By Cook H.R. No. 137
77R4768 MMS-D
R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, On February 27, 2001, Fayette County citizens are
1-2 celebrating the many contributions this fine county has made to the
1-3 State of Texas; and
1-4 WHEREAS, Fayette County, which includes the charming towns of
1-5 La Grange, Schulenburg, Flatonia, Ledbetter, Fayetteville, Round
1-6 Top, Carmine, Ellinger, Engle, High Hill, Dubina, Ammannsville,
1-7 Hostyn, Praha, Swiss Alps, Freyburg, Cistern, Holman, Kirtley,
1-8 Nechanitz, Plum, Muldoon, Oldenburg, O'Quinn, Rek Hill,
1-9 Rutersville, St. John, Waldeck, Walhalla, Warda, Warrenton, West
1-10 Point, Willow Springs, Winchester, and Winedale, is situated in the
1-11 heart of South Central Texas and has been blessed with some of the
1-12 state's most picturesque landscapes: gently rolling hills, steep
1-13 bluffs, vivid wildflowers, rich farmland, and dense forests
1-14 threaded by the Colorado River; and
1-15 WHEREAS, Tonkawas, Comanches, and more than 13 other Indian
1-16 tribes traded and pursued buffalo here; German and Czech
1-17 communities were established in the 1840s and 1850s, and their
1-18 influence is still felt throughout the area; and
1-19 WHEREAS, Organized on December 14, 1837, Fayette County was
1-20 named for the Marquis de Lafayette, who aided the American
1-21 colonists in their struggle for independence; in 1838 the Texas
1-22 Congress approved a site near La Grange as the location for the new
1-23 capital, but the choice was rejected by President Sam Houston; and
1-24 WHEREAS, A legion of notable individuals have lived or left
2-1 their footprints in Fayette County, and today's residents are proud
2-2 to claim an association with such figures as John W. Dancy, Samuel
2-3 Walker, Byrd Lockhart, Stephen F. Austin, Big Foot Wallace, William
2-4 G. Webb, Mary Maverick, Thomas Green, Temple Houston, David
2-5 Crockett, Mirabeau B. Lamar, La Salle, Alonso de Leon, R. E. B.
2-6 Baylor, Robert S. Neighbors, and John H. Moore; and
2-7 WHEREAS, The settlement of Fayette County has been the work
2-8 of people from many different backgrounds, all of whom aspired to a
2-9 brighter future; among them were Spaniards, Mexicans, and African
2-10 Americans, as well as those of Irish, Scottish, French, German, and
2-11 Czech descent; and
2-12 WHEREAS, Fayette County is an integral part of the Texas
2-13 Independence Trail, a project of the Texas Historical Commission;
2-14 winding through 28 counties, this route traverses land that
2-15 witnessed the Texas Revolution and formative events of the Texas
2-16 Republic; prominent Fayette County sites within the trail region
2-17 include the restored home of Nathaniel W. Faison, a volunteer
2-18 soldier captured during the 1842 Mexican invasion of Texas and a
2-19 survivor of Mexico's Perote prison, and Monument Hill, tomb of
2-20 Faison's compatriots who fell at the battle of Salado Creek and
2-21 also the grave of executed members of the Mier expedition; and
2-22 WHEREAS, Tradition is strong in Fayette County, where
2-23 citizens share the patriotism of early residents and have also kept
2-24 alive their deep faith; the congregations of many historic churches
2-25 are active yet today, and the beauty of their buildings lends a
2-26 graceful serenity to the countryside; especially renowned are the
2-27 Painted Churches of Ammannsville, Dubina, High Hill, and Praha; the
3-1 tiny Catholic church in Warrenton, the venerable Methodist church
3-2 in Freyburg, the Lutheran church in Swiss Alps, and St. James
3-3 Episcopal Church in La Grange; and
3-4 WHEREAS, Residents and visitors of all ages delight in the
3-5 many parish feasts and in such celebrations as the Fayette County
3-6 Country Fair, Czhilispiel, Lickskillet, the Antiques Festival, the
3-7 Schulenburg Festival, and the Round Top Fourth of July Parade, said
3-8 to be the oldest such parade west of the Mississippi; and
3-9 WHEREAS, Fayette Lake, the Colorado River, and a variety of
3-10 recreational facilities offer ample opportunity for fishing,
3-11 boating, hiking, golfing, and many other sports; for bicycle riders
3-12 who participate in the MS-150, a ride from Houston to Austin to
3-13 raise funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the route
3-14 through Fayette County offers some of the most rewarding scenery of
3-15 the event; and
3-16 WHEREAS, In addition to tourism and recreation, other
3-17 important sectors of the Fayette County economy include oil, light
3-18 industry, the production of electricity, and the mining of
3-19 construction gravel, clays, and fuller's earth; long a leader in
3-20 the state's agricultural production, the county ships the bounty of
3-21 its farms and ranches throughout the world; and
3-22 WHEREAS, The dynamic economy supports an outstanding
3-23 educational system, one that provides a solid foundation for those
3-24 going on to further education or into the skilled workforce; county
3-25 residents also benefit from an incomparable medical support team
3-26 and are looking forward to the construction of a new hospital; and
3-27 WHEREAS, Today's Fayette County citizens are enriched by the
4-1 cultures bequeathed them by successive waves of settlers and stand
4-2 proud in the knowledge that they are honoring and passing on to
4-3 future generations the best of this inheritance; it is a great
4-4 pleasure, therefore, to join with these worthy Texans in
4-5 celebrating the rich and vital heritage of Fayette County and the
4-6 myriad roles its people have played in building the Lone Star
4-7 State; now, therefore, be it
4-8 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
4-9 Legislature hereby welcome the distinguished delegation of Fayette
4-10 County residents visiting on this day and recognize February 27,
4-11 2001, as Fayette County Day at the State Capitol.