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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Hempstead are gathering in Austin |
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to celebrate Hempstead Day at the State Capitol on March 4, 2013; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, On December 29, 1856, Dr. Richard Rodgers Peebles |
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and James W. McDade created the Hempstead Town Company to sell lots |
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at the terminus of the planned Houston and Texas Central Railway; |
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named after Dr. Peebles's brother-in-law, Dr. G. S. B. Hempstead, |
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the town was incorporated in 1858; and |
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WHEREAS, Hempstead soon became a junction point for two |
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railroads, which increased its importance as a distribution center; |
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during the Civil War, the town was home to a Confederate hospital |
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and a military supply center; Hempstead became the Waller County |
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seat in 1873, and during a tumultuous period around the turn of the |
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20th century, the town earned the nickname "Six-Shooter Junction"; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The city's economy originally depended on cotton, |
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but in the 1900s, produce shipping and truck hauling became more |
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important; for a time up until the 1940s, Hempstead was known as the |
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largest shipper of watermelons in the United States; today it |
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continues to be an agribusiness and manufacturing center, and it |
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still ships watermelons across the nation during peak season; and |
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WHEREAS, Hempstead continues to grow, thanks to its proximity |
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to Houston and its favorable location at the intersection of |
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Highway 290 and Highway 6; opportunities for higher education are |
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afforded by Blinn College and by such nearby institutions as Texas |
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A&M University and Prairie View A&M University; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike delight in touring the |
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picturesque Liendo Plantation, which was home to Texas sculptor |
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Elisabet Ney from 1873 to 1911; the city's annual Watermelon |
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Festival, sponsored by the Hempstead Chamber of Commerce, features |
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a barbecue cook-off, a quilt exhibition, a car and tractor show, and |
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musical performances, while every winter the Hempstead Festival of |
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Lights, also staged by the chamber, creates a festive mood with food |
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and craft booths on the square and a lighted parade; and |
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WHEREAS, Celebrating their rich history as they work to build |
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a bright future, the people of Hempstead may indeed take great pride |
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in the unique place their city holds in the history of the Lone Star |
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State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize March 4, 2013, as Hempstead Day at the |
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State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best |
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wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. |