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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Many proud citizens of Van Zandt County have come to |
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the State Capitol on February 16, 2011, to celebrate the |
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significant part they and their forebears have played in the |
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development of the Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, Created by an Act of the Texas Legislature on March |
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20, 1847, this Northeast Texas county was named for Isaac Van Zandt, |
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a Republic of Texas lawyer, legislator, and diplomat; and |
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WHEREAS, Canton, the county seat, was laid out in 1850 and |
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incorporated in 1919; recently named a Main Street City, it is home |
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to the Van Zandt County Fair and First Monday Trade Days, one of the |
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country's best-known flea markets; a library of genealogy and local |
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history is also a popular attraction and preserves much of the |
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county's notable heritage; and |
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WHEREAS, The development of this fascinating area can be |
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traced in a number of other communities as well; Edgewood, settled |
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in the 1840s, boasts the Edgewood Heritage Park Museum, a facility |
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dedicated to the preservation of rural cultural and architectural |
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history; and |
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WHEREAS, Edom, established in 1856, is one of the oldest |
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towns in the county, and its past is highlighted by 10 state |
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historical markers, many of them researched by members of the Edom |
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Historical Society; the residents of this small community also give |
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hearty support to an active civic theater; and |
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WHEREAS, Fruit cultivation prompted the naming of Fruitvale, |
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where a nursery operated as early as the 1870s; several generations |
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in this century-old town have treasured the Randall Store, a local |
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institution since 1910; and |
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WHEREAS, Grand Saline, originally called Jordan's Saline, |
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the first Van Zandt County seat, takes its name from an immense dome |
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of pure salt lying beneath the city; more than a mile and a half wide |
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and 20,000 feet thick, the deposit is presently mined by Morton Salt |
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Company; the city celebrates salt with an annual Salt Festival; |
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those exploring this 2004 Main Street City can tour the Salt Palace |
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Museum, a unique structure built with rock salt crystal, stop by the |
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historical marker that commemorates native son Wiley Post, the |
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renowned pioneer aviator, and visit the new Veterans Memorial Wall |
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Park, featuring a genuine U.S. Army tank; and |
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WHEREAS, Van, established in 1891, remained a quiet farming |
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community until 1929, when the discovery of oil nearby transformed |
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the village into a boomtown; the Van Area Oil and Historical Museum |
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recaptures the excitement of that frenetic time and commemorates |
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the discovery with an annual Oil Festival; and |
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WHEREAS, Wills Point, settled in 1873 and originally known as |
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Iola, was renamed for William Wills, whose cabin served as a |
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stopping place for those traveling between Shreveport and Dallas; |
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the Wills cabin still stands, as does the Texas and Pacific Railroad |
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depot, which houses the Historical Society Museum; Wills Point, |
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which is officially the Bluebird Capital of Texas, hosts the annual |
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Bluebird Festival; and |
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WHEREAS, Ben Wheeler, surrounded by natural springs and rich |
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farmland, was named for Van Zandt County's first mail carrier, |
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Benjamin R. Wheeler, in 1876; and |
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WHEREAS, Martins Mill, which got its name from Dan R. |
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Martin's gristmill, was established in 1880 and is home to one of |
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the largest dairies in East Texas; the community survived |
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destruction by tornadoes and fires and today boasts a successful |
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school district; and |
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WHEREAS, Major events in the county include the Texas State |
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Bluegrass Festival, the Edom Festival of the Arts, and the Van Zandt |
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County Relay for Life; for the outdoor enthusiast, the Neches and |
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Sabine Rivers, Purtis Creek State Park, and Lake Tawakoni State |
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Park offer wonderful opportunities for fishing, boating, swimming, |
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and camping; and |
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WHEREAS, The home of more than 50,000 people, Van Zandt |
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County relies on tourism, oil, and agribusiness; the area is a major |
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producer of hay, blueberries, sweet potatoes, and nursery crops, in |
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addition to cattle, horses, hogs, and dairy products; and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of Van Zandt County take justifiable |
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pride in the hard work and ready cooperation that have made their |
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county strong, and it is a pleasure to join them in honoring the |
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county they are proud to call home; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 16, 2011, as Van Zandt County |
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Day at the State Capitol and extend sincere best wishes to the |
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visiting Van Zandt residents for an informative and memorable day. |
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Flynn |
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Straus |
Gonzales of Williamson |
Morrison |
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Aliseda |
Gonzalez |
Munoz, Jr. |
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Anderson of Dallas |
Hancock |
Orr |
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Anderson of McLennan |
Hardcastle |
Otto |
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Beck |
Harper-Brown |
Patrick |
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Bohac |
Hernandez Luna |
Pena |
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Burkett |
Howard of Fort Bend |
Pitts |
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Burnam |
Howard of Travis |
Price |
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Button |
Huberty |
Quintanilla |
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Callegari |
Hunter |
Reynolds |
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Christian |
Keffer |
Schwertner |
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Coleman |
King of Parker |
Scott |
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Cook |
King of Taylor |
Sheets |
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Craddick |
King of Zavala |
Sheffield |
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Creighton |
Kleinschmidt |
Shelton |
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Crownover |
Kolkhorst |
Simpson |
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Darby |
Kuempel |
Smith of Harris |
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Davis of Dallas |
Landtroop |
Smith of Tarrant |
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J. Davis of Harris |
Larson |
Smithee |
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S. Davis of Harris |
Laubenberg |
Solomons |
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Driver |
Legler |
Taylor of Collin |
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Dukes |
Lewis |
Taylor of Galveston |
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Farias |
Mallory Caraway |
Veasey |
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Frullo |
Martinez Fischer |
Weber |
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Giddings |
Miller of Comal |
Zedler |
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Gonzales of Hidalgo |
Miller of Erath |
Zerwas |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 133 was adopted by the House on February |
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16, 2011, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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