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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Butterfield Overland Trail, which crosses Texas |
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and seven other states, was used by the Butterfield Overland Mail to |
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transport mail and passengers from St. Louis and Memphis to San |
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Francisco from 1858 to 1861; and |
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WHEREAS, Covering a distance of nearly 3,000 miles, the |
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Butterfield Overland Mail was one of the longest mail routes using |
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horse-drawn stagecoaches in the history of the United States; and |
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WHEREAS, On September 21, 1858, the Butterfield Overland Mail |
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stagecoach made its first stop at the Diamond Station, just west of |
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Whitesboro; the well-documented mail route also included stops in |
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Sherman and El Paso; reflecting the sense of pride that Texans share |
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about the historic Butterfield Overland Trail, the City of |
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Whitesboro unveiled special signage in 2008 to commemorate the |
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150th anniversary of the Butterfield Overland Mail; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Texans continue to use the Butterfield |
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Overland Trail recreationally; among the historic remnants and |
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artifacts for public use and enjoyment are historic Fort Belknap |
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and Fort Chadbourne, which served as stops on the Butterfield |
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Overland Mail, and a refurbished original Butterfield Overland Mail |
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stagecoach in Whitesboro; the stagecoaches were unique because of |
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the scenes on their doors, and no two coaches were alike; and |
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WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of the Interior has determined |
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that the Butterfield Overland Trail is eligible for designation as |
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a National Historic Trail because it meets all of the requirements |
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of the National Trails System Act and other requirements for |
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designation as a National Historic Trail, namely, that the trail be |
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nationally significant, have a well-documented route, and offer |
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significant potential for public recreational use; and |
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WHEREAS, A National Historic Trail may only be designated by |
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an Act of Congress, and congressional action to designate the |
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Butterfield Overland Trail as a National Historic Trail would help |
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to preserve and protect this historic route and its historic |
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remnants and artifacts for public use and enjoyment; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to |
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designate the Butterfield Overland Trail as a National Historic |
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Trail; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |