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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1046
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the |
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residents of the City of Killeen in celebrating the |
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125th anniversary of the founding of their city; and |
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WHEREAS, Killeen came into existence when the Gulf, |
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Colorado, and Santa Fe Railway bought 360 acres of land located |
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in the rolling Grand Prairie country of western Bell County and |
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platted a seventy-block town on the site; the town was named |
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after the assistant general manager of the railway, |
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Frank P. Killeen, and the first train arrived on May 15, 1882; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, With cotton as its principal crop, Killeen |
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prospered as an agricultural center for the next 60 years; by |
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1940, the city had grown from 300 residents to more than 1,200; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The demographics of Killeen were changed forever |
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when the United States Army established Camp Hood on the town's |
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borders as a military training base at the onset of World War II; |
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the population of Killeen grew rapidly in the next few years, and |
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housing was so scarce that some newcomers paid to sleep in |
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henhouses, and nearly 1,000 workers lived in a tent city; and |
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WHEREAS, Camp Hood was established as a permanent base in |
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1950 and its name was changed to Fort Hood; the prosperity and |
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culture of the city became closely linked to the military; and |
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WHEREAS, Killeen continued to grow, and by 1955, the |
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infrastructure of Killeen was strained by growing demands on its |
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limited facilities; the city drew up a master plan to meet a |
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multiplicity of needs, including street additions and improvements, |
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parks and recreation centers, new schools and hospitals, and more |
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water and sewage facilities; and |
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WHEREAS, Killeen today has a diverse population of |
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approximately 100,000 residents; the city is a center for |
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commerce and tourism and is home to the Mayborn Planetarium and |
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the Space Theater on the campus of Central Texas College; |
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Fort Hood also attracts visitors to its two museums, the 1st |
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Cavalry Division Museum and the 4th Infantry Division Museum, |
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which showcase such items as cavalry sabers, assault helicopters, |
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and tanks; and |
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WHEREAS, Killeen's anniversary is an appropriate time to |
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recognize the city's rich history and the many contributions its |
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citizens have made to our state and to the military families of |
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Fort Hood; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, |
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80th Legislature, hereby congratulate the City of Killeen on the |
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125th anniversary of its founding and extend best wishes for the |
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future to its residents; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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the residents of Killeen as an expression of high regard from the |
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Texas Senate. |
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Fraser |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on May 15, 2007. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |