H.R. No. 537
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to join
    1-2  the citizens of Erath County in the joyous celebration of Erath
    1-3  County Day at the Capitol on April 4, 1995; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, Located in West Central Texas, the county was
    1-5  created in 1855 out of a land patent that was awarded to the heirs
    1-6  of John Blair for his outstanding service at the Battle of the
    1-7  Alamo; his heirs later conveyed a portion of the land to John M.
    1-8  Stephen, for whom the city of Stephenville was named, and he
    1-9  contracted the services of the county's namesake, noted surveyor
   1-10  George B. Erath; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, Its prime location has helped the county to
   1-12  flourish, and it continues to contribute greatly to the state's
   1-13  economic prosperity; the county enjoys a strong and diversified
   1-14  economic base, with agriculture as its leading industry, and it is
   1-15  recognized as the top dairy county in the state; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, In 1992, the state comptroller of public accounts
   1-17  ranked Erath County as one of the top five rural counties in Texas
   1-18  for its economic development over a five-year period, and the city
   1-19  of Stephenville, its county seat, was listed as one of the 100 best
   1-20  small towns in America in a book recently compiled by Norman
   1-21  Crampton; and
   1-22        WHEREAS, The county also is proud to host one of the region's
   1-23  outstanding institutions of higher education, Tarleton State
   1-24  University, which was founded in 1899 through a bequest by pioneer
    2-1  citizen John Tarleton; the school continues to flourish today as a
    2-2  member of The Texas A&M University System; and
    2-3        WHEREAS, Erath County enjoys a rich cultural heritage and
    2-4  unique folklore; some claim that Dublin, its second largest
    2-5  community, was named for the practice of "doubling in" the wagons
    2-6  during Indian raids, while others say it was named for a popular
    2-7  stagecoach stop, the Double-Inn; and
    2-8        WHEREAS, Every March, the community proudly boasts of its
    2-9  ties to the capital city of Ireland with its jubilant St. Patrick's
   2-10  Day celebration; Dublin also has earned renown as the site of the
   2-11  oldest Dr Pepper bottling plant in the world, which is the only
   2-12  facility that currently markets the original Dr Pepper formula; and
   2-13        WHEREAS, Recognized as the "Cowboy Capital of the Nation,"
   2-14  Erath County earned that distinction by being home to a number of
   2-15  world-class rodeo athletes, including Ty Murray, who won his sixth
   2-16  consecutive National Championship All-Around Cowboy title at the
   2-17  1994 National Finals Rodeo; and
   2-18        WHEREAS, Rich in culture and tradition, Erath County is a
   2-19  prosperous, forward-looking region and a leading participant in the
   2-20  state's dynamic growth, and it gives the members of this chamber
   2-21  great pleasure to join with our fellow citizens in saluting this
   2-22  fine Texas county; now, therefore, be it
   2-23        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-24  Legislature hereby designate April 4, 1995, as Erath County Day at
   2-25  the Capitol and extend best wishes to all its citizens on this
   2-26  noteworthy occasion; and, be it further
   2-27        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
    3-1  prepared for the citizens of Erath County as an expression of high
    3-2  regard by the Texas House of Representatives.