1-1     By:  Brown (Senate Sponsor - Cain)                    H.C.R. No. 31
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House February 9, 1999;
 1-3     February 10, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Administration; April 30, 1999, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 30, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                         HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-7           WHEREAS, Since long before even the Osage Indians knew its
 1-8     value, the bois d'arc tree has thrived in northeast Texas, and the
 1-9     city of Commerce sits at the very heart of the geographic region to
1-10     which this famed and multipurpose tree is native; and
1-11           WHEREAS, The earliest residents of Texas used the bois d'arc
1-12     for dyes, fuel, and their bows and arrows that so amazed the first
1-13     French explorers;  fence posts, wagon wheels, tools, and bois d'arc
1-14     bricks would follow, as later settlers learned the true worth of
1-15     the Osage orange; and
1-16           WHEREAS, It is an extremely hard wood, very durable, and it
1-17     possesses a natural fungicide; there was a time when many banks in
1-18     Texas would not finance a home unless it was built on sure-to-last
1-19     bois d'arc blocks; and
1-20           WHEREAS, During the lean and grim days of the Dust Bowl,
1-21     countless Texas bois d'arc seedlings were shipped across the Great
1-22     Plains to create thousands of miles of living fence, slowing
1-23     erosion and providing  much-needed shade for beleaguered farmers
1-24     and their families; and
1-25           WHEREAS, In tribute to this useful and hardy native, the city
1-26     of Commerce has hosted its Annual Bois d'Arc Bash every September
1-27     for more than a decade; with a variety of cultural, historical,
1-28     educational, and recreational activities, the popular event is
1-29     indeed a memorable one and famed across the state; and
1-30           WHEREAS, The city's appreciation for the tree has earned it
1-31     considerable notice, for Texas Monthly, Texas Highways, and
1-32     Southern Living magazines have all featured stories of the Commerce
1-33     bois d'arc  celebration, and Tumbleweed Smith has highlighted the
1-34     event on his popular radio program, "The Sound of Texas"; and
1-35           WHEREAS, Perhaps the centerpiece of all this bois d'arc ardor
1-36     is "Max," a 300-year-old giant of a bois d'arc that is listed as a
1-37     Famous and Historic Tree by American Forests; and
1-38           WHEREAS, The fine citizens of Commerce are justifiably proud
1-39     of the important role the bois d'arc tree has played in their long
1-40     and colorful history, and in turn their enthusiasm has made all of
1-41     Texas more aware of that role; their determined and successful
1-42     efforts have rightfully earned their city distinction as the
1-43     Official Bois d'Arc Capital of Texas; now, therefore, be it
1-44           RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas
1-45     hereby declare Commerce in Hunt County as the Official Bois d'Arc
1-46     Capital of Texas; and, be it further
1-47           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
1-48     prepared for prominent display in Commerce, the Official Bois d'Arc
1-49     Capital of Texas.
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