By Oakley                                              H.R. No. 424
       74R8634 SRD-F
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Since the founding of the first permanent settlement
    1-2  in Hunt County more than 140 years ago, the citizens of the area
    1-3  have exemplified the courageous and hardy spirit of Texas; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, McQuennie Howell Wright left Gibson, Tennessee, in
    1-5  1839 in a train of covered wagons bound for Texas to eventually
    1-6  settle in the area now known as Hunt County; and
    1-7        WHEREAS, The act of creating Hunt County named five men as
    1-8  town commissioners whose duty it was to organize the County of Hunt
    1-9  by the 1st Legislature at its first meeting in Austin on April 11,
   1-10  1846; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, This richly historical district began its long
   1-12  tradition of excellence during the 1840s, when Hunt County began to
   1-13  see industrious growth and the establishment of Greenville as the
   1-14  county seat; proprietors such as Ben Anderson, Lewis Moody, and
   1-15  Hamilton and Ben Oldham began the first store in the community; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, Under the direction of Judge O. M. Roberts, the
   1-17  first courthouse was established under the old twin oak,
   1-18  administering justice under a canopy until a more permanent
   1-19  structure could be built in 1859; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, Continuing its monumental growth and industrious
   1-21  spirit, J. M. Porter founded The Gladiator, Hunt County's first
   1-22  newspaper; others followed, with J. C.  Bayne's Greenville Morning
   1-23  Herald and The Banner ultimately merging to become The Greenville
   1-24  Herald-Banner; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, In 1852 the first church, Wesley Methodist Church,
    2-2  was established and served by circuit riders; although the church
    2-3  was Methodist, the building also served other denominations, as
    2-4  well as being the town hall, school, and courthouse; and
    2-5        WHEREAS, The late 1800s brought many civic organizations to
    2-6  Hunt County, such as the Odd Fellows, the Masons, the Knights of
    2-7  Pythias Lodge, the Knights of Honor, Woodmen of the World, the
    2-8  United Benevolent Society, the Good Templar Society, and the
    2-9  Federation of Woman's Clubs; and
   2-10        WHEREAS, In 1889, the growth of the region inspired the
   2-11  establishment of East Texas Normal College, beginning a tradition
   2-12  of graduating fine teachers; eventually the school became East
   2-13  Texas State University, a major university offering over 77 fields
   2-14  of study, including 15 doctoral programs; and
   2-15        WHEREAS, The commerce of the region required the founding of
   2-16  several banks and institutions, including the Hunt County Bank,
   2-17  Hunt County's first bank, the Commercial National Bank, the Hunt
   2-18  County State Bank, the Citizens Bank, and in 1910 the Greenville
   2-19  Area Chamber of Commerce; and
   2-20        WHEREAS, Sports have always been popular in Hunt County
   2-21  dating back to 1906 when such baseball greats as Walter (Hickory)
   2-22  Dickson and Monty Statton were produced in Wagner, along with
   2-23  Wright Ragdale, Bob Neyland, track and field great Edgar Albowich,
   2-24  who reached the pinnacle of fame as a member of the 1932 Olympic
   2-25  1600-meter relay team, setting a world record of 3:08.2, and
   2-26  all-American football great George Maddox; most recently the
   2-27  Celeste High School girls' basketball team has won the Texas state
    3-1  championship two consecutive years; and
    3-2        WHEREAS, Today, Hunt County boasts a population of almost
    3-3  100,000 citizens and derives its principal means of income from
    3-4  industries including E-Systems, Mary of Puddin' Hill, Lance
    3-5  Corporation, and Rubbermaid as well as continuing its proud
    3-6  tradition of farming such staples as cotton, peanuts, maize, and
    3-7  cattle; and
    3-8        WHEREAS, Rich in both history and tradition, Hunt County is a
    3-9  prosperous, forward-looking community fully participating in the
   3-10  state's dynamic growth, and it gives the members of the Texas House
   3-11  of Representatives great pleasure to join our fellow citizens in
   3-12  saluting Hunt County; now, therefore, be it
   3-13        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   3-14  Legislature hereby declare March 21, 1995, Hunt County Day at the
   3-15  Capitol and extend best wishes to the people of Hunt County on this
   3-16  noteworthy occasion.