H.R. No. 133

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Many proud citizens of Van Zandt County have come to
	the State Capitol on February 16, 2011, 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 rural cultural and architectural
	history; 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
	hearty 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 U.S. 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 Festival of the Arts, 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 more than 50,000 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, 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 are proud to call home; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
	Legislature hereby recognize February 16, 2011, 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.
	Flynn
	Straus Gonzales of Williamson Morrison
	Aliseda Gonzalez Munoz, Jr.
	Allen Gooden Murphy
	Alonzo Guillen Naishtat
	Alvarado Gutierrez Nash
	Anchia Hamilton Oliveira
	Anderson of Dallas Hancock Orr
	Anderson of McLennan Hardcastle Otto
	Aycock Harless Parker
	Beck Harper-Brown Patrick
	Berman Hartnett Paxton
	Bohac Hernandez Luna Pena
	Bonnen Hilderbran Perry
	Branch Hochberg Phillips
	Brown Hopson Pickett
	Burkett Howard of Fort Bend Pitts
	Burnam Howard of Travis Price
	Button Huberty Quintanilla
	Cain Hughes Raymond
	Callegari Hunter Reynolds
	Carter Isaac Riddle
	Castro Jackson Ritter
	Chisum Johnson Rodriguez
	Christian Keffer Schwertner
	Coleman King of Parker Scott
	Cook King of Taylor Sheets
	Craddick King of Zavala Sheffield
	Creighton Kleinschmidt Shelton
	Crownover Kolkhorst Simpson
	Darby Kuempel Smith of Harris
	Davis of Dallas Landtroop Smith of Tarrant
	J. Davis of Harris Larson Smithee
	S. Davis of Harris Laubenberg Solomons
	Deshotel Lavender Strama
	Driver Legler Taylor of Collin
	Dukes Lewis Taylor of Galveston
	Dutton Lozano Thompson
	Eiland Lucio III Torres
	Eissler Lyne Truitt
	Elkins Madden Turner
	Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
	Farrar Margo Villarreal
	Fletcher Marquez Vo
	Flynn Martinez Walle
	Frullo Martinez Fischer Weber
	Gallego McClendon White
	Garza Menendez Woolley
	Geren Miles Workman
	Giddings Miller of Comal Zedler
	Gonzales of Hidalgo Miller of Erath Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 133 was adopted by the House on February
	16, 2011, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House