HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, On April 23, 1997, Washington County Day will be 1-2 celebrated by the proud citizens of that illustrious county in 1-3 recognition of the area's many significant contributions to the 1-4 State of Texas; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Located in southeast Central Texas, Washington 1-6 County has an area of 611 square miles drained principally by the 1-7 Brazos River, and its picturesque rolling terrain includes the 1-8 prairie and post oak belts; and 1-9 WHEREAS, The county was created in 1836 and organized the 1-10 following year and is renowned as the location of 1-11 Washington-on-the-Brazos, which was established in 1834 near the 1-12 location of a ferry that had been continuously operated on the 1-13 Brazos River since 1822; a "must see" for Texas history buffs, 1-14 Washington-on-the-Brazos achieved prominence during the Texas 1-15 Revolution as the site of the signing of the Texas Declaration of 1-16 Independence and the drafting of the constitution of the newly born 1-17 Republic of Texas; and 1-18 WHEREAS, Modern-day Washington County boasts a thriving 1-19 economy based primarily on manufacturing, agriculture, and 1-20 agribusiness, as well as a flourishing tourism industry; and 1-21 WHEREAS, The county seat of Brenham is home to the celebrated 1-22 Blue Bell Creameries, whose ice cream has delighted Texans for 1-23 generations, and Blinn Junior College, home of the back-to-back 1-24 National Football Championship team the Buccaneers; and 2-1 WHEREAS, Washington County has many stellar attractions to 2-2 offer both tourists and residents alike; Somerville Lake provides 2-3 some of the finest hunting and fishing to be found in the state 2-4 today, and colorful bluebonnet trails dot the highways and byways 2-5 during the springtime; and 2-6 WHEREAS, A number of the state's most unique and enjoyable 2-7 festivals also take place in Washington County; the Washington 2-8 County Fair is the oldest county fair in Texas and the town of 2-9 Chappell Hill hosts the popular Bluebonnet Festival in the spring 2-10 and Scarecrow Festival each fall; and 2-11 WHEREAS, Other notable celebrations occurring in Washington 2-12 County include the Burton Cotton Gin Festival and Brenham's 2-13 Maifest, an annual event honoring the area's proud German heritage; 2-14 and 2-15 WHEREAS, Washington County has long been regarded as a hotbed 2-16 of athletic excellence in the sport of baseball and the exceptional 2-17 success of local players has inspired many other area athletes into 2-18 taking up the bat and glove; and 2-19 WHEREAS, Adding to the rich cultural heritage of the area are 2-20 Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park, the Texas Baptist Historical 2-21 Museum, the Star of the Republic Museum, Brenham Heritage Museum, 2-22 as well as many other notable historic sites; and 2-23 WHEREAS, Preeminent among the county's finest assets are its 2-24 friendly and hospitable citizens, who have gone to great lengths to 2-25 make this lovely region a county that they are proud to call home; 2-26 and 2-27 WHEREAS, Renowned for Blue Bell, baseball, bluebonnets, bed 3-1 and breakfasts, and the Birthplace of Texas, Washington County is 3-2 truly one of the state's most outstanding counties, and the efforts 3-3 of its residents in preserving its unique beauty and heritage truly 3-4 merit special praise and recognition; now, therefore, be it 3-5 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 3-6 hereby designate April 23, 1997, as Washington County Day and offer 3-7 sincere best wishes to the county's fine citizens for a memorable 3-8 and joyous celebration; and, be it further 3-9 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-10 prepared for Washington County as a memento of this special day. Kubiak Laney Gutierrez Oliveira Alexander Haggerty Olivo Allen Hamric Palmer Alvarado Hartnett Patterson Averitt Hawley Pickett Bailey Heflin Pitts Berlanga Hernandez Place Bonnen Hightower Price Bosse Hilbert Puente Brimer Hilderbran Rabuck Burnam Hill Ramsay Carter Hinojosa Rangel Chavez Hirschi Raymond Chisum Hochberg Reyna of Bexar Christian Hodge Reyna of Dallas Clark Holzheauser Rhodes Coleman Horn Rodriguez Cook Howard Roman Corte Hunter Sadler Counts Hupp Seaman Crabb Isett Serna Craddick Jackson Shields Cuellar Janek Siebert Culberson Jones of Lubbock Smith Danburg Jones of Dallas Smithee Davila Junell Solis Davis Kamel Solomons Delisi Keel Staples Denny Keffer Stiles Driver King Swinford Dukes Krusee Talton Dunnam Kubiak Telford Dutton Kuempel Thompson Edwards Lewis of Tarrant Tillery Ehrhardt Lewis of Orange Torres Eiland Longoria Turner of Coleman Elkins Luna Turner of Harris Farrar McCall Uher Finnell McClendon Van de Putte Flores McReynolds Walker Gallego Madden West Galloway Marchant Williams Garcia Maxey Williamson Giddings Merritt Wilson Glaze Moffat Wise Goodman Moreno Wohlgemuth Goolsby Mowery Wolens Gray Naishtat Woolley Greenberg Nixon Yarbrough Grusendorf Oakley Zbranek _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 210 was adopted by the House on April 23, 1997, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 210 was adopted by the Senate on April 23, 1997, by a viva-voce vote. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _____________________ Date _____________________ Governor