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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Many proud citizens of Lamar County are visiting the |
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State Capitol on February 27 and 28, 2019, to celebrate the role |
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this Northeast Texas county has played in the annals of the Lone |
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Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, At the time of the Republic of Texas, present-day |
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Lamar County was located within the boundaries of Red River County; |
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population growth led the Fifth Congress of the republic to |
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establish Lamar County on December 17, 1840, and the current |
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boundaries were drawn 30 years later when a portion of land was |
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carved out for the creation of Delta County; and |
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WHEREAS, Lamar County's namesake was the fourth president of |
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the Republic of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar; the small settlement of |
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Lafayette was the first county seat, and Mount Vernon later served |
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briefly in that capacity until the town of Paris was founded on 50 |
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acres donated by George W. Wright; Paris has served as the county |
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seat since 1844; and |
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WHEREAS, At the turn of the century, Lamar County remained |
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primarily rural, and although the population of Paris had grown to |
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more than 9,000, no other community exceeded 1,000 residents; the |
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industrial economy gradually began to make gains on agriculture in |
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the 20th century as people moved into towns and smaller |
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communities, and Paris played an increasingly important role in the |
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economy of Northeast Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Paris is a regional hub for manufacturing, |
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retail trade, and medical care; it is home to a number of Fortune |
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500 companies, including Campbell Soup Company, which produces such |
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products as Pace Picante Sauce and Prego Italian sauces in its Paris |
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plant, and Kimberly-Clark, makers of Huggies diapers; also |
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contributing to the city's economy are BodyGuard Truck Accessories, |
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a global after-market truck parts distributor, and J. Skinner |
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Baking, producers of Hostess, Little Debbie, and Walmart baked |
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goods; moreover, Paris is a prominent national center for trailer |
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manufacturing, with PJ Trailers and Load Trail helping to anchor |
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that segment of the business community; one of the area's newest |
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employers, American SpiralWeld Pipe Company, fabricates large |
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diameter cement-coated pipe for lake water transfers and municipal |
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sewer systems; the city is located within an excellent multimodal |
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transportation network, with the recent expansions of Texas Highway |
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82 and U.S. Highway 271 and the four-lane route to Interstate 30 via |
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Texas Highway 19/24 allowing improved access to the area's numerous |
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manufacturing plants and distribution centers; and |
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WHEREAS, Quality of life in Paris is enhanced by Paris Junior |
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College and several excellent independent school districts and by |
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such beautiful recreation areas as Wade Park, Lake Gibbons, Lake |
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Crook, and the Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site; every |
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summer, citizens enjoy the Tour de Paris bike race and concerts by |
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the Paris Municipal Band, the oldest such ensemble in the state; |
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landmarks include the Culbertson Fountain in the historic district, |
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named "the prettiest plaza in the State of Texas" by Texas Monthly |
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magazine, and the "third largest Eiffel Tower in the Second Largest |
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Paris," a 65-foot-tall monument constructed by local workers and |
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capped, appropriately, with a cowboy hat; and |
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WHEREAS, Lamar County is one of the Lone Star State's great |
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treasures, and it is indeed a pleasure to honor its residents as |
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they look forward to a bright and promising future; 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 February 27 and 28, 2019, as Lamar |
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County Days at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting |
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delegation sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay |
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in Austin. |