By Olivo                                               H.R. No. 330
         76R7472 JHS-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, Many proud residents of Fort Bend County will travel
 1-2     to Austin on March 3, 1999, to celebrate Fort Bend County Day at
 1-3     the Capitol; and
 1-4           WHEREAS, Created in 1837, Fort Bend County was named for a
 1-5     bend on the Brazos River where members of Stephen F. Austin's Old
 1-6     Three Hundred settled in the 1820s; Richmond, the county seat, was
 1-7     officially established on January 13, 1838, the same year that the
 1-8     county was formally organized; and
 1-9           WHEREAS, Fort Bend County soon became home to a diverse mix
1-10     of citizens that included Czech immigrants, African Americans,
1-11     Mexican Americans, railroad workers, and oil men; many significant
1-12     characters in Texas and American history have passed through the
1-13     county over the years, including Texas pioneer Jane Long and famed
1-14     temperance leader Carry Nation, who began her crusade against
1-15     "demon rum" in the city of Richmond; and
1-16           WHEREAS, Located on the fertile Gulf Coastal Plain, the
1-17     county has a rich history of farming and ranching, although today
1-18     the area's residents also rely on the production of oil, minerals,
1-19     and other natural resources to keep the economy strong; and
1-20           WHEREAS, Fort Bend County's colorful past lives on in its
1-21     many historic sites, memorials, and museums, such as the Fort Bend
1-22     County Historical Museum, which has earned recognition as one of
1-23     the state's best small museums; in addition, the George Ranch
1-24     Historical Park offers visitors the unique opportunity to step back
 2-1     in time and experience life in three different periods of Texas
 2-2     history, as the park is home to an 1820s farmstead, an 1890s
 2-3     Victorian mansion, and a 1930s cattle ranch; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, Other recreational and tourist opportunities abound,
 2-5     including Decker Park, McFarlane House, the Long-Smith Cottage, and
 2-6     the beautiful Fort Bend County Courthouse, which has merited
 2-7     inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places; Brazos Bend
 2-8     State Park offers an unparalleled opportunity to observe the rugged
 2-9     natural beauty and diverse wildlife of this region, and watchful
2-10     visitors may catch glimpses of deer, coyotes, Russian boar,
2-11     American alligators, and a host of migratory birds that inhabit the
2-12     park's woodlands and marshes; and
2-13           WHEREAS, The citizens of Fort Bend County are justifiably
2-14     proud of this attractive and bountiful region, for this
2-15     fast-growing county and its exceptional citizens have played a
2-16     significant role in Texas' development, and their many
2-17     contributions to the Lone Star State are truly worthy of special
2-18     recognition; now, therefore, be it
2-19           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
2-20     Legislature hereby designate March 3, 1999, as Fort Bend County Day
2-21     at the Capitol and extend a warm welcome to the county's visiting
2-22     citizens; and, be it further
2-23           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-24     prepared for prominent display in Fort Bend County as a
2-25     commemoration of this grand occasion and as an expression of high
2-26     regard by the Texas House of Representatives.