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