By Brown of Kaufman                                    H.R. No. 275
         76R5839 GMW-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, On March 15, 1999, many proud residents of Kaufman
 1-2     County will gather in Austin to celebrate Kaufman County Day at the
 1-3     State Capitol; and
 1-4           WHEREAS, In 1840 William P. King and a group of 40 pioneers
 1-5     built King's Fort in this broad, fertile valley in northeast Texas,
 1-6     establishing the region's first settlement, which became a major
 1-7     attraction to settlers from across the land; and
 1-8           WHEREAS, Kaufman County was formally established in 1848 from
 1-9     part of Henderson County and was named for David Spangler Kaufman,
1-10     a member of the Texas Legislature and the United States Congress;
1-11     the town of King's Fort was later renamed Kaufman and became the
1-12     county seat in 1851; and
1-13           WHEREAS, From 1880 to 1930 the population in this thriving
1-14     agricultural county almost tripled, and throughout this period the
1-15     area's main crop was corn; following the Great Depression, Kaufman
1-16     County was still predominantly rural, but beginning in the 1960s a
1-17     shift toward a more urban community occurred; and
1-18           WHEREAS, By the 1970s the eastward spread of Dallas had
1-19     furthered the commercial development of Kaufman County and with it
1-20     the population levels began to rise, eventually reaching its
1-21     current total of more than 58,000 citizens; while still retaining
1-22     its agricultural economy, Kaufman County currently is reaping the
1-23     benefits of more diverse economic development, including an influx
1-24     of manufacturing and trade industries; and
 2-1           WHEREAS, With its proximity to Dallas, Kaufman County
 2-2     residents enjoy many of the amenities afforded by one of the
 2-3     nation's major cities while preserving their identity as a
 2-4     family-oriented community and an ideal place in which to live,
 2-5     work, and raise a family; and
 2-6           WHEREAS, Kaufman County is a history-rich, prosperous, and
 2-7     forward-looking community that is fully participating in the
 2-8     state's dynamic growth, and it is indeed appropriate that the
 2-9     citizenry of this county be given special recognition at this time;
2-10     now, therefore, be it
2-11           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
2-12     Legislature hereby recognize March 15, 1999, as Kaufman County Day
2-13     at the State Capitol and join the citizens of that county in paying
2-14     tribute to one of Texas' finest communities; and, be it further
2-15           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-16     prepared for prominent display in Kaufman County as a commemoration
2-17     of this grand occasion and as an expression of high regard by the
2-18     Texas House of Representatives.