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.