H.R. No. 144
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of Wise County are visiting Austin on
March 7, 2023, to celebrate Wise County Day at the State Capitol;
and
WHEREAS, Located in the northwestern part of the state, Wise
County was established on January 23, 1856; the county was carved
out of Cooke County by legislative act and named in honor of Henry
A. Wise, a U.S. congressman from Virginia who had supported the
annexation of Texas; at the same time as it created Wise County, the
legislature decreed that its county seat be established within five
miles of the county's center, and two years later that new community
became known as Decatur, after the naval hero Stephen Decatur; and
WHEREAS, The eastern fork of the Chisholm Trail passed near
Decatur during the latter half of the 19th century, and the town
prospered as a shipping point and market for local farmers; today,
it is a center for natural gas production, specialty carbon and
graphite manufacturing, and health care, as well as marketing and
processing for area agribusiness; and
WHEREAS, Decatur is also home to some of the best
professional rodeo cowboys and bull riders in the world; the many
champions who have lived or trained in the community include one of
the most decorated rodeo cowboys of all time, Trevor Brazile, as
well as Tuf Cooper and Texas Rodeo Hall of Famer Roy Cooper, both of
the famed Cooper family; and
WHEREAS, Visitors to Wise County are drawn by such historic
attractions as the Waggoner Mansion, the Wise County Heritage
Museum, the Wise County Veterans Park, and the pink granite Wise
County Courthouse, which was completed in 1896; the county also
offers a variety of recreational opportunities at Lake Bridgeport,
Eagle Mountain Lake, and the Caddo-Lyndon B. Johnson National
Grasslands; in addition, area residents commemorate their heritage
with the annual Butterfield Stage Days Festival in May, the Wise
County Old Settlers Reunion in July, and the Chisholm Trail Days and
Western Heritage Festival in August; and
WHEREAS, Celebrating their history as they embrace the
opportunities of the future, the citizens of Wise County take great
pride in their community, and it is indeed fitting to honor their
unique contributions to the story of the Lone Star State; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 7, 2023, as Wise County Day at
the State Capitol and extend a warm welcome to the visiting
delegation.
Stucky
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 144 was adopted by the House on March
7, 2023, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House