84R7325 MDM-D
 
  By: VanDeaver H.R. No. 591
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Many proud citizens of Lamar County are visiting the
  State Capitol on April 8-9, 2015, to celebrate the 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 of retail trade,
  farming, and medical care and home to Fortune 500 companies
  Campbell Soup Company, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and Next Era
  Energy as well as a recent major employer, James Skinner Baking
  Company; the city 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, and by
  such beautiful recreation areas as Wade Park, Lake Gibbons, Lake
  Crook, and the Sam Bell Maxey State Historic Structure; every
  summer, citizens enjoy the Tour de Paris bike 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 cowboy hat; and
         WHEREAS, The industrious residents of this vibrant Texas
  county are preserving the best of their past while working to meet
  the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and it is indeed
  appropriate to honor them at this time; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
  Legislature hereby recognize April 8-9, 2015, as Lamar County Days
  at the State Capitol and extend to the delegation sincere best
  wishes for an enjoyable and informative visit.