88R13055 CJM-D
By: Bell of Kaufman H.R. No. 345
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Proud residents of Athens are gathering in Austin on
February 28, 2023, for Athens Day at the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Athens was first incorporated in 1856, and through
the decades, this charming East Texas town has seen significant
growth; today, its diverse economic base includes industrial
manufacturing and other businesses in addition to farming and
livestock ventures; education is a key element in the town's
productivity, with Trinity Valley Community College and the area's
other schools helping residents to prepare for the future; and
WHEREAS, The county seat of Henderson County, Athens is home
to a growing number of wineries, restaurants, and shops, and it has
been called the Black-Eyed Pea Capital of the World for the years
when "cowpeas" were a major crop for the local farming community;
Athens was also named the Original Home of the Hamburger by the
Texas Legislature in tribute to the role that local resident
Fletcher Davis played in the creation of this American favorite;
and
WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy such cultural
institutions as the East Texas Arboretum and Botanical Society, the
Henderson County Performing Arts Center, the Cain Center, the
Henderson County Regional Fairpark Complex, and the Texas
Freshwater Fisheries Center, where 300,000 gallons of aquarium
exhibits feature a wide variety of native Texas fish in natural
environments; and
WHEREAS, This lovely town continues to be one of the Lone Star
State's great assets and an outstanding area in which to live, work,
and raise a family, and its citizens may indeed take pride in the
place they call home; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize February 28, 2023, as Athens Day at
the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere
best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin.