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78R4990 JH-D
By: McCall H.R. No. 199
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, It is a distinct privilege to welcome the men and
women who have traveled to the State Capitol from Collin County to
celebrate their community's contributions to the Lone Star State;
and
WHEREAS, Located almost entirely within the state's
Blackland Prairie, the area of present-day Collin County was long
inhabited by the Caddo Indians; in the early 1840s, the region began
to attract settlers affiliated with the Peters colony; both the
county and its seat, McKinney, were named in honor of the pioneer
settler Collin McKinney, a signer of the Texas Declaration of
Independence; and
WHEREAS, Farmers were drawn to the area by its fertile soil
and readily available timber and water; by 1872, the Houston and
Texas Central Railway reached the county, opening the door to
agricultural trade and initiating a period of economic growth that
spanned half a century; and
WHEREAS, Recovery from the Great Depression was aided by the
work of the Texas Research Foundation, which was created to improve
farming practices through the use of scientific discoveries; in
1946 the foundation began to establish laboratories and test fields
at Renner, in the southwestern part of the county; that same year,
the Collin County Soil Conservation District was formed and began
planning the construction of 144 flood-retarding projects,
including the 21,000-acre Lake Lavon; and
WHEREAS, Located just north of the Dallas metroplex, Collin
County has experienced an 86 percent population increase over the
last decade; it currently ranks as the fastest-growing county in
Texas and the 11th fastest in the nation; and
WHEREAS, McKinney, the county seat, was established in 1845
and offers visitors a host of interesting attractions, including
the Collin County Youth and Farm Museum and the Heard Natural
Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary; McKinney is also home to
such beautiful outdoor recreation areas as Wilson Creek Park and
Finch Park and is adjacent to Lake Lavon; and
WHEREAS, The largest city in the county, Plano has a
population of some 222,000 people, nearly double the number in
1990; visitors to Plano can enjoy the recently restored downtown
square, which features brick sidewalks, turn-of-the-century
lampposts, and numerous specialty shops, galleries, and
restaurants, or travel to the outskirts of town to visit Southfork
Ranch, which was made famous by the internationally known
television series, Dallas; and
WHEREAS, The residents of Collin County can take justifiable
pride in their county's proud heritage and thriving, diversified
economy as they look forward to a bright and promising future; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize February 18, 2003, as Collin County
Day at the State Capitol and extend to its citizens sincere best
wishes for an enjoyable visit to Austin.