H.R. No. 331 R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, Proud residents of Lee County are gathering in Austin on February 28, 2023, to celebrate Lee County Day at the State Capitol; and WHEREAS, In the years before it became part of Texas, the area now known as Lee County was home to the Tonkawa people; European exploration likely began in the area in the late 1600s, when Spanish colonist Domingo Terán de los Ríos laid out what would later become the Old San Antonio Road, a route that passed through present-day central Lee County; settlement was sparse until after the Texas Revolution, when there was an increase in immigration from Europe and the Southern states; and WHEREAS, Situated in the Claypan area of southeast Central Texas, Lee County was created on April 14, 1874; the economy was initially driven by wheat and corn production as well as cattle ranching, but cotton became increasingly important as a crop after 1900; in more recent decades, the oil and gas industry has also grown in the area; and WHEREAS, The seat of Lee County is Giddings, and other notable communities include Lexington, Dime Box, Lincoln, Fedor, Hills, Leo, Loebau, Manheim, Northrup, Serbin, Tanglewood, and Knobbs Springs; local residents and visitors enjoy a number of annual events, including the Lee County Fair, the Dime Box Black Bridge Festival and Mini Marathon, the Merry Marketplace Arts and Crafts Fair, and the Texas Word Wrangler Festival; and WHEREAS, Celebrating their rich and colorful history as they work together to build a bright future, the citizens of Lee County may take justifiable pride in the important role their unique region continues to play in the story of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas Legislature hereby recognize February 28, 2023, as Lee County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. Gerdes ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 331 was adopted by the House on February 28, 2023, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House