H.R. No. 1076
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The year 2003 marks the 125th anniversary of the
town of Gruene, and among those residents celebrating this
milestone will be Pat Molak and Mary Jane Nalley, who have played a
central role over the past quarter-century in making Gruene a
popular tourist attraction; and
WHEREAS, Gruene is a historic district located on the
Guadalupe River in New Braunfels and was settled in the 1850s by
German farmers; in 1878 Henry D. Gruene built a mercantile store,
and by the turn of the century Gruene was a banking, ginning, and
shipping center, but the boll weevil blight and Great Depression
took a significant toll on the community, leaving it a veritable
ghost town; and
WHEREAS, Through it all, the centerpiece of this charming
locale has been Gruene Hall, which holds the distinction of being
the oldest continually operating dance hall in Texas; and
WHEREAS, A 6,000-square-foot structure topped with a
high-pitched tin roof, Gruene Hall has played host to a variety of
nationally known musical acts since its revitalization in the
mid-1970s, including George Strait, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Bo
Diddley, Lyle Lovett, Jerry Jeff Walker, Asleep at the Wheel, Jerry
Lee Lewis, and others too numerous to mention; and
WHEREAS, The major architects of Gruene's transformation
from a sleepy town to a renowned music venue are Pat Molak and Mary
Jane Nalley; recognizing the building's possibilities for
renovation, Mr. Molak purchased Gruene Hall and was joined in 1977
by Ms. Nalley, who shared his vision of a revitalized Gruene; and
WHEREAS, Together they have not only made Gruene Hall a
nationally known point of interest, but are also the owners and
operators of such thriving ventures as the Gristmill River
Restaurant & Bar, Gruene Antique Company, Lone Star Country Goods,
Cotton-Eyed Joe's, and The Grapevine; and
WHEREAS, Pat Molak and Mary Jane Nalley have turned Gruene
into one of the most enjoyable tourist destinations in the Lone Star
State, and the city's 125th anniversary is an ideal opportunity to
honor them and the entire Gruene community; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize the 125th anniversary of Gruene,
Texas, and its centerpiece, Gruene Hall, and commend Pat Molak and
Mary Jane Nalley on their remarkable civic contributions; and, be
it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Molak and Ms. Nalley as an expression of high
regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
Casteel
Craddick Geren Mercer
Allen Giddings Merritt
Alonzo Goodman Miller
Bailey Goolsby Moreno of Harris
Baxter Griggs Moreno of El Paso
Berman Grusendorf Morrison
Bohac Guillen Mowery
Bonnen Gutierrez Naishtat
Branch Haggerty Nixon
Brown of Kaufman Hamilton Noriega
Brown of Brazos Hamric Oliveira
Burnam Hardcastle Olivo
Callegari Harper-Brown Paxton
Campbell Hartnett Pena
Canales Heflin Phillips
Capelo Hegar Pickett
Casteel Hilderbran Pitts
Castro Hill Puente
Chavez Hochberg Quintanilla
Chisum Hodge Raymond
Christian Homer Reyna
Coleman Hope Riddle
Cook of Navarro Hopson Ritter
Cook of Colorado Howard Rodriguez
Corte Hughes Rose
Crabb Hunter Seaman
Crownover Hupp Smith of Tarrant
Davis of Harris Isett Smith of Harris
Davis of Dallas Jones of Lubbock Smithee
Dawson Jones of Bexar Solis
Delisi Jones of Dallas Solomons
Denny Keel Stick
Deshotel Keffer of Dallas Swinford
Driver Keffer of Eastland Talton
Dukes King Taylor
Dunnam Kolkhorst Telford
Dutton Krusee Thompson
Edwards Kuempel Truitt
Eiland Laney Turner
Eissler Laubenberg Uresti
Elkins Lewis Van Arsdale
Ellis Luna Villarreal
Escobar Mabry West
Farabee Madden Wilson
Farrar Marchant Wise
Flores Martinez Fischer Wohlgemuth
Flynn McCall Wolens
Gallego McClendon Wong
Garza McReynolds Woolley
Gattis Menendez Zedler
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1076 was adopted by the House on June
2, 2003, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House