H.R. No. 471 R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, Citizens from Denton County are gathering in Austin on March 22, 2023, to celebrate Denton County Day at the State Capitol; and WHEREAS, Located in North Texas and serving as the gateway to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Denton County was created from the Peters colony grant by the Texas Legislature in 1846 and named for pioneer preacher, lawyer, and soldier John Bunyan Denton; the early years of the county saw its emergence as an agricultural center, and the arrival of the railroads in the 1880s ensured that the region's wheat and cotton would find distribution across the country; and WHEREAS, The county has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, and with a population of about 980,000, Denton is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation; it has drawn a number of corporate residents as well, including Federal Express, Sally Beauty Holdings, Target, WinCo, Safran, and Peterbilt Motors; and WHEREAS, The city of Denton, the county seat, is home to the University of North Texas and Texas Woman's University, which were founded as Texas Normal College and Girls' Industrial College in 1890 and 1903, respectively; nearby Corinth hosts a campus of North Central Texas College, which offers technical and occupational classes to residents throughout the county and beyond, and the area is further served by 11 public school districts educating thousands of young Texans at nearly 100 facilities; and WHEREAS, Other attractions in the area include the wilderness of the North Texas Greenbelt and the architecture of the Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square; moreover, the county is part of the North Texas Horse Country, which is one of the largest regions for horse breeding and training in the southwestern United States, and the county also boasts the second-largest sports facility in the nation, the Texas Motor Speedway, which draws hundreds of thousands of race fans each year; and WHEREAS, The citizens of this notable North Texas county are working to preserve the best of their past even as they look forward to a bright and promising future, and they are sure to figure prominently in the story of the Lone Star State in the years ahead; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas Legislature hereby recognize March 22, 2023, as Denton County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. Stucky ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 471 was adopted by the House on March 16, 2023, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House