By Glaze H.R. No. 418 77R5727 MMS-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Many proud citizens of Van Zandt County have come to 1-2 the State Capitol on March 13, 2001, to celebrate the significant 1-3 part they and their forebears have played in the development of the 1-4 Lone Star State; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Created by an Act of the Texas Legislature on March 1-6 20, 1847, this Northeast Texas county was named for Isaac Van 1-7 Zandt, a Republic of Texas lawyer, legislator, and diplomat; and 1-8 WHEREAS, Canton, the county seat, was laid out in 1850 and 1-9 incorporated in 1919; recently named a Main Street City, it is home 1-10 to the Van Zandt County Fair and First Monday Trade Days, one of 1-11 the country's best-known flea markets; a library of genealogy and 1-12 local history is also a popular attraction and preserves much of 1-13 the county's notable heritage; and 1-14 WHEREAS, The development of this fascinating area can be 1-15 traced in a number of other communities as well; Edgewood, settled 1-16 in the 1840s, boasts the Edgewood Heritage Park Museum, a facility 1-17 dedicated to the preservation of rural cultural and architectural 1-18 history; and 1-19 WHEREAS, Edom, established in 1856, is one of the oldest 1-20 towns in the county, and its past is highlighted by 10 state 1-21 historical markers, many of them researched by members of the Edom 1-22 Historical Society; the residents of this small community also give 1-23 hearty support to an active civic theater; and 1-24 WHEREAS, Fruit cultivation prompted the naming of Fruitvale, 2-1 where a nursery operated as early as the 1870s; several generations 2-2 in this century-old town have treasured the Randall Store, a local 2-3 institution since 1910; and 2-4 WHEREAS, Grand Saline, originally called Jordan's Saline and 2-5 the first Van Zandt County seat, takes its name from an immense 2-6 dome of salt lying beneath the city; about a mile and a half wide 2-7 and 16,000 feet thick, the deposit is presently mined by Morton 2-8 Salt; those exploring the town can tour the Grand Saline 2-9 Museum/Salt Palace, a structure built with salt blocks, stop by the 2-10 historical marker that commemorates native son Wiley Post, the 2-11 renowned aviator, and visit the new Veterans Memorial Wall; and 2-12 WHEREAS, The town of Van, established in 1891, remained a 2-13 quiet farming community until 1929, when the discovery of oil 2-14 nearby transformed the village into a boomtown; the Van Area Oil 2-15 and Historical Museum recaptures the excitement of that frenetic 2-16 time; and 2-17 WHEREAS, Wills Point, settled in 1873 and originally known as 2-18 Iola, was renamed for William Wills, whose cabin served as a 2-19 stopping place for those traveling between Shreveport and Dallas; 2-20 the Wills cabin still stands, as does the Texas and Pacific depot, 2-21 which houses the Historical Society Museum; Wills Point, which 2-22 calls itself the Bluebird Capital of Texas, hosts the annual 2-23 Bluebird Festival; and 2-24 WHEREAS, Other major events in the county include the East 2-25 Texas State Fair, the Texas State Bluegrass Festival, and the Van 2-26 Zandt County Relay for Life; for the outdoor enthusiast, the Neches 2-27 and Sabine rivers, Purtis Creek State Park, and Lake Tawakoni offer 3-1 wonderful opportunities for fishing, boating, and camping; and 3-2 WHEREAS, The home of nearly 45,000 people, Van Zandt County 3-3 relies on oil, tourism, and agribusiness; the area is a major 3-4 producer of hay, blueberries, sweet potatoes, and nursery crops, in 3-5 addition to cattle, hogs, and dairy products; and 3-6 WHEREAS, Present with us today in the Capitol are numerous 3-7 residents of Van Zandt County, including the Van Zandt County 3-8 Choir, city and county officials, and members of Vision 2002; also 3-9 in attendance are members of the Council of Van Zandt County 3-10 Communities, which sponsors the biennial visit to the state 3-11 legislature, an occasion for focusing on legislation affecting Van 3-12 Zandt County citizens; and 3-13 WHEREAS, The citizens of Van Zandt County take justifiable 3-14 pride in the hard work and ready cooperation that have made their 3-15 county an important part of this state, and it is a pleasure to 3-16 join them in honoring the county they are proud to call home; now, 3-17 therefore, be it 3-18 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas 3-19 Legislature hereby recognize March 13, 2001, as Van Zandt County 3-20 Day at the State Capitol and extend sincere best wishes to the 3-21 visiting delegation for an informative and memorable day.