H.R. No. 230



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.

                                                                          Madden
                                                                          McCall
                                                                      Laubenberg
                                                                          Paxton

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 230 was adopted by the House on 
February 18, 2003, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House