SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 252

WHEREAS, Citizens from Hill County are visiting Austin to celebrate Hill County Day at the State Capitol on February 26, 2015, and it is indeed appropriate to take this opportunity to pay tribute to this notable Texas county; and

WHEREAS, Located in North Central Texas east of the Brazos River, Hill County was created from a section of Navarro County by an act of the state legislature on February 7, 1853; it was named for Dr. George Washington Hill, a member of the Congress of the Republic of Texas and secretary of war and the navy under President Sam Houston; on May 14, 1853, an election was held in Lexington on Jack's Branch to determine the county's first public officials, and later that same year, Hillsboro was platted and designated the county seat; and

WHEREAS, Now home to about 35,000 people, Hill County has grown with the changing times while still maintaining the appeal of a small rural county; the restored county courthouse in Hillsboro, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, serves as the center for county business, and Hill College provides access to an array of high-technology academic and workforce-training educational programs, presents a popular performing arts series, and is the site of the Texas Heritage Museum with its extensive collection of Audie Murphy artifacts and a comprehensive library and archive on the Civil War; and

WHEREAS, Of special interest to Texas music fans everywhere, Hill County is the birthplace of legendary singer and songwriter Willie Nelson, who was born in Abbott and graduated from high school there; and

WHEREAS, Hill County communities host a number of special events each year, among them the Hill County Fair and the Cotton Pickin' Fair in Hillsboro, Pioneer Days in Whitney, the Cinco de Mayo Celebration in Itasca, and Hubbard City Trade Days, and these festivities showcase the county's hospitality, agricultural roots, scenic beauty, and heritage; residents and visitors alike also enjoy the myriad recreational opportunities offered by Lake Whitney State Park; and

WHEREAS, Those who call Hill County home may take justifiable pride in their county's distinctive character and the many qualities that make it such an outstanding place in which to live, work, and raise a family; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th Legislature, hereby recognize February 26, 2015, as Hill County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for an enjoyable stay in Austin. Birdwell

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 24, 2015.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate