SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 530

WHEREAS, Many proud citizens of Lamar County are visiting the State Capitol on March 27, 2013, to celebrate the prominent role this Northeast Texas county has played in the annals of the Lone Star State; and

WHEREAS, At the time of the Republic of Texas, present-day Lamar County was located within the boundaries of Red River County; population growth led the Fifth Congress of the republic to establish Lamar County on December 17, 1840, and the current boundaries were drawn 30 years later when a portion of land was carved out for the creation of Delta County; and

WHEREAS, Lamar County's namesake was the fourth president of the Republic of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar; the small settlement of Lafayette served as the first county seat, but after the Texas Congress passed a law requiring that each county seat be located within five miles of the county's geographic center, Mount Vernon served briefly in that capacity until the town of Paris was founded on 50 acres donated by George W. Wright; Paris has served as the county seat since 1844; and

WHEREAS, Numerous early settlers migrated to Lamar County through Tennessee and Kentucky and established small farms; at the turn of the century, the county remained primarily rural, and although the population of Paris had grown to more than 9,000, no other community exceeded 1,000 residents; the industrial economy gradually began to make gains on agriculture in the 20th century as people moved into towns and smaller communities, and Paris played an increasingly important role in the economy of Northeast Texas; and

WHEREAS, Today, Paris is a regional hub for retail trade, farming, and medical care and home to three Fortune 500 companies, Campbell Soup Company, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and Florida Power and Light; the city's newest major employer is James Skinner Baking Company; Paris is located within an excellent multimodal transportation network, and in addition to numerous food and consumer goods manufacturing plants, it is home to distribution centers that serve the entire nation; and

WHEREAS, Quality of life in Paris is enhanced by Paris Junior College and several excellent independent school districts offering school choice; beautiful local recreation areas include Wade Park, Lake Gibbons, Lake Crook, and the Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site; every summer, citizens enjoy the Tour de Paris bicycle race along the 12-mile Trail de Paris and concerts by the Paris Municipal Band, the oldest such ensemble in the state; landmarks include the Culbertson Fountain in the historic district, named "the prettiest plaza in the State of Texas" by Texas Monthly magazine, and the "third largest Eiffel Tower in the second largest Paris," a 65-foot-tall monument constructed by local workers and capped, appropriately, with a red cowboy hat; and

WHEREAS, The industrious residents of this vital Texas county are preserving the best of their past while working to meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and it is indeed a pleasure to honor them at this time; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd Legislature, hereby recognize March 27, 2013, as Lamar County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the delegation sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in honor of this special day.

Eltife

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 25, 2013.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate