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