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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, When Stephen F. Austin began introducing colonists |
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into Texas in the early 1820s, many of the first settlers |
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established their homes in what is now Washington County; and |
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WHEREAS, The oldest community in the county, |
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Washington-on-the-Brazos, was laid out at the site of a popular |
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ferry crossing in 1833; by 1835 the settlement had become a supply |
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point for the surrounding population, as well as for emigrants |
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passing through on their way to the interior; and |
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WHEREAS, In March 1836, with Texas colonists in revolt |
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against the Mexican government, a convention of 59 delegates |
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gathered at Washington-on-the-Brazos and proceeded to draft the |
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Texas Declaration of Independence and a constitution for the new |
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republic; the gathering also appointed Sam Houston as commander in |
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chief of the military forces of the republic and established an ad |
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interim government; later, from 1842 to 1845, |
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Washington-on-the-Brazos served as the capital of the new nation; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Washington County was created in 1836 and organized |
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the following year; situated on the Blackland Prairies, the region |
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attracted substantial immigration and developed quickly; included |
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in the flow of newcomers were Germans, Czechs, and Poles, who began |
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arriving in the mid-19th century; and |
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WHEREAS, In the 1840s and 1850s, the establishment of several |
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colleges, among them Baylor University and Soule University, a |
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precursor of Southwestern University, testified to the dynamic |
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nature of Washington County; today Blinn College, founded in 1883 |
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in Brenham, the county seat, carries on the county's long tradition |
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of higher education; and |
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WHEREAS, The region's natural beauty and its prominent role |
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in early Texas history have made Washington County a popular |
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tourist destination; visitors can step into the past at museums in |
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Brenham, Burton, Chappell Hill, and Independence, in addition to |
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gaining an in-depth perspective on the period of the republic at the |
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Star of the Republic Museum, in Washington-on-the-Brazos State |
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Historical Park; and |
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WHEREAS, Proud of their rich heritage, the industrious |
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citizens of Washington County are committed to preserving the best |
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of their past and to honoring the role their county has played in |
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building the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate Washington County as the official Birthplace of |
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Texas. |