SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 154
	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 Senate 
Chamber today.
                                                                         Ratliff




________________________________ 
    President of the Senate
 
    I hereby certify that the 
above Resolution was adopted by 
the Senate on February 12, 2003.



________________________________ 
    Secretary of the Senate



________________________________ 
     Member, Texas Senate