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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Hopkins County are gathering in |
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Austin on March 31, 2015, to celebrate Hopkins County Day at the |
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State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Hopkins County has an area of 789 square miles with |
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both blackland prairie and piney wood terrain; originally inhabited |
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by the Caddo and then the Cherokee people, the county was created in |
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1846 and named for a family of pioneers; Sulphur Springs was made |
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the county seat in 1870; and |
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WHEREAS, Corn, wheat, sheep, and cattle were important in the |
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19th century, but cotton became the dominant crop between 1890 and |
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1930; in 1937 the Carnation Milk Company opened a processing plant |
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in the county, and its presence, in conjunction with better road and |
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rail transportation, allowed dairy farming to become the major |
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agricultural undertaking; in 1990 the county boasted nearly 500 |
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dairies supplying 17 percent of the state's total milk; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Hopkins County has a population of over |
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35,500, with nearly 16,000 people residing in Sulphur Springs; |
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along with dairy production, tourism and food processing and |
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distribution are mainstays of the economy, as are beef cattle and |
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breeding horses; and |
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WHEREAS, Sulphur Springs features a number of popular |
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attractions, including the Southwest Dairy Center and Museum, the |
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Leo St. Clair Music Box Museum, and the Hopkins County Heritage |
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Museum and Park; the city's striking all-glass restroom downtown |
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has drawn national attention and was the first of its kind in the |
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United States; moreover, the area is a well-known center for |
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aquatic recreation, with Lake Fork and Cooper Lake State Park |
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offering opportunities for trophy bass fishing, as well as boating |
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and swimming; bird-watchers, hikers, and campers also seek out the |
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county, and special events like the Texas State Champion Homemade |
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Ice Cream Freeze Off at the Hopkins County Dairy Festival in June |
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are enjoyed by residents and visitors alike; and |
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WHEREAS, Hopkins County is one of the Lone Star State's true |
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treasures, and its citizens justifiably take great pride in the |
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history and character of their splendid communities; 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 31, 2015, as Hopkins County Day |
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at the State Capitol and extend sincere best wishes to the visiting |
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delegation for an informative and enjoyable stay in Austin. |