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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Hill County are gathering in |
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Austin to celebrate Hill County Day at the State Capitol on February |
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18, 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, This scenic region of prairie and gently rolling |
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hills east of the Brazos River was first inhabited 700 years ago; in |
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the early 1700s hunting camps were established by the Wichita |
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people, and in the 1820s and 1830s Indians of the Comanche and |
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Taovaya tribes moved through the area; and |
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WHEREAS, Hill County was established by the state legislature |
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on February 7, 1853, and named for Dr. George Washington Hill, the |
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secretary of war for the Republic of Texas under President Sam |
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Houston; Hillsboro was founded in 1853 as the county seat; and |
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WHEREAS, Cattle and cotton were the mainstays of the economy |
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in the early days, and by the early 1900s the county was the |
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second-largest cotton-producing county in the nation; and |
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WHEREAS, Hill County has grown with the changing times while |
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still maintaining the charm and friendliness of a small rural |
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county; the county's courthouse, which was nearly destroyed by fire |
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in 1993, was restored to its 1890s grandeur and continues to |
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function as the hub for all county business; Hill College provides |
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for the educational needs of the county's citizens and further |
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serves the county with its Performing Arts Series; the campus also |
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houses the Harold B. Simpson History Center, home of the Texas |
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Heritage Museum with its famous Audie Murphy exhibit and the |
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Historical Research Center with its 10,000-volume library on the |
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Civil War; and |
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WHEREAS, Recreational opportunities for the county's |
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residents and visitors are provided by Lake Whitney State Park, a |
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prime destination for camping, hiking, boating, and bird-watching, |
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with over 194 species of birds spotted so far; additionally, Hill |
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County native Willie Nelson, born in Abbott, has opened Willie's |
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Place at Carl's Corner; and |
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WHEREAS, Each year the communities of Hill County host a |
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number of gala events such as the Hill County Fair and the Go |
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Texan/Cotton Pickin' Fair in Hillsboro, Pioneer Days in Whitney, |
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and the Hubbard Trade Days, all of which showcase the county's |
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hospitality, agricultural heritage, and scenic beauty; and |
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WHEREAS, The residents of Hill County are justifiably proud |
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of their heritage 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 Hill County be honored on this special day; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 18, 2009, as Hill County Day |
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at the State Capitol and extend to its citizens sincere best wishes |
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for an informative and enjoyable stay in Austin. |