82R6273 JGH-D
 
  By: Kolkhorst H.R. No. 429
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Proud residents of Washington County are gathering
  in Austin on February 22, 2011, to celebrate the unique role their
  county has played in the history and ongoing development of the Lone
  Star State; and
         WHEREAS, The French explorer La Salle and his party, who are
  thought to have passed through in the 1680s, may have been the first
  European visitors to the area, and in 1821, settlers recruited by
  Stephen F. Austin began to homestead the region; during the Texas
  Revolution, the ferry crossing known as Washington-on-the-Brazos
  became the headquarters of General Sam Houston and the site of the
  Convention of 1836, where 59 delegates declared Texas independent
  and drafted a constitution; the town of Washington was the capital
  of the new republic from 1842 to 1845; and
         WHEREAS, Washington County was organized in 1837, and Brenham
  became the county seat in 1844; the county's prospects were
  improved by the thousands of immigrants from Germany and Poland who
  arrived during the 1860s and 1870s, and its economy was further
  spurred by the arrival of the railroad in 1880; in those years,
  cotton, corn, and poultry were the region's mainstays; and
         WHEREAS, The area played an important role in the history of
  higher education in Texas; Baylor University was founded in the
  county in 1845, and in 1856 Soule University, a precursor to
  Southwestern University, was founded in Chappell Hill; today, Blinn
  College in Brenham carries on this proud tradition; and
         WHEREAS, Washington County's central role in the history of
  Texas draws visitors from across the state; the Star of the Republic
  Museum, Independence Hall, and the Barrington Living History Farm
  at the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site vividly evoke
  the years of the Texas Republic; the Chappell Hill Historic
  District hosts the "Official Bluebonnet Festival of Texas" each
  April and is home to a museum and a Masonic cemetery containing
  descendants of William B. Travis; in addition, the building housing
  the Brenham Heritage Museum is a venerable landmark that is listed
  on the National Register of Historic Places; and
         WHEREAS, Other popular attractions include Lake Somerville,
  several wineries, more than 40 bed and breakfast establishments,
  the Antique Rose Emporium, and scenic country roads where
  wildflowers bloom in profusion; every year, thousands of people
  take the tour of Blue Bell Creameries, where one of the nation's
  best-selling brands of ice cream is made; and
         WHEREAS, Honoring their rich history even as they work to
  build a bright future, the residents of Washington County have many
  reasons to be proud of the place they call home; now, therefore, be
  it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
  Legislature hereby recognize February 22, 2011, as Washington
  County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting
  delegation sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable stay
  in Austin.