1-1                                     1
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 293
 1-3           WHEREAS, Monday, March 1, 1999, has been selected by the
 1-4     citizens of Erath County, Texas, as a special day to gather at
 1-5     the State Capitol to recognize and celebrate the contributions
 1-6     of Erath County to the heritage of the State of Texas; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, Erath County, located in West Central Texas,
 1-8     was created in 1855 out of a land patent awarded to the heirs
 1-9     of John Blair for his service to the Republic of Texas at the
1-10     Alamo in 1836, and the heirs of John Blair subsequently conveyed
1-11     17 2/3 labors or 3,127 acres of said patent to John M. Stephens,
1-12     for whom Stephenville was named, and Stephens contracted the
1-13     surveying services to George B. Erath, for whom the county is
1-14     named; and
1-15           WHEREAS, Erath County has been ranked the fifth best county
1-16     among 205 rural counties in the state for economic development
1-17     for five years, according to a report released by the State
1-18     Comptroller; and
1-19           WHEREAS, Stephenville, the county seat of Erath County, has
1-20     been listed as one of the 100 best small towns in the nation in a
1-21     registry compiled by Norman Crampton and published by Prentice-Hall;
1-22     and
1-23           WHEREAS, The Stephenville High School Yellow Jacket football
1-24     team has become the team of the decade in Class 4A University
 2-1     Interscholastic League competition by winning state championships
 2-2     in 1993, 1994, and 1998; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, Dublin, the second largest city in Erath County,
 2-4     is the home of the oldest Dr Pepper bottling plant in the world,
 2-5     opened in 1891 as the first Dr Pepper franchise, and now markets
 2-6     throughout the country as the only plant still using the original
 2-7     Dr Pepper formula; and
 2-8           WHEREAS, Erath County has a strong, diversified economic
 2-9     base, featuring agriculture as the leading industry; recognized
2-10     as the number one dairy county in Texas, it is complimented by
2-11     national and worldwide industrial operations; and
2-12           WHEREAS, Erath County is known as the "Cowboy Capital of
2-13     the World," earning this designation by being the home of Ty Murray,
2-14     who recently won a record seventh National Championship All-Around
2-15     Cowboy title, and several other world-class rodeo performers; and
2-16           WHEREAS, Tarleton State University in Stephenville
2-17     is currently celebrating 100 years of providing outstanding
2-18     educational opportunities for students throughout Texas and the
2-19     nation, and it is an integral part of The Texas A&M University System
2-20     with approximately 6,500 students in four undergraduate colleges and
2-21     one graduate college; and
2-22           WHEREAS, Erath County is justifiably proud of its history,
2-23     culture, progressive development, and contributions to the heritage
2-24     of the State of Texas; and
2-25           WHEREAS, This special day is an appropriate occasion for
2-26     the Texas Senate to recognize the citizens of Erath County and
 3-1     to commend them for their notable endeavors and achievements;
 3-2     now, therefore, be it
 3-3           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
 3-4     76th Legislature, hereby declare March 1, 1999, as Erath County
 3-5     Day at the State Capitol and join Erath residents as they celebrate
 3-6     their county's greatness; and, be it further
 3-7           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for the
 3-8     citizens of Erath County as an expression of the recognition and
 3-9     appreciation of the Texas Senate.
3-10                                                                  Sibley
3-11                                  ______________________________________
3-12                                          President of the Senate
3-13                                       I hereby certify that the above
3-14                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
3-15                                  on March 1, 1999.
3-16                                  ______________________________________
3-17                                          Secretary of the Senate
3-18                                  ______________________________________
3-19                                           Member, Texas Senate