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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 449
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WHEREAS, Proud citizens of Rusk County are assembling at |
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the Texas State Capitol to celebrate Rusk County Days on March 31 |
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and April 1, 2015; and |
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WHEREAS, A picturesque region of rolling hills in the Piney |
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Woods of East Texas, Rusk County was first occupied by the Caddo |
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and the Cherokee tribes; the first European settlers arrived in |
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the 1830s, and on January 16, 1843, the county was formed by act |
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of the Congress of the Republic of Texas and named after Thomas |
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Jefferson Rusk, secretary of war under Texas President Sam |
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Houston; and |
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WHEREAS, For many years, the county's economy was based on |
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cotton and other agriculture, but on October 3, 1930, Columbus |
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Marion "Dad" Joiner struck oil at his famous Daisy Bradford |
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Number 3 well, opening up the East Texas oil field, which at the |
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time was the largest oil field in the world; three years later, |
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Rusk County was producing over 200 million barrels of petroleum a |
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year, turning county seat Henderson from a sleepy village to a |
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bustling boomtown; and |
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WHEREAS, Oil and agriculture continue to be mainstays of |
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the county's economy, along with natural gas, timber, and the |
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mining of lignite coal; in addition, Rusk County's bricks, made |
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from the region's unique clay soil, are highly prized; the county |
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economy is further bolstered by two correctional institutions, |
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including the Bradshaw State Jail in Henderson; and |
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WHEREAS, Only two miles from "Dad" Joiner's original well, |
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the Gaston Museum in Joinerville commemorates the history of the |
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East Texas oil field; in Henderson, the Depot Museum, a |
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beautifully restored Missouri Pacific railway depot from 1901, |
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hosts the annual Heritage Syrup Festival every November; |
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recreational opportunities abound in the county's parks, |
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including Martin Creek Lake State Park, which offers swimming, |
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boating, fishing, waterskiing, and other activities; and |
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WHEREAS, Honoring their heritage as they embrace the |
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opportunities of the future, the citizens of Rusk County may take |
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great pride in the role their communities have played in the |
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story of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th |
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Legislature, hereby recognize March 31 and April 1, 2015, as Rusk |
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County Days at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting |
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delegation sincere best wishes for an informative and enjoyable |
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stay in Austin. |
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Eltife |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on March 30, 2015. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |