By Alexander                                           H.R. No. 474
         77R7847 MMS-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, Proud citizens from Freestone County are visiting
 1-2     Austin on March 7, 2001, to celebrate their county's many fine
 1-3     attributes and its contributions to the Lone Star State, and it is
 1-4     indeed a pleasure to welcome this public-spirited delegation to the
 1-5     State Capitol; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, From the beginning, Freestone County has maintained
 1-7     its largely agricultural character, with farming and ranching both
 1-8     playing an important role in its economy; in recent years the
 1-9     mining of coal, the production of natural gas, and the erection of
1-10     two electricity generating plants have created an expanded and
1-11     diversified economic base; and
1-12           WHEREAS, The county seat of Fairfield is home to the
1-13     Freestone County Museum and Antique Telephone Museum; the town's
1-14     year-round calendar of special events includes the Freestone County
1-15     Fair and Rodeo, held in June, and the Peach Festival, held in July;
1-16     and
1-17           WHEREAS, Teague, settled in the 19th century, became a
1-18     shipping center for local farmers after it acquired railroad
1-19     connections in 1906; the depot of the Burlington-Rock Island
1-20     Railroad now serves as a museum of local history, and its grounds
1-21     contain a log cabin from 1850, restored and furnished; and
1-22           WHEREAS, The farming and ranching community of Wortham has
1-23     known the wild ride of an oil boom, which sent its population
1-24     soaring to 30,000 in the 1920s, and the music of legendary bluesman
 2-1     Blind Lemon Jefferson, who was born in the Freestone County hamlet
 2-2     of Coutchman and played his guitar as a boy in and around Wortham;
 2-3     the town celebrates Jefferson, who is buried in the African
 2-4     American cemetery there, with an annual blues festival featuring
 2-5     local, national, and international artists; and
 2-6           WHEREAS, Freestone County has long been a most productive
 2-7     section of our great state, and today more and more individuals are
 2-8     discovering the attractiveness of the county as they move here to
 2-9     put down roots and raise their families; now, therefore, be it
2-10           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
2-11     Legislature hereby recognize March 7, 2001, as Freestone County Day
2-12     at the State Capitol and extend to the delegation here today
2-13     sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit.