By Clark                                               H.R. No. 452
         76R9027 BE-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, On March 24, 1999, a delegation of Gainesville
 1-2     residents will travel to Austin to celebrate their city's many
 1-3     valuable contributions to the history of the Lone Star State; and
 1-4           WHEREAS, Gainesville is the county seat of Cooke County and
 1-5     one of the oldest cities in North Central Texas; the area's first
 1-6     Anglo settlers were affiliated with the Peters colony, which
 1-7     promised 640 acres of land to the head of each new family and 320
 1-8     acres to each single man; and
 1-9           WHEREAS, Founded in 1850, the town is named for General
1-10     Edmund Pendleton Gaines, an early supporter of the Texas
1-11     Revolution, and is situated on a 40-acre tract donated by Mary E.
1-12     Clark; and
1-13           WHEREAS, The early years of Gainesville's history were
1-14     rough-and-tumble; Indian attacks and outlaws reflected the many
1-15     tensions of America's westward expansion, but the great cattle
1-16     drives of the postwar years earned the town much money and fame and
1-17     a permanent place in Texas history; and
1-18           WHEREAS, Eventually, cotton would replace the longhorn as the
1-19     area's chief asset, and oil, too, helped to support the local
1-20     economy, particularly during the Depression years of the 1930s; in
1-21     addition to petroleum, the nationally renowned Gainesville
1-22     Community Circus and the Camp Howze infantry-training facility
1-23     brought jobs and growth to the community; and
1-24           WHEREAS, Since World War II, Gainesville has continued to
 2-1     prosper; the city's agriculture and oil industries are complemented
 2-2     by aircraft and steel fabrication plants and light manufacturing
 2-3     facilities that contribute greatly to the city and its residents;
 2-4     and
 2-5           WHEREAS, With a population of nearly 15,000 people,
 2-6     Gainesville supports a strong city structure, including eight
 2-7     schools, Cooke County College, more than 50 churches, and the
 2-8     Gainesville Municipal Airport; and
 2-9           WHEREAS, While the city's growth and forward-looking
2-10     citizenry have admirably prepared Gainesville for the 21st century,
2-11     local residents have also been remarkably successful in preserving
2-12     the past; the downtown area's brick-paved streets, many historic
2-13     homes, and the Morton Museum of Cooke County are  excellent
2-14     examples of how Gainesville citizens have cherished their city's
2-15     role in the history of Texas, and will continue to do so in the
2-16     future; now, therefore, be it
2-17           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
2-18     Legislature hereby welcome the traveling delegation from
2-19     Gainesville and extend to them best wishes for an educational and
2-20     memorable trip to the State Capitol; and, be it further
2-21           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-22     prepared for the Gainesville delegation as an expression of high
2-23     regard by the Texas House of Representatives.