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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Grimes County are gathering in |
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Austin to celebrate Grimes County Day at the State Capitol on April |
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5, 2007; and |
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WHEREAS, A fertile and scenic region of forestland and rich |
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bottomlands, the area was first inhabited at least 7,000 years ago; |
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the earliest recorded residents were the Bidai Indians, and the |
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famous and ill-fated French explorer La Salle passed through in |
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1687 and was killed by his own men near Navasota; and |
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WHEREAS, Anglo settlement began in 1821, when Andrew Millican |
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built a homestead near the present-day town of Anderson; early |
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settler Jared E. Groce planted what may have been the first cotton |
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crop in the region and built perhaps the first cotton gin in Texas; |
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named after Jesse Grimes, a signer of the Texas Declaration of |
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Independence, Grimes County was established on April 6, 1846, by |
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the first Texas Legislature, and Anderson was designated the county |
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seat; and |
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WHEREAS, In its early years, the county's economy depended on |
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cotton, corn, and livestock; two popular spas attracted a wide |
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range of visitors in the 1850s, and the arrival of the railroad in |
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1859 made Navasota the commercial center of the county; and |
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WHEREAS, Once known as the Land of Milk and Honey for its |
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dairy farms and apiaries, Grimes County today enjoys an economy |
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based on livestock, agribusiness, and timber; light manufacturing |
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and tourism also contribute to the county's livelihood; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors to Navasota, the county's largest town, can |
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tour the Horlock History Center, which showcases the culture and |
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heritage of Victorian-era Navasota; the city was officially |
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declared the Blues Capital of Texas by the 79th Legislature in 2005, |
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and the Navasota Bluesfest, which is held every August, presents |
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two memorable days of roots music to raise money for the Mance |
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Lipscomb Scholarship Fund; and |
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WHEREAS, Anderson features the unusual Grimes County |
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Courthouse, one of the most visually striking courthouses in the |
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state, and the Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site, a restored |
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19th-century stagecoach inn, which is also the site of Stagecoach |
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Days and Texian Days; and |
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WHEREAS, Other cultural and recreational highlights in the |
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county include the Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville and |
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the 2,770-acre Gibbons Creek Reservoir near Carlos; and |
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WHEREAS, Residents of Grimes County are justifiably proud of |
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their history and the many qualities that make their county an |
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outstanding place in which to live, work, and raise a family, and it |
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is most fitting that Grimes County be given special recognition on |
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this day; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize April 5, 2007, as Grimes County Day at |
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the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation best wishes |
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for an informative and enjoyable stay in Austin. |
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Kolkhorst |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1374 was adopted by the House on April |
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5, 2007, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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