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78R6416 MMS-D
By: Hopson, Cook of Navarro H.C.R. No. 34
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The State of Texas has customarily recognized a
variety of official state symbols as tangible representations of
the state's historical and cultural heritage; and
WHEREAS, The Texas State Railroad, an East Texas fixture for
more than a century, had its origins in the iron-industry boom that
East Texas experienced in the 1870s and 1880s; in 1875 the state
legislature authorized construction of a new penitentiary near Rusk
in order to develop the iron-ore resources of the area, as well as
to relieve overcrowding at the penitentiary in Huntsville; the
ensuing iron works at the East Texas Penitentiary provided material
for the present State Capitol, including the iron that was used in
the building's columns and dome; and
WHEREAS, To facilitate the transport of iron ore for the
smelter and foundries, as well as timber for the prison's sawmill,
construction was begun in 1881 on a line known officially as the
Texas State Railroad, and by 1909 the road had been extended to
Palestine in adjacent Anderson County; and
WHEREAS, In addition to hauling raw materials to the
penitentiary, the railroad offered regular passenger and freight
service from 1907 to 1921; prison inmates, who had constructed the
entire line, made up the train crew, except for the engineer, during
much of this period; and
WHEREAS, The iron works at the prison closed in 1913, and
eight years later the state began leasing the track of the Texas
State Railroad to private companies; over the next half-century the
line served in particular to move lumber and timber products; and
WHEREAS, In 1972, after most of the road had remained unused
for several years, the Texas Legislature conveyed the line to the
Parks and Wildlife Department; at the urging of rail enthusiasts,
and after studying the feasibility of such a project, it was decided
to restore the line as part of a state historical park and to
dedicate the complex to the preservation and interpretation of the
country's railroad heritage; and
WHEREAS, On July 4, 1976, as part of the nation's
Bicentennial celebration, the Texas State Railroad State
Historical Park opened to the delight of countless citizens across
the state; in 2002, more than 130,000 people visited the park,
including 83,000 from outside the area; of those visitors, 41,110
took a ride on one of the trains that makes the run through the piney
woods and rolling hardwood creek bottoms between Palestine and
Rusk; and
WHEREAS, A fully self-contained system, the Texas State
Railroad operates four steam engines and four antique diesel
locomotives; in addition, it maintains a complete steam-engine
restoration shop, 29 miles of track, and 24 bridges, including one
over the Neches River; and
WHEREAS, Included in the railroad's stock are Steam Engine
No. 201, donated by the City of Abilene and once used by the Texas &
Pacific Railroad; Steam Engine No. 300, donated by Temple
Industries in Pineland; Steam Engine No. 400, purchased from the
Magma Copper Mine in Magma, Arizona, and once used by the Tremont &
Gulf Railway in Central Louisiana; Steam Engine No. 500, owned at
one time by the City of San Angelo; and Steam Engine No. 610,
operated by the Texas & Pacific between Shreveport and El Paso until
1950 and displayed in Fort Worth for a number of years; in the 1970s
the publisher and philanthropist Amon G. Carter, Jr., financed the
restoration of No. 610, and the engine became one of two that pulled
the Freedom Train through Texas during the Bicentennial; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, the railroad has received
significant attention in many quarters and has been featured in
television series, documentaries, commercials, music videos, and
full-length films; and
WHEREAS, The Texas State Railroad and its historical park
have contributed greatly to the prosperity of the surrounding area;
in 2002 they injected nearly $1.5 million into the local economy,
generated more than $4.6 million in sales, and produced a more than
$1.8 million impact on the income of local residents; and
WHEREAS, Deeply rooted in the life and industry of East
Texas, the Texas State Railroad is today one of the largest steam
train operations in the country; through its preservation program,
its excursion tours, and a wide variety of educational efforts, the
railroad constitutes an outstanding asset to the Lone Star State;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate the Texas State Railroad as the official Railroad
of Texas.