By Kamel                                       H.C.R. No. 131

      75R6705 JTR-D                           

                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, On March 11 and 12, 1997, many proud residents of

 1-2     Tyler will be in Austin to celebrate Tyler Days at the State

 1-3     Capitol, and this festive occasion offers an ideal opportunity to

 1-4     extol the city's many virtues; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, Nestled among the Piney Woods of East Texas, Tyler's

 1-6     great natural beauty goes hand in hand with the energy and

 1-7     amenities of a bustling modern city, and its residents take

 1-8     justifiable pride in their remarkable hometown; and

 1-9           WHEREAS, Tyler has through the years benefited greatly from

1-10     the region's abundant natural resources, and agriculture has long

1-11     provided a strong foundation for the local economy; cotton was

1-12     originally the predominant cash crop, but by the turn of the

1-13     century the area was shipping 100 railroad cars of peaches a day

1-14     and more strawberries than the rest of the state combined; and

1-15           WHEREAS, A devastating peach blight in 1902 soon revealed

1-16     itself as a blessing in disguise, as farmers turned to growing  the

1-17     roses that are now Tyler's most famous export; by the 1940s, more

1-18     than half the nation's rose bushes came from Tyler, and today the

1-19     city is renowned as the home of the Texas Rose Festival and the

1-20     Municipal Rose Garden and Museum; and

1-21           WHEREAS, In 1930, the area's sandy loam yielded up a

1-22     different kind of bounty when the East Texas oil field was

1-23     discovered, and the petroleum industry quickly became a mainstay of

1-24     the local economy, joined more recently by manufacturing and the

 2-1     timber industry; and

 2-2           WHEREAS, Tyler is also acknowledged to be the area's

 2-3     preeminent medical and educational center, and the presence of

 2-4     numerous state-of-the-art health care facilities ensures the

 2-5     well-being of local citizens, while the city's top-flight colleges

 2-6     and university open new vistas of learning and opportunity to

 2-7     thousands of students each year; and

 2-8           WHEREAS, The city's recreational options are many and varied,

 2-9     and visitors may choose between such diverse and appealing

2-10     destinations as the Caldwell Zoo, the Carnegie History Center,

2-11     Hudnall Planetarium, and the Tyler Museum of Art, while fishing and

2-12     boating enthusiasts can pursue their pleasures at Lakes Palestine,

2-13     Tyler, and Tyler East; and

2-14           WHEREAS, Despite its many noteworthy attributes, Tyler's

2-15     greatest asset continues to be its dynamic and friendly citizens,

2-16     and even as they look back with pride and affection on the city's

2-17     notable past, they eagerly embrace the challenges and opportunities

2-18     that lie ahead; now, therefore, be it

2-19           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

2-20     hereby designate March 11 and 12, 1997, as Tyler Days at the State

2-21     Capitol and extend a warm welcome to the Tyler delegation; and, be

2-22     it further

2-23           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

2-24     prepared for the delegation as an expression of high regard by the

2-25     Texas House of Representatives and Senate.