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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Coleman County celebrated the |
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sesquicentennial of the establishment of their county throughout |
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2008; and |
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WHEREAS, Situated in west central Texas, Coleman County |
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traces its origins to 1856, when the U.S. Army built Camp Colorado; |
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the frontier garrison served as the first county seat for Coleman |
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County, which was formed on February 1, 1858, and named after Robert |
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M. Coleman, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and an |
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aide-de-camp to General Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Prominent citizens organized a county government in |
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1875 and the next year chose a more central site for the county |
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seat, located close to the bustling commerce of the Western Trail; |
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the survey of the new town of Coleman was barely complete before |
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doctors, lawyers, merchants, ranchers, and others were clamoring to |
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buy lots; agriculture flourished after 1900, though the county |
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later struggled with drought, and the city of Coleman was forced to |
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import water; natural gas and oil were discovered before 1920, and |
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the industries grew, while farming was hit hard by the Great |
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Depression; and |
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WHEREAS, Coleman County's economy today includes limestone, |
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high-grade glass sand, and the manufacturing of products ranging |
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from saddles to recreational vehicles; moreover, agribusiness, |
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oil, natural gas, and ranching remain important, and Coleman ranks |
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as the fourth-largest wool-producing county in Texas; tourism |
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thrives in the region as well, with hunters drawn to the area by |
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bountiful deer, turkey, ducks, quail, and dove; six major lakes |
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provide excellent fishing and recreation; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors to Coleman County further enjoy exploring |
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the ruins of Camp Colorado, the ghost town of Trickham, and a |
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pioneer cabin museum at the foot of Santa Anna Mountain; numerous |
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markers commemorate a fascinating history that includes one of the |
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first female sheriffs in the United States, Emma Susan Daugherty |
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Banister, who was appointed to complete her husband's term on his |
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death in August 1918; and |
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WHEREAS, Popular annual events include a PRCA rodeo, one of |
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the nation's largest county livestock shows, Santa Anna Funtier |
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Days, and the Fiesta de la Paloma and dove cook-off; the county |
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began observance of its 150th anniversary on February 1, 2008, when |
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the post office issued a commemorative cancellation stamp; and |
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WHEREAS, In honoring Coleman County's first 150 years, |
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citizens pay tribute to the exceptional Texans who came before them |
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and share their pride in a home that offers natural beauty and a |
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neighborly spirit; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the sesquicentennial of Coleman |
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County and extend to its residents best wishes for the future. |