By Patterson                                         H.C.R. No. 223

         75R12410 PAN-F                           

                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, On April 30, 1997, the Legislature of the State of

 1-2     Texas is pleased to join the citizens of Fannin County in a joyous

 1-3     celebration of the first Fannin County Day to be held at the State

 1-4     Capitol; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, Located in northeast Texas along the Red River

 1-6     Valley, Fannin County was the first original county created in 1837

 1-7     by the Congress of the Republic of Texas from Red River County; and

 1-8           WHEREAS, The county once consisted of land including all or

 1-9     parts of 26 present-day counties, spanning over 350 miles; Fannin

1-10     County was reduced in size in 1846 when its western boundary was

1-11     fixed, and its remaining 906 square miles of rich top soil are

1-12     drained by the Red River and Bois d'Arc Creek; and

1-13           WHEREAS, Named for Colonel James Walker Fannin, the Texas

1-14     hero killed in the massacre at Goliad in 1836, the area attracted

1-15     its first permanent settlement that same year when several families

1-16     arrived to build their homes on the rolling prairie and were soon

1-17     followed by others who settled along the Red River; and

1-18           WHEREAS, The county seat is the city of Bonham, founded in

1-19     1836 by Judge Bailey Inglish, who originally named the settlement

1-20     Bois d'Arc after the native trees predominant in the area; the name

1-21     of the town was changed to Bonham in 1844 in honor of James B.

1-22     Bonham, famous messenger in the Battle of the Alamo; and

1-23           WHEREAS, Bonham is known for its favorite son, Sam Rayburn,

1-24     who began his political career in the Texas House of

 2-1     Representatives, where he served one year as speaker; the

 2-2     distinguished Texan later went to Washington, D.C., where he was a

 2-3     congressman for 48 years and speaker of the U.S. House of

 2-4     Representatives for 17 years, longer than any other individual in

 2-5     history; and

 2-6           WHEREAS, The Bonham Area Chamber of Commerce was established

 2-7     in 1886 as the Board of Trade; renamed the chamber of commerce in

 2-8     1926, it has been instrumental in bringing jobs and new residents

 2-9     to Bonham and Fannin County, and it is the driving force for social

2-10     and economic change; now, therefore, be it

2-11           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

2-12     hereby extend best wishes to the citizens of Fannin County for a

2-13     most enjoyable and successful Fannin County Day; and, be it further

2-14           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

2-15     prepared for Fannin County as a memento of this grand occasion and

2-16     as an expression of high regard by the Texas Legislature.