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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Throughout the spring and summer of 2007, residents |
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of Killeen are celebrating the 125th anniversary of the founding of |
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that city; and |
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WHEREAS, Situated in the rolling Grand Prairie country of |
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western Bell County, Killeen came into being when the Gulf, |
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Colorado, and Santa Fe Railway bought 360 acres of land and platted |
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a seventy-block town on the site and named it after Frank P. |
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Killeen, the assistant general manager of the railway; the first |
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train arrived on May 15, 1882; and |
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WHEREAS, For the next 60 years, Killeen prospered as an |
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agricultural center, mainly for cotton, and it grew from 300 to more |
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than 1,200 residents by 1940; and |
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WHEREAS, The area was forever changed with the beginning of |
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World War II, when the United States Army situated Camp Hood as a |
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military training base on the town's borders; named after the |
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Confederate general John Bell Hood, the camp quintupled the town's |
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population in the first few years; the number of people grew so |
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quickly that some newcomers paid to sleep in henhouses, and for a |
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time nearly 1,000 workers lived in a tent city; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1950, the camp was established as a permanent |
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base and its name changed to Fort Hood; the original 160,000 acres |
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of the post, used to train soldiers in tank tactics, has since grown |
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to encompass 339 square miles, and over the years, supporting the |
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military and military families has become the foundation of the |
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culture and economy of Killeen; and |
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WHEREAS, As Fort Hood grew, so did Killeen; in 1955 the city |
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drew up a master plan that included road improvements, parks, and |
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recreation centers; Belton Lake and Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir |
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were created to meet the water needs of the growing population, and |
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there was rapid growth in highway construction, housing, and retail |
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business; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, with a young and diverse population of over |
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100,000, Killeen is a center for commerce and tourism; visitors are |
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drawn by nearby lakes and by the Mayborn Planetarium and Space |
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Theater on the campus of Central Texas College; Fort Hood also draws |
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visitors to its two museums, the 1st Cavalry Division Museum and the |
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4th Infantry Division Museum, which showcase such items as cavalry |
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sabers, assault helicopters, and tanks; and |
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WHEREAS, From its beginnings as a railroad town to its |
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current position as one of the great military cities in the country, |
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Killeen has a fascinating history, and its anniversary provides a |
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fitting opportunity to recognize it and honor its citizens' support |
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for our nation's brave men and women in uniform; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the city of Killeen on the 125th |
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anniversary of its founding and extend best wishes to the city and |
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its residents for a fine birthday celebration; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the city of Killeen as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives. |