H.R. No. 730
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, On May 7, 1995, residents of Lavaca County will
    1-2  gather for the dedication of a Texas historical marker
    1-3  commemorating the area's Shiloh settlement, and this marker will
    1-4  stand as a symbol of our continuing commitment to preserving our
    1-5  state's rich heritage; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, Located northeast of Hallettsville, the marker
    1-7  honors one of the first groups of settlers to arrive in Lavaca
    1-8  County in the 1850s; this hardy and determined group of 30 families
    1-9  from Mississippi named their community Shiloh in honor of the
   1-10  church they had left behind; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, The majority of the settlers were Methodist, and one
   1-12  of their first priorities was the construction of a building to
   1-13  serve as both church and school; when the pioneers were joined by
   1-14  German settlers in the 1880s, they generously offered the use of
   1-15  their building for the immigrants' Lutheran church services as
   1-16  well; and
   1-17        WHEREAS, In 1901, the German settlers formally organized St.
   1-18  John Lutheran Church; the church merged with a nearby congregation
   1-19  in Mixon Creek in 1922, and services moved to a new church building
   1-20  one mile to the west; and
   1-21        WHEREAS, Shiloh's community school operated for nearly a
   1-22  century until 1952, when students transferred to the nearby
   1-23  Hallettsville school system; and
   1-24        WHEREAS, Local residents then followed the resourceful and
    2-1  community-spirited example of their forebears by purchasing the old
    2-2  school building and converting it for public use; the building thus
    2-3  continued to serve the people of Lavaca County as a polling place
    2-4  and as a site for family gatherings, memorial services, and other
    2-5  community activities; and
    2-6        WHEREAS, The unique and colorful history of the Lone Star
    2-7  State is a vital part of our shared culture as Texans, and the
    2-8  preservation of the state's relics and historic sites is a noble
    2-9  cause deserving of highest praise and recognition; now, therefore,
   2-10  be it
   2-11        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-12  Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of a Texas historical
   2-13  marker at the site of the Shiloh settlement and commend local
   2-14  residents and the Texas Historical Commission for preserving this
   2-15  chapter of our state's proud history.