, First Monday Trade Days; |
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14 | 14 | | the city is also the location of the Library of Genealogy and |
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15 | 15 | | Local History, which preserves the county's heritage and draws |
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16 | 16 | | researchers from far and near; and |
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17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, The county's other notable communities include |
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18 | 18 | | Ben Wheeler, which was named in 1878 for Benjamin F. Wheeler, an |
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19 | 19 | | early mail carrier in Van Zandt County; and |
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20 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Edgewood, which was first settled in the 1840s, |
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21 | 21 | | hosts the Edgewood Heritage Festival every November at the |
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22 | 22 | | Heritage Park Museum; this popular attraction is dedicated to the |
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23 | 23 | | preservation of rural culture and architecture; and |
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24 | 24 | | WHEREAS, Named after a figure from the Bible, Edom is one |
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25 | 25 | | of the oldest towns in the county, and it is home to 11 state |
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26 | 26 | | historical markers, many of them researched by members of the |
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27 | 27 | | Edom Historical Society; the residents of this small community |
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28 | 28 | | also give hearty support to an active civic theater and popular |
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29 | 29 | | arts fairs; and |
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30 | 30 | | WHEREAS, A 1901 petition by local fruit growers prompted |
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31 | 31 | | the renaming of Bolan Switch to Fruitvale; the town had boasted a |
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32 | 32 | | fruit nursery as early as the 1870s and also had a lumber shipping |
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33 | 33 | | business by the second decade of the 20th century, but Fruitvale |
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34 | 34 | | was not incorporated until the 1960s; and |
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35 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Originally called Jordan's Saline, Grand Saline |
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36 | 36 | | was the first county seat, and it takes its name from an immense |
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37 | 37 | | dome of pure salt that lies beneath the city; more than a mile and |
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38 | 38 | | a half wide and 16,000 feet thick, the deposit is now mined by the |
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39 | 39 | | Morton Salt company; named a Main Street City in 2004, the |
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40 | 40 | | community celebrates its heritage with the Salt Palace, a house |
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41 | 41 | | built out of salt blocks, and an annual Salt Festival; the town is |
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42 | 42 | | also the birthplace of pioneer aviator Wiley Post, whose life is |
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43 | 43 | | commemorated with a historical marker; and |
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44 | 44 | | WHEREAS, Martin's Mill was established in the valley of Cream |
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45 | 45 | | Level Creek before the Civil War; it got its name from Daniel |
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46 | 46 | | G. Martin, who opened a gin and gristmill there in 1875; and |
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47 | 47 | | WHEREAS, The community of Van was established in 1894, and |
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48 | 48 | | it remained a quiet farming community until 1929, when the |
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49 | 49 | | discovery of oil in the area transformed the village into a |
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50 | 50 | | boomtown; the Van Area Oil and Historical Museum and the annual |
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51 | 51 | | Oil Pageant & Festival recapture the excitement of that time; and |
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52 | 52 | | WHEREAS, Wills Point was named for William Wills, who |
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53 | 53 | | settled in the area in the 1840s and whose homestead became a way |
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54 | 54 | | station for travelers; his original cabin still stands in Bruce |
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55 | 55 | | Park, and the old Texas and Pacific Railroad depot features |
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56 | 56 | | exhibits of local history; as the official Bluebird Capital of |
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57 | 57 | | Texas, Wills Point hosts the annual Bluebird Festival every |
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58 | 58 | | April; and |
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59 | 59 | | WHEREAS, Major events in the county include the Western |
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60 | 60 | | Swing Valentine Party in Canton, the Edom Festival of the Arts, |
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61 | 61 | | and the Relay for Life of Van Zandt County; for the outdoor |
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62 | 62 | | enthusiast, the Neches and Sabine Rivers, Purtis Creek State |
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63 | 63 | | Park, and Lake Tawakoni State Park offer fine opportunities for |
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64 | 64 | | fishing, boating, swimming, camping, and hiking; the county |
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65 | 65 | | prospers thanks to agriculture, oil and gas, and recreational |
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66 | 66 | | opportunities, and the region is a major producer of hay, sweet |
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67 | 67 | | potatoes, beef cattle, and nursery crops; and |
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68 | 68 | | WHEREAS, The people of Van Zandt County take great pride in |
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69 | 69 | | their rich history as they work together to build an even |
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70 | 70 | | brighter future, and it is indeed fitting to honor them and their |
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71 | 71 | | unique contributions to the story of the Lone Star State; now, |
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72 | 72 | | therefore, be it |
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73 | 73 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th |
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74 | 74 | | Legislature, hereby recognize March 5, 2019, as Van Zandt County |
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75 | 75 | | Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation |
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76 | 76 | | sincere best wishes for an informative and enjoyable stay in |
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77 | 77 | | Austin. |
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78 | 78 | | Hall |
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79 | 79 | | ________________________________ |
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80 | 80 | | President of the Senate |
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81 | 81 | | I hereby certify that the |
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82 | 82 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
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83 | 83 | | the Senate on March 5, 2019. |
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84 | 84 | | ________________________________ |
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85 | 85 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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86 | 86 | | ________________________________ |
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87 | 87 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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