By Driver, Hill, Reyna H.R. No. 349 74R7328 PFG-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Many proud residents of the city of Garland will 1-2 travel to the State Capitol on April 19, 1995, to celebrate Garland 1-3 Day in Austin; and 1-4 WHEREAS, This thriving North Texas community was established 1-5 along the junction of several major railroads in the late 1800s; 1-6 originally known as Duck Creek and Embry, it was renamed in honor 1-7 of H. A. Garland, who served as United States attorney general 1-8 under Grover Cleveland, and was incorporated in 1891; and 1-9 WHEREAS, Beginning as a rural farming community, the town 1-10 grew slowly but steadily during its first 50 years, attaining a 1-11 population of just over 2,000 people in 1940, but the nation's 1-12 growing industrial needs during World War II brought several new 1-13 businesses to Garland and, by the end of the decade, the population 1-14 had increased to over 10,000 residents; today, Garland's population 1-15 has swelled to more than 196,000, making it the ninth largest city 1-16 in Texas and one of the 98 largest cities in the United States; and 1-17 WHEREAS, This growth has been fostered by the visionary 1-18 leadership of the Garland City Council and the Garland Chamber of 1-19 Commerce who recently joined forces to form an innovative 1-20 City/Chamber Partnership for Economic Development that will create 1-21 a more effective public/private team for enhancing the city's 1-22 economy to ensure that Garland will continue to offer the economic 1-23 diversity, job growth, and favorable business climate that has 1-24 characterized its expansion and made the city an ideal place to 2-1 live and work through the years; and 2-2 WHEREAS, A major center for manufacturing in North Texas, 2-3 Garland has been successful in attracting new business and industry 2-4 to the area with its proximity to six major thoroughfares and 2-5 access to raw materials, factors which recently swayed 2-6 Interceramic, the largest manufacturer of ceramic floor tile in 2-7 North America, to locate its new state-of-the-art facilities in the 2-8 city; with the community's strong manufacturing base, as well as 2-9 its thriving electronics industry, Garland has indeed become a key 2-10 distribution hub for the Southwest; and 2-11 WHEREAS, The community's location near the city of Dallas 2-12 affords residents many of the cultural opportunities that the 2-13 Dallas Metroplex has to offer while still allowing Garland 2-14 residents to maintain their own unique history and identity; with 2-15 numerous performing arts centers, museums, and theaters, Garland 2-16 provides its residents with many avenues of artistic and musical 2-17 expression; and 2-18 WHEREAS, Situated by the shores of the beautiful and scenic 2-19 Lake Ray Hubbard, Garland offers abundant recreational activities 2-20 such as boating, fishing, waterskiing, and swimming; for those who 2-21 prefer a quieter form of relaxation, the 105-foot, double-deck 2-22 paddle wheeler Texas Queen provides romantic dinner cruises along 2-23 the picturesque lake; and 2-24 WHEREAS, The people of Garland take justifiable pride in the 2-25 many economic and recreational opportunities that their city 2-26 offers, as well as in the natural beauty of the region; they 2-27 celebrate their colorful heritage and spirit throughout the year 3-1 with festivals such as the Labor Day Parade, the July 4th 3-2 Celebration, the International Bazaar, and the Chamber Golf 3-3 Tournament benefitting national merit scholars; and 3-4 WHEREAS, The city also had the recent privilege of seeing its 3-5 former mayor, the honorable Charles Matthews, win election to 3-6 statewide office as a member of the Railroad Commission of Texas, 3-7 and the experience and expertise he brings to that position are a 3-8 source of pride for the community; and 3-9 WHEREAS, Blessed with abundant commercial and natural 3-10 resources and an energetic and forward-looking population, this 3-11 unique city and its exceptional citizens have played a significant 3-12 role in Texas' development, and their many contributions to the 3-13 Lone Star State are indeed worthy of special legislative 3-14 recognition; now, therefore, be it 3-15 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 3-16 Legislature hereby recognize April 19, 1995, as Garland Day at the 3-17 Capitol and join the citizens of Garland in paying tribute to one 3-18 of Texas' finest cities; and, be it further 3-19 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-20 forwarded to the city of Garland as a commemoration of this grand 3-21 occasion and as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of 3-22 Representatives.