By Ramsay H.C.R. No. 190 75R10794 SAJ-F HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, April 7, 1997, 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 area's 1-18 lumber industry; specialized farming became a major industry after 1-19 a sweet potato curing plant was established in 1913, and Christmas 1-20 trees, hay, watermelons, poultry, and dairy products were soon 1-21 added to the list of commodities being produced in the county; 1-22 Jarvis Christian College was founded in Hawkins in 1912, and the 1-23 discovery of oil near that community in 1940 brought still another 1-24 lucrative business to the region; 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" and 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 antitrust laws and 2-26 promote fair business practices; and 2-27 WHEREAS, Wood County Day is an appropriate occasion for the 3-1 Texas Legislature to recognize the county and its residents by 3-2 commending them for their notable achievements; now, therefore, be 3-3 it 3-4 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 3-5 hereby declare April 7, 1997, as Wood County Day at the State 3-6 Capitol and join its citizens as they celebrate their county's 3-7 greatness; and, be it further 3-8 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-9 prepared for Wood County as an expression of the admiration and 3-10 appreciation of the Texas House of Representatives and Senate.