Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HR830 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R22161 BPG-D
2	2	By: Walle H.R. No. 830
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7	7	R E S O L U T I O N
8	8	WHEREAS, The Westcott Cemetery Association and Harris County
9	9	Historical Commission are celebrating the dedication of the
10	10	Historic Texas Cemetery Medallion and name plaque for the McDaniel
11	11	Street Cemetery on April 19, 2025; and
12	12	WHEREAS, In the 1850s, Richard Westcott, a future Harris
13	13	County commissioner, bought nearly 700 acres of land and
14	14	established a homestead; following the death of his wife, Almira,
15	15	in 1869, he began to give parcels from that property to his
16	16	children; Jennie Gammon Westcott Kendall was eventually given the
17	17	land on which the family cemetery was located, and four years later,
18	18	she made the graveyard available for community use; and
19	19	WHEREAS, Jennie Kendall eventually sold some of the land from
20	20	her parcel to a small group of neighbors, including the McDaniel,
21	21	McDonald, Cours, Farmer, and Schuller families; the remainder of
22	22	her land became part of the cemetery; John Farmer, who owned the
23	23	property just west of the cemetery, added another three quarters of
24	24	an acre of burial grounds, and McDaniel Street became the southern
25	25	boundary of the cemetery; in order to fund cemetery upkeep,
26	26	Mr. Farmer ultimately sold other land that he owned; and
27	27	WHEREAS, In the 1960s, the cemetery became inactive, but
28	28	volunteers continued to maintain it until at least 2005; Pastor
29	29	David L. Smith of New Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church led
30	30	cleanup efforts between 2013 and 2018, when the Westcott Cemetery
31	31	Association was formed by three descendants of the early settlers;
32	32	the nonprofit organization received legal conservatorship in 2021
33	33	and the name McDaniel Street Cemetery was adopted; the group has
34	34	since undertaken such conservation measures as mapping graves,
35	35	repairing markers, and installing fencing, and it has partnered
36	36	with the Texas Historical Commission and the Harris County
37	37	Historical Commission in its endeavors; and
38	38	WHEREAS, The McDaniel Street Cemetery is the final resting
39	39	place for settlers who braved many hardships while forging a
40	40	close-knit community, and this marker is a fitting tribute to the
41	41	resilience of these men and women and to the commitment of their
42	42	descendants who have worked to preserve this site; now, therefore,
43	43	be it
44	44	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
45	45	Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of the Historic Texas
46	46	Cemetery Medallion and name plaque for the McDaniel Street Cemetery
47	47	and commend all those involved in securing this designation.