By: Cain S.C.R. No. 151
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, May 11, 1995, is Wood County Day at the State
1-2 Capitol, and the Texas Legislature is pleased to join the citizens
1-3 of Wood County in honoring their county's important contributions
1-4 to our state; and
1-5 WHEREAS, Located in Northeast Texas at the western edge of
1-6 the pine belt, Wood County was created and organized from Van Zandt
1-7 County in 1850 and named for Governor George T. Wood; hilly and
1-8 heavily forested with sandy and alluvial soils, the county is
1-9 drained by the Sabine River and its tributaries; and
1-10 WHEREAS, Before Anglo-American civilization, the area was
1-11 home to the Caddo Indians; by the 1820s and 1830s settlers began
1-12 arriving, and in 1845 the village of Webster was established; the
1-13 early arrivals were planters, but because it was difficult to
1-14 transport cotton, ranching became the first profitable industry;
1-15 and
1-16 WHEREAS, Railroads came to the area in the 1870s and 1880s
1-17 bringing a growing population as well as increasing the lumbering
1-18 industry; specialized farming became a major industry after a sweet
1-19 potato curing plant was established in 1913; Christmas trees, hay,
1-20 watermelons, poultry, and dairy products add to the steadily
1-21 growing agribusiness; and Jarvis Christian College was founded in
1-22 1912; the discovery of oil in 1940 in the eastern part of the state
1-23 around Hawkins brought still another lucrative business; and
2-1 WHEREAS, This beautiful area of the state is one of the
2-2 showplaces of East Texas and is best known as a recreational and
2-3 retirement county; nicknamed "Lake Country" for the numerous
2-4 aquatic recreational facilities in the county, Wood County attracts
2-5 sportsmen from all over the world; the gigantic Lake Fork Reservoir
2-6 is known as the "Best Big Bass Lake in the State" where the state
2-7 record largemouth bass was pulled from its waters in 1993; and
2-8 WHEREAS, The residents of Wood County are a lively and
2-9 industrious people who are proud of their county's natural beauty
2-10 and in their own accomplishments in developing communities that
2-11 offer residents a wonderful place to live; and
2-12 WHEREAS, These communities host year-round festivities
2-13 honoring the county's heritage, crops, resources, and foliage;
2-14 following the seasons, the festivals include the Quitman Dogwood
2-15 Fiesta in March as well as the Hawkins Pancake Festival, the Spring
2-16 Trails in Winnsboro, Mineola May Days Bean Festival, Fourth of July
2-17 FreedomFest in Mineola, Sweet Potato Festival in Golden, Old
2-18 Settlers Reunion in August, Oil Festival in Hawkins in October,
2-19 Mineola's Dickens in the Pines Christmas, and the Winter Trails
2-20 Christmas Parade in Winnsboro; and
2-21 WHEREAS, Governor Hogg Shrine State Park in Quitman recalls
2-22 local and state history; it is named for the first native-born
2-23 governor of Texas, James Stephen Hogg, who did much to strengthen
2-24 public respect for law enforcement in the state and established the
2-25 Texas Railroad Commission to enforce state anti-trust laws and
3-1 promote fair business practices; and
3-2 WHEREAS, Wood County Day is an appropriate occasion for the
3-3 Texas Legislature to recognize the county and its residents by
3-4 commending them for their notable achievements; now, therefore, be
3-5 it
3-6 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
3-7 hereby declare May 11, 1995, as Wood County Day at the State
3-8 Capitol and join its citizens as they celebrate their county's
3-9 greatness; and, be it further
3-10 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be prepared for Wood
3-11 County as an expression of the admiration and appreciation of the
3-12 Texas Legislature.