78R3480 JHS-D

By:  Hopson                                                       H.R. No. 97 



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Residents of Panola County have traveled to Austin 
to celebrate Panola County Day at the Capitol, and this occasion 
offers an excellent opportunity to extend an enthusiastic welcome 
to these fine Texans; and
	WHEREAS, Panola County was officially created on March 30, 
1846, by the First Legislature of the State of Texas; Pulaski was 
the first county seat, but in 1848 an election determined that the 
county seat should be nearer to the geographic center of the region; 
100 acres of land were generously donated by Jonathan Anderson, and 
the current county seat of Carthage was born;  and
	WHEREAS, With an economy largely built on the production of 
cotton, it is indeed appropriate that the county takes its name from 
an Indian word for cotton; Mississippi cotton grower and early 
civic leader Judge John Allison lobbied for the name after 
discovering that the county's soil was conducive to growing the 
valuable cash crop; and
	WHEREAS, Panola County's rivers, lakes, and forests offer an 
array of recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts; 
fishing, boating, and hunting are popular pastimes for visitors and 
residents alike, and the area's temperate climate allows for 
year-round enjoyment of these and other activities; and
	WHEREAS, Residents of Beckville, Gary, Tatum, and other area 
cities and towns can take pride in the newly opened Texas Country 
Music Hall of Fame and the Tex Ritter Museum, which attract music 
lovers from around the world to the county seat; those enshrined in 
the hall include such luminaries as Ernest Tubb, Gene Autry, Willie 
Nelson, Bob Wills, Dale Evans, Waylon Jennings, and Gary native 
Woodward Maurice "Tex" Ritter; and
	WHEREAS, This is truly a special day at the Capitol, and it is 
a privilege and a pleasure to pay tribute to Panola County and its 
citizens and to honor those individuals who have made the trip to 
Austin to take part in today's events; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That February 12, 2003, be designated Panola County 
Day at the Capitol and that best wishes be extended to all those 
Panola County residents who have joined us in the house chamber 
today.