By Uher                                                H.R. No. 493
       74R9080 PFG-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The first native Texan to serve the state as
    1-2  governor, James Stephen Hogg helped to write the legend of the Lone
    1-3  Star State with his colorful life and vast achievements, which
    1-4  continue to profoundly influence our state nearly a century after
    1-5  his death; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, The son of a prominent lawyer, farmer, and
    1-7  politician, he was born to a life of privilege near the town of
    1-8  Rusk in 1851; his family's fortune took a turn for the worse during
    1-9  the Civil War, which claimed the life of his father,  a Confederate
   1-10  general; soon afterward, his mother passed away, leaving the Hogg
   1-11  children in charge of the family plantation and struggling to make
   1-12  ends meet; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, Taking a job as a typesetter with a local newspaper
   1-14  while still in his teens, James Stephen Hogg was soon running his
   1-15  own newspapers and later served local citizens as a justice of the
   1-16  peace in Quitman; it was during this period that he married Sallie
   1-17  Stinson, with whom he enjoyed a rewarding partnership that produced
   1-18  four children who, like their father, would leave a lasting and
   1-19  beneficial imprint on Texas; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, In his youth, he aided in the taming of the Texas
   1-21  frontier by assisting local law enforcement and made a swift and
   1-22  full recovery after being shot in the back by outlaws, displaying
   1-23  the great tenacity, courage, and physical vigor that characterized
   1-24  his remarkable life; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, Throughout these early years, he diligently studied
    2-2  the law, earning his license to practice in 1875, and within a few
    2-3  years was elected the county attorney of Wood County; later, while
    2-4  serving as  district attorney, he gained a reputation as the most
    2-5  aggressive prosecutor in the state, bolstering the appeal of the
    2-6  Democratic Party and winning the admiration of area citizens, who
    2-7  urged him to run for higher office; and
    2-8        WHEREAS, This visionary statesman eventually heeded their
    2-9  advice, winning election to the office of attorney general in 1886,
   2-10  in which capacity he championed the rights of citizens over
   2-11  unscrupulous businesses and trusts and wrested control of the East
   2-12  Line Railroad from the rail baron Jay Gould, beginning a political
   2-13  crusade against the era's powerful railroad corporations; and
   2-14        WHEREAS, Promising to safeguard the public interest and to
   2-15  bring the railroads under control, James Stephen Hogg was elected
   2-16  governor of Texas in 1891, and, true to his word, he was
   2-17  instrumental in the establishment of the Railroad Commission, the
   2-18  direct predecessor of the proud agency that continues to serve
   2-19  Texans today; and
   2-20        WHEREAS, During his illustrious tenure, Governor Hogg
   2-21  successfully promoted many pieces of major legislation that would
   2-22  benefit generations of Texans and, as a proud native son, supported
   2-23  The University of Texas and Texas A&M University systems and
   2-24  secured vital funding for the division of state archives to fulfill
   2-25  its worthy mission of preserving Texas' bold history; and
   2-26        WHEREAS, Returning to private life and the practice of law in
   2-27  1896, Governor Hogg continued to maintain a fervent interest in
    3-1  politics and, through wise investments, also was able to restore
    3-2  his family to its former prosperity; today visitors to picturesque
    3-3  Brazoria County can tour his graceful plantation home at the
    3-4  Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Park, which is located near
    3-5  the town of West Columbia; and
    3-6        WHEREAS, Governor James Stephen Hogg helped to shape the
    3-7  noble destiny of the Lone Star State to the lasting benefit of all
    3-8  Texans, and it is indeed a great pleasure for the members of this
    3-9  chamber to join with our fellow citizens at this time in saluting
   3-10  this brilliant native son; now, therefore, be it
   3-11        RESOLVED, That the Texas House of Representatives hereby
   3-12  recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of Texas Governor James
   3-13  Stephen Hogg and his rich contributions to the development of our
   3-14  state as we commemorate his 144th birthday; and, be it further
   3-15        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   3-16  prepared for prominent display at the Varner-Hogg Plantation State
   3-17  Historic Park in Brazoria County.