|
|
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 62
|
|
WHEREAS, Many citizens of Van Zandt County have come to the |
|
State Capitol on February 4, 2009, to celebrate the significant |
|
part they and their forebears have played in the development of |
|
the Lone Star State; and |
|
WHEREAS, Created by an Act of the Texas Legislature on |
|
March 20, 1847, this Northeast Texas county was named for Isaac |
|
Van Zandt, a Republic of Texas lawyer, legislator, and diplomat; |
|
and |
|
WHEREAS, Canton, the county seat, was laid out in 1850 and |
|
incorporated in 1919; recently named a Main Street City, it is |
|
home to the Van Zandt County Fair and First Monday Trade Days, one |
|
of the country's best-known flea markets; a library of genealogy |
|
and local history is also a popular attraction and preserves much |
|
of the county's notable heritage; and |
|
WHEREAS, The development of this fascinating area can be |
|
traced in a number of other communities as well; Edgewood, |
|
settled in the 1840s, boasts the Edgewood Heritage Park Museum, a |
|
facility dedicated to the preservation of the rural culture and |
|
architectural history of our state; and |
|
WHEREAS, Edom, established in 1856, is one of the oldest |
|
towns in the county, and its past is highlighted by 10 state |
|
historical markers, many of them researched by members of the |
|
Edom Historical Society; the residents of this small community |
|
also give vital support to an active civic theater; and |
|
WHEREAS, Fruit cultivation prompted the naming of |
|
Fruitvale, where a nursery operated as early as the 1870s; |
|
several generations in this century-old town have treasured the |
|
Randall Store, a local institution since 1910; and |
|
WHEREAS, Grand Saline, originally called Jordan's Saline, |
|
the first Van Zandt County seat, takes its name from an immense |
|
dome of pure salt lying beneath the city; more than a mile and a |
|
half wide and 20,000 feet thick, the deposit is presently mined |
|
by Morton Salt Company; the city celebrates salt with an annual |
|
Salt Festival; those exploring this 2004 Main Street City can |
|
tour the Salt Palace Museum, a unique structure built with rock |
|
salt crystal, stop by the historical marker that commemorates |
|
native son Wiley Post, the renowned pioneer aviator, and visit |
|
the new Veterans Memorial Wall Park, featuring a genuine United |
|
States Army tank; and |
|
WHEREAS, Van, established in 1891, remained a quiet |
|
farming community until 1929, when the discovery of oil nearby |
|
transformed the village into a boomtown; the Van Area Oil and |
|
Historical Museum recaptures the excitement of that frenetic |
|
time and commemorates the discovery with an annual Oil Festival; |
|
and |
|
WHEREAS, Wills Point, settled in 1873 and originally known |
|
as Iola, was renamed for William Wills, whose cabin served as a |
|
stopping place for those traveling between Shreveport and |
|
Dallas; the Wills cabin still stands, as does the Texas and |
|
Pacific Railroad depot, which houses the Historical Society |
|
Museum; Wills Point, which is officially the Bluebird Capital of |
|
Texas, hosts the annual Bluebird Festival; and |
|
WHEREAS, Ben Wheeler, surrounded by natural springs and |
|
rich farmland, was named for Van Zandt County's first mail |
|
carrier, Benjamin R. Wheeler, in 1876; and |
|
WHEREAS, Martins Mill, which got its name from Dan R. |
|
Martin's gristmill, was established in 1880 and is home to one of |
|
the largest dairies in East Texas; the community survived |
|
destruction by tornadoes and fires and today boasts a successful |
|
school district; and |
|
WHEREAS, Major events in the county include the Texas State |
|
Bluegrass Festival, the Edom Arts Fair, and the Van Zandt County |
|
Relay for Life; for the outdoor enthusiast, the Neches and Sabine |
|
Rivers, Purtis Creek State Park, and Lake Tawakoni State Park |
|
offer wonderful opportunities for fishing, boating, swimming, |
|
and camping; and |
|
WHEREAS, The home of nearly 53,000 people, Van Zandt County |
|
relies on tourism, oil, and agribusiness; the area is a major |
|
producer of hay, blueberries, sweet potatoes, and nursery crops, |
|
in addition to cattle, horses, hogs, and dairy products; and |
|
WHEREAS, Present with us today in the Capitol are numerous |
|
residents of Van Zandt County, including the Van Zandt County |
|
Choir, city and county officials, members of Vision 2009, and |
|
members of the board of the Council of Van Zandt County |
|
Communities, the sponsors of the biennial visit to the state |
|
legislature that provides an occasion for focusing on |
|
legislation affecting Van Zandt County citizens; and |
|
WHEREAS, The citizens of Van Zandt County take justifiable |
|
pride in the hard work and ready cooperation that have made their |
|
county strong, and it is a pleasure to join them in honoring the |
|
county they call home; now, therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st |
|
Legislature, hereby recognize February 4, 2009, as Van Zandt |
|
County Day at the State Capitol and extend sincere best wishes to |
|
the visiting Van Zandt residents for an informative and memorable |
|
day. |
|
|
Deuell |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
President of the Senate |
|
|
|
|
|
I hereby certify that the |
|
|
above Resolution was adopted by |
|
|
the Senate on February 4, 2009. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
Secretary of the Senate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
Member, Texas Senate |