S.R. No. 476
1-1 SENATE RESOLUTION
1-2 WHEREAS, Since the founding of the first permanent
1-3 settlement in Hunt County more than 140 years ago, the citizens
1-4 of the area have exemplified the courageous and hardy spirit of
1-5 Texas; and
1-6 WHEREAS, McQuennie Howell Wright left Gibson, Tennessee, in
1-7 1839 in a train of covered wagons bound for Texas to eventually
1-8 settle in the area now known as Hunt County; and
1-9 WHEREAS, The act creating Hunt County named five men as town
1-10 commissioners whose duty it was to organize the County of Hunt by
1-11 the 1st Legislature at its first meeting in Austin on April 11, 1846;
1-12 and
1-13 WHEREAS, This richly historical district began its long
1-14 tradition of excellence during the 1840s when Hunt County began to
1-15 see industrious growth and the establishment of Greenville as the
1-16 county seat; proprietors such as Ben Anderson, Lewis Moody, and
1-17 Hamilton and Ben Oldham began the first store in the community; and
1-18 WHEREAS, Under the direction of Judge O. M. Roberts,
1-19 the first courthouse was established under the old twin oak,
1-20 administering justice under a canopy until a more permanent
1-21 structure could be built in 1859; and
1-22 WHEREAS, Continuing its monumental growth and industrious
1-23 spirit, J. M. Porter founded The Gladiator, Hunt County's
2-1 first newspaper; others followed, with J. C. Bayne's Greenville
2-2 Morning Herald and The Banner ultimately merging to become
2-3 The Greenville Herald-Banner; and
2-4 WHEREAS, In 1852 the first church, Wesley Methodist Church,
2-5 was established and served by circuit riders; although the church
2-6 was Methodist, the building also served other denominations as well
2-7 as being the town hall, school, and courthouse; and
2-8 WHEREAS, The late 1800s brought many civic organizations to
2-9 Hunt County, such as the Odd Fellows, the Masons, the Knights of
2-10 Pythias Lodge, the Knights of Honor, Woodmen of the World, the
2-11 United Benevolent Society, the Good Templar Society, and the
2-12 Federation of Woman's Clubs; and
2-13 WHEREAS, In 1889, the growth of the region inspired the
2-14 establishment of East Texas Normal College, beginning a tradition
2-15 of graduating fine teachers; eventually the school became East Texas
2-16 State University, a major university offering over 77 fields of
2-17 study, including 15 doctoral programs; and
2-18 WHEREAS, The commerce of the region required the founding
2-19 of several banks and institutions, including the Hunt County Bank,
2-20 Hunt County's first bank, the Commercial National Bank, the
2-21 Hunt County State Bank, the Citizens Bank, and, in 1910, the
2-22 Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce; and
2-23 WHEREAS, Sports have always been popular in
2-24 Hunt County dating back to 1906 when such baseball greats as
2-25 Walter "Hickory" Dickson and Monty Statton were produced in
3-1 Wagner, along with Wright Ragdale, Bob Neyland, track and field
3-2 great Edgar Albowich who reached the pinnacle of fame as a member
3-3 of the 1932 Olympic 1,600-meter relay team, setting a world record
3-4 of 3:08.2, and All-American football great George Maddox; most
3-5 recently the Celeste High School girls basketball team has won the
3-6 Texas state championship two consecutive years; and
3-7 WHEREAS, Today, Hunt County boasts a population of almost
3-8 100,000 citizens and derives its principal means of income from
3-9 industries including E-Systems, Mary of Puddin' Hill, Lance
3-10 Corporation, and Rubbermaid as well as continuing its proud
3-11 tradition of farming such staples as cotton, peanuts, maize,
3-12 and cattle; and
3-13 WHEREAS, Rich in both history and tradition, Hunt County is
3-14 a prosperous, forward-looking community fully participating in the
3-15 state's dynamic growth, and it gives the members of the Texas Senate
3-16 great pleasure to join our fellow citizens in saluting Hunt County;
3-17 now, therefore, be it
3-18 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
3-19 74th Legislature, hereby declare March 21, 1995, Hunt County
3-20 Day at the Capitol and extend best wishes to the people of
3-21 Hunt County on this noteworthy occasion.
3-22 Cain
3-23 Armbrister Leedom Rosson
3-24 Barrientos Lucio Shapiro
3-25 Bivins Luna Sibley
4-1 Brown Madla Sims
4-2 Ellis Moncrief Truan
4-3 Gallegos Montford Turner
4-4 Galloway Nelson Wentworth
4-5 Harris Nixon West
4-6 Haywood Patterson Whitmire
4-7 Henderson Ratliff Zaffirini
4-8 Bullock, President of the Senate
4-9 ______________________________________
4-10 President of the Senate
4-11 I hereby certify that the above
4-12 Resolution was adopted by the Senate
4-13 on March 21, 1995.
4-14 ______________________________________
4-15 Secretary of the Senate
4-16 ______________________________________
4-17 Member, Texas Senate