1-1                                       1

 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 375

 1-3           WHEREAS, Loyal citizens of Hunt County will journey to the

 1-4     State Capitol on Tuesday, March 25, 1997, to pay tribute to their

 1-5     beloved county and to share with state leaders their vision of

 1-6     Hunt County's unique role in Texas; and

 1-7           WHEREAS, The first legislature authorized the organization

 1-8     of Hunt County at its first meeting in Austin on April 11, 1846;

 1-9     Hunt County was created with five men as town commissioners; and

1-10           WHEREAS, With the establishment of Greenville as the county

1-11     seat, Hunt County began to experience dynamic growth during the

1-12     1840s; Ben and Hamilton Oldham founded the first store in the

1-13     community; and

1-14           WHEREAS, Following the leadership of Judge O. M. Roberts,

1-15     the first courthouse was built under the old oak tree, and justice

1-16     was dispensed beneath a canopy until the permanent structure was

1-17     constructed in 1859; and

1-18           WHEREAS, With continuing growth and pioneering spirit,

1-19     Hunt County's first paper, The Gladiator, was founded by

1-20     J. M. Porter; next, J. C. Bayne established the two newspapers

1-21     which later merged into The Greenville Herald-Banner; and

1-22           WHEREAS, The community's first church, Wesley Methodist

1-23     Church, was established in 1852 and it was manned by circuit riders;

 2-1     and

 2-2           WHEREAS, The church building was used as the town hall,

 2-3     courthouse, and school, as well as a place where other denominations

 2-4     could meet for church services; and

 2-5           WHEREAS, Many civic organizations began to come to Hunt County

 2-6     in the late 1800s, among them were Knights of Honor, Odd Fellows,

 2-7     Woodmen of the World, Knights of Pythias, Masons, and the Good

 2-8     Templar Society; and

 2-9           WHEREAS, Commerce burgeoned in the region, requiring the

2-10     establishment of several commercial banks and lending institutions;

2-11     in 1910, the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce was organized; and

2-12           WHEREAS, East Texas Normal College was instituted in 1889

2-13     as growth continued in the area; graduates of the college became

2-14     highly qualified teachers, and the school became East Texas State

2-15     University in 1965; and

2-16           WHEREAS, The citizens of Hunt County are to be commended for

2-17     their industriousness and for their gracious hospitality toward

2-18     those who visit the beautiful county; now, therefore, be it

2-19           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

2-20     75th Legislature, hereby declare March 25, 1997, Hunt County Day

2-21     at the State Capitol and extend best wishes to its citizens for a

2-22     most memorable and joyous celebration; and, be it further

2-23           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be presented as a

2-24     memento of this grand day.

2-25                                                    Cain

 3-1           Armbrister           Harris              Patterson

 3-2           Barrientos           Haywood             Ratliff

 3-3           Bivins               Lindsay             Shapiro

 3-4           Brown                Lucio               Shapleigh

 3-5           Carona               Luna                Sibley

 3-6           Duncan               Madla               Truan

 3-7           Ellis                Moncrief            Wentworth

 3-8           Fraser               Nelson              West

 3-9           Gallegos             Nixon               Whitmire

3-10           Galloway             Ogden               Zaffirini

3-11                      Bullock, President of the Senate

3-12                                  ______________________________________

3-13                                          President of the Senate

3-14                                       I hereby certify that the above

3-15                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate

3-16                                  on March 25, 1997.

3-17                                  ______________________________________

3-18                                          Secretary of the Senate

3-19                                  ______________________________________

3-20                                           Member, Texas Senate