1-1                                     1                                  
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 490
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes pleasure
 1-4     in joining the residents of Wood County in declaring Tuesday,
 1-5     March 27, 2001, as Wood County Day; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Wood County was named in honor of
 1-7     Governor George T. Wood and was created from Van Zandt County
 1-8     in 1850; the area was home to the Caddo Indians until the 1820s
 1-9     and 1830s when settlers began arriving; the first village in the
1-10     area, Webster, was established in 1845, and the first profitable
1-11     industry was ranching; and
1-12           WHEREAS, Located in Northeast Texas at the western edge of
1-13     the pine belt, Wood County is hilly and heavily forested and is
1-14     drained by the Sabine River and its tributaries; and
1-15           WHEREAS, In the early 1870s, railroads such as the Texas
1-16     and Pacific and the International-Great Northern arrived in the
1-17     area, and with the advent of railroad transportation, the lumber
1-18     industry began to thrive; and
1-19           WHEREAS, In 1913, a sweet potato curing plant was
1-20     established, and specialized farming became a major industry;
1-21     by 1935, Christmas trees, hay, watermelons, poultry, and dairy
 2-1     products were being produced, and oil was discovered at Hawkins
 2-2     in 1940; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, Communities throughout the county host year-round
 2-4     festivities in honor of the county's heritage and its foliage;
 2-5     the festivals include the Alba-Golden Sweet Potato Festival, the
 2-6     Quitman Dogwood Fiesta, the Hawkins Pancake Festival, the Mineola
 2-7     May Days Bean Festival, the Spring Trails in Winnsboro, the Winter
 2-8     Trails Christmas Parade in Winnsboro, and the Oil Festival in
 2-9     Hawkins; and
2-10           WHEREAS, Nicknamed "Lake Country" due to its aquatic
2-11     resources, Wood County is visited by sportsmen from all over
2-12     the world and is noted for its year-round trophy bass fishing
2-13     at Lake Fork Reservoir, known as the "Best Big Bass Lake in the
2-14     State"; the state's record largemouth bass was caught in the
2-15     reservoir in 1993; and
2-16           WHEREAS, While Wood County offers the opportunities
2-17     generated by fast growing communities, its natural beauty and
2-18     rural charm have been retained, and the residents of Wood County
2-19     deserve to be proud of their efforts and planning; now, therefore,
2-20     be it
2-21           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
2-22     77th Legislature, hereby extend best wishes to the people of
2-23     Wood County for a joyous and celebratory Wood County Day; and,
2-24     be it further
 3-1           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
 3-2     the residents of Wood County as an expression of esteem from the
 3-3     Texas Senate.
 3-4                                                                    Cain
 3-5                                  ______________________________________
 3-6                                          President of the Senate
 3-7                                       I hereby certify that the above
 3-8                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
 3-9                                  on March 27, 2001.
3-10                                  ______________________________________
3-11                                          Secretary of the Senate
3-12                                  ______________________________________
3-13                                           Member, Texas Senate