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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Red River County are gathering in |
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Austin to celebrate Red River County Day at the State Capitol on |
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March 25, 2015; and |
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WHEREAS, The rolling timberlands of the Red River valley were |
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first inhabited thousands of years ago, and they were later settled |
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by the Caddo people; during the early 19th century, bands of |
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Shawnee, Delaware, and Kickapoo settled along the creeks that still |
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carry their names; French explorers, soldiers, and trappers passed |
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through the region in the 1700s, and the first Anglo-American |
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settlements in Texas, Jonesborough and Pecan Point, were located in |
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the present-day county; Sam Houston spent his first night in Texas |
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in Jonesborough, and Davy Crockett passed through on his way to the |
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Alamo; and |
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WHEREAS, In those early years, the Red River District |
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encompassed land from 39 present-day counties, and its sovereignty |
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remained in dispute, with settlers sending representatives to the |
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Arkansas legislature even as they sought land grants from the |
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Mexican government; in 1837, the Republic of Texas formed Red River |
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County, and the county was reduced to its present size in 1846; the |
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arrival of a railway in 1876 helped cotton farming become the |
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foundation of the county's economy; today, its chief agricultural |
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products are cattle, soybeans, wheat, and timber; and |
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WHEREAS, Clarksville, the county seat, has been recognized as |
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a Texas Main Street City, a National Main Street City, and a |
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Preserve America community, and it is home to the Magnolia Brush |
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company, which distributes its products nationwide; famous |
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individuals who hail from Clarksville include the writer William |
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Humphrey, award-winning novelist John Williams, Olympic champion |
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runner Tommie Smith, and natural foods advocate Euell Gibbons; the |
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village of Detroit is the hometown of John Nance Garner, vice |
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president under Franklin Roosevelt, and the Dallas police officer |
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J. D. Tippit, who died in the line of duty on the day of the Kennedy |
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assassination, was born near Annona; and |
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WHEREAS, Residents and visitors alike delight in the county's |
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annual display of colorful fall foliage, and the county is a popular |
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destination for hunters; annual festivals and celebrations include |
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the Wade T. Witmer Memorial Hog Hunt, the Red River County BBQ |
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Smoke-off, the Detroit Arts Fest, the Historical Society's Fall |
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Bazaar, and two annual bicycle tours, one in the summer and one in |
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the fall; and |
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WHEREAS, Blessed with a scenic and fertile landscape and a |
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rich history, the people of Red River County take great pride in |
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their heritage as they work to build a bright future; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize March 25, 2015, as Red River County |
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Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation |
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sincere best wishes for an enjoyable visit to Austin. |
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VanDeaver |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 600 was adopted by the House on March |
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5, 2015, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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