1-1                                     1
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 311
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes great
 1-4     pleasure in joining the citizens of Ellis County in the celebration
 1-5     of Ellis County Day at the State Capitol on March 2, 1999; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Ellis County is known for its fertile blackland
 1-7     belt of black loam and black waxy soil which makes it one of the
 1-8     leading agricultural centers in the state, and for a time the
 1-9     county led the state in cotton production; and
1-10           WHEREAS, Tonkawa Indians were the first people to dwell in
1-11     the county, with the Kickapoo, Bidai, Anadarko, and Waco tribes
1-12     also coming to the area to hunt buffalo; in 1843 one of the first
1-13     settlers, W. R. Howe, established a home near Forreston; and
1-14           WHEREAS, Ellis County was created from 953 square miles
1-15     taken from Robertson and Navarro counties on December 20, 1849,
1-16     and was named after an early senator of the Republic of Texas,
1-17     Richard Ellis; and
1-18           WHEREAS, An election in August of 1850 designated Waxahachie
1-19     as the county seat for Ellis County, with the first cedar log
1-20     courthouse built at a cost of $59; in 1894 the present courthouse
1-21     and most famous landmark of Ellis County was built for $165,000,
1-22     and the structure, which is famed for its impressive size and
1-23     beauty, was built with Burnet County red granite and carved by
1-24     Italian artisans who were imported for the daunting task; and
 2-1           WHEREAS, With almost 20,000 residents, Waxahachie is the
 2-2     largest city in the county and is known for its Gingerbread
 2-3     Trail of historic Victorian homes, as the site of one of the
 2-4     few remaining Chautauqua Auditoriums, for the Scarborough Faire
 2-5     Renaissance Festival, and for the Ellis County Museum; and
 2-6           WHEREAS, The second largest city in Ellis County, Ennis
 2-7     received its name in honor of Cornelius Ennis, the director of
 2-8     the Southern Pacific Railroad at the time it connected with the
 2-9     site of the town in 1871, and lies east of Waxahachie; the town
2-10     prospered and grew when the Houston and Texas Railroad reached
2-11     the site of the town, and by 1891, the Southern Pacific Railroad
2-12     had also connected with Ennis, and railroad shops were added to
2-13     the growing town; and
2-14           WHEREAS, Ennis hosts tourists who come to its Texas
2-15     Motorplex, the Bluebonnet Festival, and the National Polka
2-16     Festival, and antique lovers make the Waxahachie-Ennis area
2-17     the destination to add items to their collections that were
2-18     loved by past generations of Central Texas families; and
2-19           WHEREAS, Restoration of the many fine old Victorian homes
2-20     and buildings in Ellis County reflects the love the citizens have
2-21     for their past and their wish to preserve the heritage of the area
2-22     for future generations of Central Texans; now, therefore, be it
2-23           RESOLVED, That the Senate of Texas, 76th Legislature,
2-24     hereby recognize March 2, 1999, as Ellis County Day and extend
2-25     best wishes to its residents for a most enjoyable and rewarding
2-26     event; and, be it further
 3-1           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
 3-2     Ellis County as a memento of this special day and as an expression
 3-3     of gratitude by the Texas Senate for its contributions to the
 3-4     State of Texas.
 3-5                                                            Nelson, Cain
 3-6                                  ______________________________________
 3-7                                          President of the Senate
 3-8                                       I hereby certify that the above
 3-9                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
3-10                                  on March 1, 1999.
3-11                                  ______________________________________
3-12                                          Secretary of the Senate
3-13                                  ______________________________________
3-14                                           Member, Texas Senate
3-15                                  ______________________________________
3-16                                           Member, Texas Senate