78R4939 MDM-D

By:  Kolkhorst                                                    H.R. No. 251



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, A delegation of proud Texans has traveled to Austin 
to celebrate Walker County Day at the State Capitol on February 25, 
2003, and this festive occasion merits special legislative 
recognition; and
	WHEREAS, Walker County was created in 1846 from a portion of 
Montgomery County; originally named for U.S. Secretary of the 
Treasury Robert J. Walker, it was renamed in 1863 for Samuel H. 
Walker, a Texas Ranger captain; and
	WHEREAS, The county seat of Huntsville was established in 
1853 at the site of a settlement that initially had been founded by 
Pleasant Gray as a trading post to promote commerce with the Bidai 
Indians and other native tribes and that was named by Mr. Gray after 
his hometown in Alabama; communities in the county include Dodge, 
Riverside, New Waverly, and Phelps; and
	WHEREAS, Situated deep in the East Texas Piney Woods and more 
than 70 percent forested, Walker County is richly blessed by 
nature; its rolling hills are bisected by plentiful water sources, 
including the Trinity and San Jacinto rivers, Lake Livingston, Lake 
Conroe, and Lake Raven; combined with the Sam Houston National 
Forest and Huntsville State Park, its natural amenities provide a 
host of recreational opportunities for enthusiasts who favor 
hiking, fishing, hunting, and camping, and other outdoor 
activities; and
	WHEREAS, Enhancing the city's vitality are the many students 
and faculty at Sam Houston State University; the campus of this 
well-regarded institution, which was founded in 1852 as Austin 
College, is graced by a historic landmark, a magnificent Greek 
Revival structure known as the Austin College Building and 
distinguished as the oldest educational building in continuous use 
west of the Mississippi; and
	WHEREAS, Another notable landmark in the city is A Tribute to 
Courage, an impressive 67-foot-tall statue of Sam Houston, 
Huntsville's famous former resident, president of Texas, U.S. 
senator from Texas, and hero of the Battle of San Jacinto; the 
city's historic sites include the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and 
Park Complex, which encompasses his homes and gravesite, the 
H.E.A.R.T.S. Veterans Museum, Texas Prison Museum, and Huntsville 
Main Street; and
	WHEREAS, Ranked the largest employer in Walker County, the 
Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has been a welcome 
presence in the county since it operated a state penitentiary in 
1849, and the TDCJ currently oversees seven units county-wide, with 
five in Huntsville; and
	WHEREAS, For more than a century and a half, the people of 
Walker County have cherished their vibrant history while building a 
dynamic, forward-looking community, and it is a pleasure to 
recognize this distinctive region and its notable contributions to 
the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas 
Legislature hereby recognize February 25, 2003, as Walker County 
Day at the State Capitol and welcome all visiting from this notable 
county.