By Lewis of Orange                                      H.R. No. 25
         76R1834 BE-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, The cultural, historical, and economic contributions
 1-2     of Orange County are of singular importance to the State of Texas
 1-3     and on January 25, 1999, a delegation of proud citizens from this
 1-4     distinguished county will be in Austin to celebrate their county's
 1-5     rich legacy to the state; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Clovis points and spearheads provide proof that even
 1-7     12,000 to 15,000 years ago, human endeavor was carving a niche for
 1-8     history out of the river bottoms and cypress swamps where the
 1-9     Sabine River meets the Gulf of Mexico; the Atakapan Indians left
1-10     little behind but burial mounds, stone weapons, and the shell
1-11     remains of their homes, yet they were among the first to settle and
1-12     prosper in this corner of Southeast Texas; and
1-13           WHEREAS, The years of competing French and Spanish claims
1-14     over territory in the area created a constant back-and-forth flow
1-15     of trappers, surveyors, soldiers, and settlers whose allegiances
1-16     often shifted as easily as the tides; when the waters cleared,
1-17     Texas had joined the United States, and in 1852 Orange County was
1-18     partitioned, with the county seat of Madison renamed Orange
1-19     following the town's incorporation in 1858; and
1-20           WHEREAS, Despite early uncertainty, residents of the area had
1-21     proved themselves to be highly resourceful and successful: river
1-22     traffic up and down the Sabine regularly hauled cotton and produce
1-23     grown in the rich soil, area forests provided a wealth of timber
1-24     for lumber and shipbuilding, and general mercantilism and industry
 2-1     promised sustained growth and fortune despite the looming Civil
 2-2     War; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, While the war years were grim, the prospects of
 2-4     Orange County recovered during Reconstruction as a restored Union
 2-5     whetted its appetite for commerce; expanded railroad networks,
 2-6     continued timber operations, and the increasingly important port
 2-7     activities of the area all served to fill county coffers; and
 2-8           WHEREAS, The discovery of oil in 1913 ushered in a new era
 2-9     for the county, as manufacturing, refining, population, and profits
2-10     all soared; in  1916,  port facilities were expanded and the
2-11     Sabine-Neches Waterway was dredged from Sabine Lake through Sabine
2-12     Pass and into the Gulf of Mexico, inviting further expansion of the
2-13     oil and chemical industries and providing the Port of Orange with
2-14     deep water operations; and
2-15           WHEREAS, World War II renewed the vigor and growth of Orange
2-16     County, and the economic prosperity fueled by wartime need
2-17     continued through the post-war boom as shipbuilding reached new
2-18     heights; DuPont, Allied, Spencer, Firestone, and Goodrich-Gulf all
2-19     opened plants in the area, and local farms  produced citrus, rice,
2-20     cotton, peas, soybeans, vegetables, nursery stock, cattle, and
2-21     crayfish for consumers across the state; and
2-22           WHEREAS, Today, Orange County stands as one of Texas' most
2-23     forward-looking regions; from the top of the 177-foot high Rainbow
2-24     Bridge over the Neches River and the canebrakes below, to Chemical
2-25     Row, an extraordinary miles-long run of steel, glass, catwalks, and
2-26     flames, Orange County is indeed special to Texas and to Texans; and
2-27           WHEREAS, The constant increase in tourists and traffic along
 3-1     the I-10 corridor between Texas and Louisiana has prompted the
 3-2     Texas Department of Transportation to build a Texas Travel
 3-3     Information Center in the area, and the new Tony Houseman State
 3-4     Park and Wildlife Management Area is a definite draw to tourists
 3-5     and residents alike, further guaranteeing the vitality and future
 3-6     potential of  beautiful and historic Orange County; now, therefore,
 3-7     be it
 3-8           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
 3-9     Legislature hereby recognize the many contributions of Orange
3-10     County and its citizens to the State of Texas  and that January 25,
3-11     1999, be declared Orange County Day at the Capitol as a special
3-12     tribute to one of Texas' finest counties; and, be it further
3-13           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-14     prepared for prominent display in Orange County as a commemoration
3-15     of this grand day and as an expression of highest regard by the
3-16     Texas House of Representatives.