| 1 | 1 | | 88R19284 BPG-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Nichols S.C.R. No. 45 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Beloved for its profusion of blossoms, the dogwood |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | tree provides one of the most spectacular highlights of springtime |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | in the Lone Star State, and the city of Palestine has long been |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | renowned for its abundance of these beautiful trees and for its |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | famous Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration; and |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | WHEREAS, Dogwoods, which are native to the Palestine area, |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | can grow to a height of 30 feet and feature a broad canopy of |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | branches that burst into bloom in March and April in East Texas; the |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | result is a dazzling floral display of majestic white and rosy pink |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | petals; and |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, The Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration traces its |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | origins to 1938, when local residents Charles W. Woodbridge and |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | Eugene Fish discussed their shared appreciation of the trees and |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | hatched the idea of creating an event to showcase the many dogwoods |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | in and around Palestine; their plan became a reality in 1939, when |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | more than 20,000 people took part in the inaugural Dogwood Trails |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | gathering; and |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, In the early years, visitors had to drive rough and |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | often muddy roads and trudge through densely wooded areas to get a |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | glimpse of the loveliest blooms; to make the trees more accessible, |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | organizers sought permission to use a plot of land north of the city |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | owned by E. W. and H. R. Link; it contained several groves of |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | dogwood trees, and with the help of volunteers, a formal trail |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | system was completed there in 1941; it became a permanent |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | attraction after M. A. Davey purchased the central portion of the |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | tract and gifted it to Anderson County; the 254-acre Davey Dogwood |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | Park was named in his honor and today features miles of roads and |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | hike-and-bike trails; and |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Over the years, the dogwood trails have remained a |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | source of great pride to the people of Palestine, who have |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | contributed time and labor to maintain the trees and trails for the |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | enjoyment of locals and visitors alike; their efforts have helped |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | make their city an extremely popular springtime destination, with |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | thousands of people flocking to Davey Dogwood Park and other area |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | locations for the trails and celebration; and |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | WHEREAS, There is an intrinsic and undeniable joy in |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | witnessing the delicate splendor of a dogwood tree in bloom, and |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | through the efforts of several generations of citizens, the trails |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | have become an essential part of the identity and character of |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | Palestine; now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | hereby designate Palestine as the official Dogwood Trails Capital |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | of Texas; and, be it further |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | 391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | passed by the legislature. |
|---|