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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Residents of Panola County are gathering at the |
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State Capitol on February 20, 2007, to celebrate the history, |
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culture, and beauty of their Piney Woods home; and |
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WHEREAS, Located in northeastern Texas on the border of |
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Louisiana, Panola County covers more than 800 square miles of |
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forests and rolling plains and is traversed from northwest to |
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southeast by the Sabine River; once inhabited by two confederations |
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of Native Americans, the Caddos and the Hasinais, the area |
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experienced a land rush in the 1830s as settlers descended there |
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from the Southern United States; on March 30, 1846, the Texas |
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Legislature officially created Panola County, and two years later, |
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voters chose Carthage as their county seat; and |
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WHEREAS, Farming and livestock drove the economy for many |
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decades until the Great Depression caused nearly a third of the |
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operations to close; after World War II, a booming oil and natural |
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gas industry sustained the county while improvements to pastures |
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and farms led to increased ranching and poultry farming; today, |
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Panola County remains a strong source of agricultural products, |
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including broilers, beef cattle, and hay, and it is one of the top |
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producers of natural gas in the state; in addition, some |
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quarter-million cubic feet of pinewood and hardwood are harvested |
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each year; and |
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WHEREAS, Home to nearly 50 Texas Historical Commission |
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markers, Panola County was the birthplace of several notable |
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Texans, including Margie Elizabeth Neal, the first woman elected to |
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serve in the Texas Senate, and country music stars Tex Ritter and |
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Jim Reeves; the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, located in |
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Carthage, honors the legacies of both these men, along with other |
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country music legends from the state, and the town also boasts the |
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Tex Ritter Museum and the Jim Reeves Memorial; and |
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WHEREAS, Opportunities for recreation can be found at Lake |
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Murvaul, a popular spot for freshwater fishing, and at Martin Creek |
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Lake State Park, which offers a variety of camping options; annual |
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celebrations, including the East Texas Oil and Gas Blast and the |
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Piney Woods Quilt Festival, draw people to Carthage from throughout |
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the region; and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of Panola County have long contributed |
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to the prosperity and distinction of the Lone Star State, and they |
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are truly deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby declare February 20, 2007, as Panola County Day at the State |
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Capitol and extend a warm welcome to all Panola County residents who |
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are visiting here today. |