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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 280
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WHEREAS, Proud citizens of Van Zandt County are gathering |
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at the State Capitol on March 7, 2017, to commemorate Van Zandt |
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County Day and to celebrate the significant role their home has |
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played in the story of the Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, Created by an Act of the Texas Legislature on |
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March 20, 1848, this county in the northeast region of Texas was |
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named for Isaac Van Zandt, a lawyer who served as a legislator and |
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diplomat for the Republic of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Canton, the county seat, was laid out in 1850 and |
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incorporated in 1919; designated a Main Street City in 2001, it |
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is home to the Van Zandt County Fair and Rodeo, as well as one of |
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the nation's best-known flea markets, First Monday Trade Days; |
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the city is also the location of the Library of Genealogy and |
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Local History, which preserves the county's heritage and draws |
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researchers from far and near; and |
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WHEREAS, The county's other notable communities include |
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Ben Wheeler, which was named in 1878 for Benjamin F. Wheeler, an |
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early mail carrier in Van Zandt County; and |
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WHEREAS, Edgewood, which was first settled in the 1840s, |
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hosts the Edgewood Heritage Festival every November at the |
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Heritage Park Museum; this popular attraction is dedicated to the |
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preservation of rural culture and architecture; and |
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WHEREAS, Named after a figure from the Bible, Edom is one |
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of the oldest towns in the county, and it is home to 11 state |
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historical markers, many of them researched by members of the |
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Edom Historical Society; the residents of this small community |
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also give hearty support to an active civic theater and popular |
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arts fairs; and |
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WHEREAS, A 1901 petition by local fruit growers prompted |
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the renaming of Bolan Switch to Fruitvale; the town had boasted a |
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fruit nursery as early as the 1870s and also had a lumber shipping |
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business by the second decade of the 20th century, but Fruitvale |
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was not incorporated until the 1960s; and |
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WHEREAS, Originally called Jordan's Saline, Grand Saline |
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was the first county seat, and it takes its name from an immense |
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dome of pure salt that lies beneath the city; more than a mile and |
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a half wide and 16,000 feet thick, the deposit is now mined by the |
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Morton Salt company; named a Main Street City in 2004, the |
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community celebrates its heritage with the Salt Palace, a house |
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built out of salt blocks, and an annual Salt Festival; the town is |
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also the birthplace of pioneer aviator Wiley Post, whose life is |
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commemorated with a historical marker; and |
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WHEREAS, Martin's Mill was established in the valley of Cream |
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Level Creek before the Civil War; it got its name from Daniel |
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G. Martin, who opened a gin and gristmill there in 1875; and |
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WHEREAS, The community of Van was established in 1894, and |
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it remained a quiet farming community until 1929, when the |
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discovery of oil in the area transformed the village into a |
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boomtown; the Van Area Oil and Historical Museum and the annual |
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Oil Pageant & Festival recapture the excitement of that time; and |
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WHEREAS, Wills Point was named for William Wills, who |
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settled in the area in the 1840s and whose homestead became a way |
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station for travelers; his original cabin still stands in Bruce |
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Park, and the old Texas and Pacific Railroad depot features |
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exhibits of local history; as the official Bluebird Capital of |
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Texas, Wills Point hosts the annual Bluebird Festival every |
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April; and |
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WHEREAS, Major events in the county include the Western |
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Swing Valentine Party in Canton, the Edom Festival of the Arts, |
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and the Relay for Life of Van Zandt County; for the outdoor |
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enthusiast, the Neches and Sabine Rivers, Purtis Creek State |
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Park, and Lake Tawakoni State Park offer fine opportunities for |
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fishing, boating, swimming, camping, and hiking; home to more |
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than 53,000 people, the county prospers thanks to agriculture, |
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oil and gas, and tourism; the region is a major producer of hay, |
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sweet potatoes, beef cattle, and nursery crops; and |
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WHEREAS, The people of Van Zandt County take great pride in |
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their rich history as they work together to build an even |
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brighter future, and it is indeed fitting to honor them and their |
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unique contributions to the story of the Lone Star State; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th |
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Legislature, hereby recognize March 7, 2017, as Van Zandt |
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County Day at the State Capitol and extend best wishes to the |
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visiting residents of the county for an informative and |
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enjoyable stay in Austin. |
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Hall |
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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 7, 2017. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |