| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Proud residents of Hawkins are celebrating the 150th |
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| 6 | 7 | | anniversary of their community in 2023; and |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Located in Wood County, Hawkins traces its roots to |
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| 8 | 9 | | 1873, when the town's first post office was established and the |
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| 9 | 10 | | Texas and Pacific Railway built lines through the area; by 1884, the |
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| 10 | 11 | | town was shipping a variety of products, including lumber, |
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| 11 | 12 | | shingles, livestock, and cotton, and it boasted five general |
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| 12 | 13 | | stores, five steam gristmills and cotton gins, three churches, two |
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| 13 | 14 | | hotels, and a district school; within the next few decades, Hawkins |
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| 14 | 15 | | saw the addition of a newspaper, the Hawkins Banner, numerous |
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| 15 | 16 | | businesses, and telephone service; in January 1913, the first |
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| 16 | 17 | | classes were held at Jarvis Christian Institute, located just east |
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| 17 | 18 | | of town, and the school later evolved into Jarvis Christian |
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| 18 | 19 | | University; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, In October 1940, the discovery of oil three and a |
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| 20 | 21 | | half miles from Hawkins transformed the area into a boomtown, with |
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| 21 | 22 | | the population expanding sixfold within a year; the Humble Oil and |
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| 22 | 23 | | Refining Company, which later became ExxonMobil, soon began |
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| 23 | 24 | | operating locally and continued to produce oil from the Hawkins |
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| 24 | 25 | | Field for decades; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Today, Hawkins is home to more than 1,200 people; |
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| 26 | 27 | | residents and visitors alike enjoy the picturesque scenery of the |
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| 27 | 28 | | northeastern Texas countryside, as well as a number of natural |
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| 28 | 29 | | attractions, including Lake Hawkins and the Little Sandy National |
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| 29 | 30 | | Wildlife Refuge; since 1995, the town has been designated as the |
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| 30 | 31 | | Pancake Capital of Texas, and the Hawkins Pancake Festival is held |
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| 31 | 32 | | each year in April; another beloved annual event, the Hawkins Oil |
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| 32 | 33 | | Festival, takes place in October; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Celebrating their rich history as they work to build |
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| 34 | 35 | | an even brighter future, the people of Hawkins are justifiably |
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| 35 | 36 | | proud of their community, and it is indeed fitting to honor their |
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| 36 | 37 | | contributions to the story of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, |
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| 37 | 38 | | be it |
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| 38 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 39 | 40 | | hereby commemorate the 150th anniversary of the city of Hawkins and |
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| 40 | 41 | | extend to its citizens sincere best wishes for the future; and, be |
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| 41 | 42 | | it further |
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| 42 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 43 | 44 | | prepared for the city as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 44 | 45 | | House of Representatives and Senate. |
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