By:  Ratliff                                         S.C.R. No. 107
                             SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, On March 29, 1995, the first annual Hopkins County
    1-2  Day will be celebrated by the proud citizens of Hopkins County in
    1-3  recognition of their illustrious county and its contributions to
    1-4  the State of Texas; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, Hopkins County is an area of 793 square miles; the
    1-6  soil in the region ranges from black waxy in the west to light
    1-7  sandy loam in the east; an average rainfall of 39.6 inches per year
    1-8  produces many kinds of trees, including short leaf pine, red cedar,
    1-9  black walnut, hickory, oak, and pecan; and
   1-10        WHEREAS, The area of Hopkins County was originally occupied
   1-11  by tribes of the Caddo confederacy; the first permanent
   1-12  Anglo-American settlement was made in the eastern part of the
   1-13  county by William and Harvey Hargrave in December, 1842, and was
   1-14  named Sulphur Bluff; and
   1-15        WHEREAS, On May 25, 1846, the county was created out of Lamar
   1-16  and Nacogdoches counties and was named for the David Hopkins
   1-17  family; and
   1-18        WHEREAS, Known as the Dairy Capital of the Southwest, Hopkins
   1-19  County is home to 490 dairies and boasts the Southwest Dairy
   1-20  Center, a white stone facility with a five-story silo which houses
   1-21  a conference room and a library; the center has dioramas and
   1-22  vignettes of early-day dairying as well as many artifacts and
   1-23  historical documents on exhibition throughout the center; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, Hopkins County is a prosperous region with an
    2-2  economy based primarily on agriculture; cotton, corn, and oats are
    2-3  the principal crops; vegetables and fruits, especially
    2-4  strawberries, are produced in the eastern part of the county; and
    2-5        WHEREAS, On July 1, 1870, the government officially made
    2-6  Sulphur Springs the county seat; the Hopkins County Courthouse,
    2-7  built in 1895 of Texas red granite and limestone, is one of 13
    2-8  designed by architect J. Riley Gordon; and
    2-9        WHEREAS, The three-story structure is a Greek cross with a
   2-10  square central staircase and quarter circular entrance porches in
   2-11  each corner of the front with massive archways; the building was
   2-12  adapted to the Romanesque Revival style favored by the architect,
   2-13  and the edifice was included in the national register of historic
   2-14  places in 1976; and
   2-15        WHEREAS, The Hopkins County Museum and Heritage Park are
   2-16  exhibitions that cause the past to come alive; they are a
   2-17  collection of early day Hopkins County buildings and memorabilia
   2-18  unique to the local area; the museum is open on weekends and
   2-19  several annual events such as Civil War Days, a folk festival, and
   2-20  Christmas arts and crafts are held here each year; and
   2-21        WHEREAS, Proud of its colorful history, residents of the
   2-22  county will celebrate their rich heritage on March 29, 1995; now,
   2-23  therefore, be it
   2-24        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   2-25  hereby congratulate the residents of Hopkins County on the grand
    3-1  occasion of Hopkins County Day; and, be it further
    3-2        RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be prepared for
    3-3  Hopkins County Day in recognition of this momentous event and as an
    3-4  expression of appreciation from the Texas Legislature.