By Oakley                                        H.R. No. 334

      75R8766 BNL-F                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, Since the founding of the first permanent settlement

 1-2     in Kaufman County more than 150 years ago, the citizens of the area

 1-3     have exemplified the independent and industrious spirit of Texas;

 1-4     and

 1-5           WHEREAS, The history of this Northeast Texas community dates

 1-6     back to the days of the Republic of Texas when Dr. William P. King

 1-7     established the first permanent settlement on the upper Blackland

 1-8     Prairie; overlooking a broad fertile valley, this settlement, known

 1-9     as King's Fort and later Kingsborough, became the nucleus of the

1-10     thriving agricultural community we know today as Kaufman County;

1-11     and

1-12           WHEREAS, By 1843, the area around King's Fort had begun to

1-13     attract other settlers in sufficient numbers that the old garrison,

1-14     renamed Kingsborough, became the hub of activity for the rapidly

1-15     growing territory; and

1-16           WHEREAS, Within a decade, growth in the territory had

1-17     warranted its political organization, and in 1848 a rising young

1-18     political figure named John H. Reagan introduced a bill in the

1-19     Texas Legislature creating this new county, which was named in

1-20     honor of another prominent Texas statesman, David S. Kaufman; and

1-21           WHEREAS, In an election held in March 1851, the residents of

1-22     Kaufman County selected the town of Kingsborough, which occupied

1-23     the county's approximate geographic center, as the new county seat;

1-24     in November of that year, the activities of county government were

 2-1     moved to the county seat, which by then had been renamed Kaufman;

 2-2     and

 2-3           WHEREAS, In December 1885, the county commissioners voted to

 2-4     build a new county courthouse that would adequately reflect the

 2-5     community's confidence in its continued growth and prosperity;

 2-6     standing for over 70 years, this venerable stone courthouse not

 2-7     only served Kaufman County but came to symbolize the community's

 2-8     stability and enduring social values; and

 2-9           WHEREAS, In 1955, a modern courthouse was erected in Kaufman,

2-10     ushering in a new era of growth for the community as the local

2-11     economy began to diversify from its traditional agricultural base;

2-12     and

2-13           WHEREAS, While still retaining its agricultural economy,

2-14     Kaufman County currently is reaping the benefits of broadened

2-15     economic development, including an influx of manufacturing and

2-16     trade industries; and

2-17           WHEREAS, Part of the Dallas Standard Metropolitan Statistical

2-18     Area, Kaufman County offers its residents the best of the two

2-19     worlds; its residents enjoy many of the amenities afforded by one

2-20     of the nation's major cities while they retain their identity as a

2-21     close-knit, family-oriented community in the finest traditions of

2-22     Texas' rural past; and

2-23           WHEREAS, Rich in history and tradition, Kaufman County is a

2-24     prosperous, forward-looking community fully participating in the

2-25     state's dynamic growth, and it gives the members of this

2-26     legislative body great pleasure to join our fellow citizens in

2-27     saluting this fine Texas community; now, therefore, be it

 3-1           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

 3-2     Legislature hereby recognize March 17, 1997, as Kaufman County Day

 3-3     at the Capitol and extend best wishes to all of its citizens on

 3-4     this noteworthy occasion.