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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 441
	WHEREAS, For more than a century, residents of the City of 
Longview have committed themselves to the pursuit of excellence, 
and these outstanding Texans have made many important contributions
to the culture and economy of the Lone Star State; and
	WHEREAS, Longview, which today serves as the county seat of 
Gregg County, was founded in 1871, shortly after O. H. Methvin 
deeded 100 acres of land to the Southern Pacific Railroad; within 
a few short years the city became an important transportation 
center, moving enormous quantities of such key commodities as 
timber, iron ore, cotton, and agricultural crops throughout the 
South; and
	WHEREAS, This runaway economic growth came to a temporary 
halt during the Great Depression due to the economic conditions of 
the time as well as to the changing nature of the railroad business;
its citizens would not be discouraged for long, for in the early 
1930s the area was transformed by the discovery of oil--the world's
largest oil field known to exist at that time; and
	WHEREAS, During World War II, Longview residents provided 
uniquely critical support to the United States military; in 1942 
they helped to build the Big Inch pipeline, which over the next 
three years would transport more than 261 million barrels of crude 
oil to the East Coast for refining, thereby ensuring an uninterrupted
supply of gas and oil to the United States armed forces; in the years
that followed the Allied victory, the Longview business community 
embarked on an ambitious drive to diversify its petrochemical 
industry and to attract manufacturing plants and distribution 
centers; and
	WHEREAS, Ideally situated in the Piney Woods of East Texas, 
a few miles north of the Sabine River, Longview is also renowned 
for its picturesque vistas, and for 25 years it has played host
to the Great Texas Balloon Race, the longest-running hot-air 
balloon event in the Lone Star State; the city also features many 
important historical and cultural attractions, including the 
Longview Museum of Fine Arts, the Gregg County Historical Museum, 
and the R. G. LeTourneau Museum on the campus of LeTourneau 
University, and it is home to such thriving performing arts groups
as Opera Longview, the Longview Ballet Theatre, the Longview 
Community Theater, and the Longview Symphony Orchestra; and
	WHEREAS, Since its inception more than a century ago, the 
community of Longview has been an outstanding place in which to 
live, work, and raise a family, and it is most fitting to pay tribute
to the city and its citizens at this time; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
78th Legislature, hereby recognize March 25, 2003, as Longview 
Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation 
best wishes for an enjoyable and informative stay in Austin.
                                                                         Ratliff




________________________________ 
    President of the Senate
 
    I hereby certify that the 
above Resolution was adopted by 
the Senate on March 25, 2003.



________________________________ 
    Secretary of the Senate



________________________________ 
     Member, Texas Senate