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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud citizens of Van Zandt County are gathering at |
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the State Capitol on March 5, 2019, to commemorate Van Zandt County |
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Day and to celebrate the significant role their home has played in |
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the story of the Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, Created by an Act of the Texas Legislature on March |
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20, 1848, this county in the northeast region of Texas was named for |
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Isaac Van Zandt, a lawyer who served as a legislator and diplomat |
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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 is |
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home to the Van Zandt County Fair and Rodeo, as well as one of the |
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nation's best-known flea markets, First Monday Trade Days; the city |
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is also the location of the Library of Genealogy and Local History, |
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which preserves the county's heritage and draws researchers from |
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far and near; and |
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WHEREAS, The county's other notable communities include Ben |
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Wheeler, which was named in 1878 for Benjamin F. Wheeler, an early |
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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 Heritage |
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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 of |
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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 Edom |
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Historical Society; the residents of this small community also give |
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hearty support to an active civic theater and popular arts fairs; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A 1901 petition by local fruit growers prompted the |
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renaming of Bolan Switch to Fruitvale; the town had boasted a fruit |
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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 was |
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not incorporated until the 1960s; and |
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WHEREAS, Originally called Jordan's Saline, Grand Saline was |
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the first county seat, and it takes its name from an immense dome of |
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pure salt that lies beneath the city; more than a mile and a half |
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wide and 16,000 feet thick, the deposit is now mined by the Morton |
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Salt company; named a Main Street City in 2004, the community |
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celebrates its heritage with the Salt Palace, a house built out of |
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salt blocks, and an annual Salt Festival; the town is also the |
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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 it |
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remained a quiet farming community until 1929, when the discovery |
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of oil in the area transformed the village into a boomtown; the Van |
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Area Oil and Historical Museum and the annual Oil Pageant & Festival |
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recapture the excitement of that time; and |
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WHEREAS, Wills Point was named for William Wills, who settled |
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in the area in the 1840s and whose homestead became a way station |
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for travelers; his original cabin still stands in Bruce Park, and |
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the old Texas and Pacific Railroad depot features exhibits of local |
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history; as the official Bluebird Capital of Texas, Wills Point |
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hosts the annual Bluebird Festival every April; and |
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WHEREAS, Major events in the county include the Western Swing |
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Valentine Party in Canton, the Edom Festival of the Arts, and the |
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Relay for Life of Van Zandt County; for the outdoor enthusiast, the |
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Neches and Sabine Rivers, Purtis Creek State Park, and Lake |
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Tawakoni State Park offer fine opportunities for fishing, boating, |
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swimming, camping, and hiking; the county prospers thanks to |
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agriculture, oil and gas, and recreational opportunities, and the |
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region is a major producer of hay, sweet potatoes, beef cattle, and |
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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 brighter |
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future, and it is indeed fitting to honor them and their unique |
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contributions to the story of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize March 5, 2019, as Van Zandt County Day |
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at the State Capitol and extend best wishes to the visiting |
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residents of the county for an informative and enjoyable stay in |
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Austin. |
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Flynn |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 232 was adopted by the House on March |
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5, 2019, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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