H.C.R. No. 18 



HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, Many proud citizens of Liberty County are visiting 
the State Capitol on February 24, 2003, to celebrate their county's 
important role in the annals of the Lone Star State; and
	WHEREAS, Embracing a section of the Big Thicket to the north 
and coastal prairies and marshes to the south, Liberty County 
presents a strikingly varied landscape; artifacts uncovered near 
the towns of Liberty and Dayton indicate that people have supported 
themselves in this fertile land for at least 3,000 years; and
	WHEREAS, Karankawa Indians, the first occupants of the area 
in historic times, were joined around 1807 by Coushatta Indians 
from Alabama; others moving into the district from the mid-1700s 
onward included Spaniards, who by 1757 had built a military road 
through the area, French supporters of Napoleon Bonaparte, who 
established a colony there in 1818, and Americans, who became 
increasingly interested in Texas after the purchase of the 
Louisiana Territory; and
	WHEREAS, In 1831 Mexican authorities established the town of 
Liberty as the seat of a new municipality, which embraced most of 
Southeast Texas; with the advent of the Republic of Texas in 1836, 
Liberty County became one of 23 new counties created by the Texas 
Congress, and the town of Liberty continued as the seat of local 
government; as originally drawn, the boundaries of Liberty County 
included present-day Tyler County and parts of Hardin, Chambers, 
San Jacinto, and Polk counties; and
	WHEREAS, Standing at the highest navigable point on the 
Trinity River, the county seat quickly enjoyed prominence as a 
commercial center; among those who practiced law in the young town 
were David G. Burnet, William B. Travis, and Sam Houston, the latter 
of whom maintained a law office in Liberty and handled cases there 
from 1838 to 1855; the hero of San Jacinto also acquired some 20,000 
acres in the county and established two plantation homes on his 
property; and
	WHEREAS, Other prominent Texans associated with Liberty 
County include Governors Ross S. Sterling, who lived there for a 
time, and Marion Price Daniel, Sr., who was born in Dayton and made 
his home in Liberty with his wife, Jean, a direct descendant of Sam 
Houston; and
	WHEREAS, With approximately half of its area constituting 
prime farmland, Liberty County has long counted farming and 
ranching as pillars of its economy; adding to its prosperity are an 
industrial sector that includes lumbering, oil production, 
chemical plants, and varied manufacturing; and
	WHEREAS, Noted attractions in the county include the Big 
Thicket National Preserve and, in the town of Liberty, the Sam 
Houston Regional Library and Research Center and the Humphreys 
Cultural Center; the county seat also boasts the Trinity Valley 
Exposition, an annual fair that has been drawing enthusiastic 
participants and visitors for nearly a century; and
	WHEREAS, The citizens of Liberty County, today more than 
70,000 strong, are preserving the best of their past while 
continuing to forge an ever brighter future for themselves and 
their families, and it is indeed a pleasure to honor them at this 
time; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives and Senate of the 
78th Texas Legislature hereby recognize February 24, 2003, as 
Liberty County Day 2003 at the State Capitol and extend to the 
delegation present on this day sincere best wishes for an enjoyable 
and memorable visit.

                                                                           Ellis




______________________________              ______________________________
 
   President of the Senate                               Speaker of the House      

	I certify that H.C.R. No. 18 was adopted by the House on 
February 24, 2003, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House   

	I certify that H.C.R. No. 18 was adopted by the Senate on 
February 25, 2003, by a viva-voce vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                      Secretary of the Senate   



APPROVED: __________________                                                
 
                Date                                                         




 
         __________________                                              
 
              Governor